Date: Friday, October 8
Time: 9:00 am – 10:00 am PDT (12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT)
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Presenters:
Todd Ferry, Senior Research Associate and Faculty Fellow, Center for Public Interest Design, Portland State University
Dr. Marisa Zapata, Associate Professor of Land-Use Planning and Director of Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative, Portland State University
Dr. Greg Townley, Associate Professor of Community Psychology, Portland State University and Co-founder, Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative, Portland State University
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Description:
The village model, which features non-congregate sleeping units and shared facilities, has emerged as a favorite alternative approach to providing shelter for houseless community members. Advocates argue that villages can be put in place quickly, use underutilized land, and offer common space for empowerment, healing, and community. Research at Portland State University’s Homelessness Research and Action Collaborative (HRAC) provides critical context for the practices and outcomes of the village model. Learn from members of the interdisciplinary team at HRAC who conducted this research. They’ll share key lessons from a multi-year study, funded by Meyer Memorial Trust, that engaged a range of stakeholders, including villagers, village managers/support-specialists, village designers/architects, and neighbors. As interest in the village model grows both locally and nationally, this team aims to identify best practices for the creation of more impactful and equitable villages–practices that can also inform a range of other approaches to alternative shelter.