Oak Street Village, operated by Straightway Services, will prioritize people experiencing vehicular homelessness, who tend to have higher rates of disability and other challenges.

The design for the Village site places importance on equity, accessibility, and quality of life to provide person-centered services. The program will be available to up to 40 participants (individuals and couples) experiencing vehicular homelessness in passenger cars only. The site will include on-site sleeping shelters, in addition to parking spaces for participants (for up to 33 passenger vehicles).

Hygiene facilities, laundry, storage, and offices will be provided in service facilities using repurposed shipping containers, pre-manufactured by CC915, a company that customizes and builds out shipping containers, that has been used, and successfully permitted, with the City of Portland at the Peninsula Crossing Safe Rest Village.

To address concerns related to participant health and vehicle camping, Pallet Shelter sleeping units have been incorporated into the site plans. The Joint Office already owns Pallet Shelters, presently in storage, designated for use in this program.

This site is part of an overall shelter expansion funded by Multnomah County and the Joint Office. The Joint Office’s shelter expansion work is part of its “housing-first but not housing-only”  strategy for addressing homelessness that centers housing paired with wraparound services, while still building out short-term shelter options. 

Oak Street Village is not a Safe Rest Village. The term “Safe Rest Village” — while sometimes used as a generic term for an alternative, village-style or pod shelter — refers to a specific City of Portland shelter program, which is operated in partnership with the Joint Office. The service model for the Oak Street Village will closely resemble existing alternative shelters developed and funded by the County and the City of Portland. 

No. This will be a managed alternative shelter, available to people who currently live in their vehicles. The goal is to provide a safe place for people to live off the streets and connect to services that put them on the path to permanent housing.

Increasing options for low-barrier alternative shelters means that fewer people have to resort to unsanctioned camping. 

The Joint Office, Multnomah County Facilities and Carleton Hart Architecture developed a proposed site plan in partnership with Straightway Services. The site plan is designed to mitigate concerns around the proximity of parking, sleeping units and hygiene services to neighboring properties. 

Key principles guiding the design include:

• Strategically placing the main entry at the north, closest to the offsite services utilized by guests. Ensuring the office has good visibility over the site.
• Placing bathrooms in multiple locations around the site for the convenience of all guests. 
• Positioning hygiene, kitchen and laundry away from the neighboring properties
• Locating most guest parking spots away from the neighboring properties
• Centering ADA accessibility and privacy
• Adhering to trauma-informed design principles

This design contributes significantly to equitable service delivery in East Portland, an area facing a high concentration of vehicular homelessness. The proposed site includes four toilets and four showers, maintaining a participant to shower and toilet ratio of a maximum of 10:1.  

Accessibility for people with disabilities is a high consideration in the site’s design.. Notably, wheelchair accessible parking spaces for 27% of the participants, significantly higher than the 10% required by code. In addition, 50% of the hygiene units are planned to feature roll-in showers. All community facilities are planned to have ramps and landings.  

The covered common area will be a metal structure similar to structures that have been permitted at Safe Rest Village sites. It will serve as an outdoor gathering space with protection from rain and sun.

The site’s opening is contingent upon the completion of construction, including the demolition of the site’s existing building.. The project timeline  depends on several factors, including robust community engagement, the County Board of Commissioners’ design approval vote, and the subsequent construction phase. Our goal is to open the Oak Street Village site in early 2025, aligning with our commitment to transparency and community collaboration throughout the process.

The site will offer:

• A safe, managed place for Portlanders experiencing vehicular homelessness to sleep and park their vehicles on their paths to permanent housing. 
• Support addressing basic needs, including hygiene services, case management and housing navigation.
• Access to treatment for unmet behavioral health needs, including help accessing treatment for mental health challenges and substance use disorders.
• Reduced impact for neighbors currently experiencing unsanctioned vehicular camping in their community.
• 24/7 staffing with security fencing ensuring the safety and security of the village and community. Only participants and their registered guests will be allowed to enter the village.
• Locations for communal gathering, a kitchenette, and yet-to-be-determined site amenities (e.g., raised bed gardens or mini-libraries).
• Opportunities for participants to build community with the surrounding neighborhood.

The site will NOT be:

• A place for unsanctioned camping.
• A site for individuals living in RVs.
• A permanent housing location. This village is an alternative shelter and will support the transition to permanent housing or permanent supportive housing programs.
• A self-managed site. This village will be managed by nonprofit provider Straightway Services. Participants will have the opportunity to directly shape and guide the community they build together.

Participants with substance use disorders at the Oak Street Village will receive dedicated support from Straightway Services. Straightway Services has a proven track record of success in aiding community members to overcome substance use disorders.