Tag: Eugene Microvillage Evaluation

Rubber Meets the Road: Taking the Pulse of the Community

Posted on by Julia Havens

Eugene-Micro-VillageRecently, our Community Planning Workshop Team finished collecting upwards of 90 surveys as part of our project to evaluate Eugene’s rest stop policy and micro village programs. Over the span of two weeks, our group administered door-to-door surveys in the areas nearest the rest stops and micro village.

We decided that we would survey addresses, both businesses and residents, within a 500-foot radius of each rest stop and the micro village. The rationale for surveying local business and residents within a 500-foot radius is to capture the perceptions and perspectives most affected by these camps. Capturing these perspectives is important to the program evaluation process because these nearby business owners and residents were expected to be most impacted by the sites.

In addition to splitting ourselves into two groups, with each group consisting of two student members and a representative from the Eugene’s Humans Rights Commission, we split the addresses in two as well. In the instance that a business was closed or a representative wasn’t available to participate in the survey, we left a postcard that included a description of our project and survey, as well as the web address to the survey on-line. Postcards were also left at residences where no one was readily available to take the survey.

As a group, we dialogued about our experience facilitating surveys in the community.  We all agreed that hitting the pavement and walking door-to door for several hours administering survey questions was a humbling experience because we were able to connect with community members in hopes to contribute positive change in their community. It was this process that demonstrated not only the value in accounting for community opinion and perspective, but this process also demonstrated the effort it takes to truly engage the community in a meaningful way.

Eugene-Micro-Village-2While there were individuals that expressed discontent, there were many more that were emphatic in their support for initiatives that provide safe, secure places for the unhoused to sleep. Generally, neighbors agreed with the facilitation of services like the rest-stops and micro villages, but feel as though the City could be doing more to accommodate Eugene’s unhoused population.

The process was taxing at times, but overall proved to be a rewarding and meaningful experience. Being able to share in the gathering and communication of neighbor feedback to decision makers is right at the intersection of community engagement and impact that pushed us to join this team.

About the Authors:

Jaleel Reed Evaluating Rest Stops and Micro-Villages EugeneJaleel Reed is a dual-Master’s student in Environmental Studies as well as Community and Regional Planning. An environmental scientist by degree from Northwestern University, he has re-oriented his interest toward environmental justice and community development. Outside of class, Jaleel doubles as a food and fitness enthusiast.

 

Brody Abbott CPW Community Planning Workshop Eugene Microvillage EvaluationBrody Abbott received his Bachelors of Degree in Criminal Justice from Southern Oregon University in 2013. During his free time he enjoys playing with his dog, Rufus, playing basketball, and enjoying the great outdoors. Originally from Portland, Oregon, Brody is close to his friends and family.

6×10 Living at Opportunity Village Eugene

Posted on by Julia Havens


“Opportunity Village is the stepping stone of my transition into society. After only a few months of living there, my girlfriend and I now are living a life where we are able to sustain a home on our own after being homeless for 2 years. Thank you Opportunity Village.” — Sam Johns (as seen on Opportunity Village’s homepage)

Opportunity Village panorama 1

This quotation shows how vital Opportunity Village Eugene (OVE) has become to the local unhoused community. More than providing physical homes, OVE has become a glimmer of hope for people transitioning out of homelessness. Finding housing is one challenge for the unhoused, but possibly an even larger barrier is reintegrating into mainstream society. OVE helps residents access the services they need to find work or pursue their education, in order to make this transition possible. As a Community Planning Workshop team, we had heard about how the village also provides residents with a supportive community that encourages self-sufficiency.  During our recent visit to OVE this self-supported, communal atmosphere was apparent.

Emily Brown Henry Hearley Eugene Microvillage Opportunity Village Community Planning Workshop CPW

Visiting OVE was an enlightening experience for our team because we got to see firsthand one of the programs we are evaluating. There is a difference between reading technical documents about a program’s operation, and being given a guided tour by a resident. Opportunity Village is the first of its kind in Eugene. Its mission is to create self-managed communities of low-cost, tiny houses for those in need of housing. It is governed by a village council, where residents are nominated by other residents. The primary role of the council is to uphold orderly management of the Village. OVE also has a Board of Directors, which acts as a non-profit organization to ensure that the OVE is in compliance with its agreement with the city.

During the visit, we were impressed by the organization and structure of the camp: we were greeted by a man doing his camp volunteer hours at the front desk where we signed in and were handed nametags. All of the structures are either micro-houses (tiny houses) or conestoga huts (6 x 10 foot structures that can be built for between $250 and $500). The micro-houses and huts are neatly spread throughout the camp area, and are all decorated in their own unique way. Many are painted bright colors, and it is clear that residents feel at home.

Reading about camp rules and then actually visiting the site, it was apparent that the rules are not just treated as a superficial set of guidelines: they are embraced by the residents. Residents follow the rules limiting the distance that their belongings can spread around their houses, and some residents have even built small, covered storage areas to keep their belongings dry. Requiring residents to participate in several hours of weekly community work strengthens the sense of ownership that they feel. This was apparent in the pride and gratitude expressed by one of our guides.
Restroom

We were particularly taken by the sense of community at the camp. Much of the space is shared, such as the garden, kitchen area, and the central community space. When it started raining, we retreated to the community area where quite a few residents were working on computers or reading. Listening to the rain on the roof and being surrounded by signs of community investment such as the shared library and whiteboard listing the agenda for an upcoming camp meeting, we couldn’t help but feel comfortable, cozy, and like we would enjoy living at OVE.

In the next few weeks, the Eugene Rest Stop and Micro Village Program Evaluation team will be conducting in- person interviews at OVE and city rest stops. These interviews will help us develop a stronger understanding of how the programs impact the lives of the unhoused and help them transition into permanent housing. To learn more about Micro-homes and OVE, check out this video from MSNBC (January, 2015).

 

Emily Brown Henry Hearley Eugene Microvillage Opportunity Village Community Planning Workshop CPWAbout the authors: Emily Brown and Henry Hearley are both in their first year of the Master of Community and Regional Planning program. They both enjoy taking advantage of Oregon’s beautiful outdoor scene and love to run. They are also enjoying their CPW project, and appreciate the chance to learn about how cities can better provide housing for unhoused residents.