Micro-housing designs to help homeless showcased

PORTLAND, Ore. — Mayor Charlie Hales and other community partners gathered Monday at City Hall to showcase micro-housing designs meant to be one solution for helping the city’s homeless.

Designs created by 14 teams that included students from Portland State University, architects and housing activists were unveiled.

One spokesman said the initiative isn’t just trying to get people to care about the housing crisis in Portland, it’s about helping those on the streets survive, especially during the winter months.

“We’re not just trying to compel people to care,” said Mark Lakeman, with City Repair Project, “we’re talking about survival in the streets for Portlanders, for people who are vulnerable, and especially for women.”

“This is warm news on a cold day, where the city committed a little bit of money, and the community leveraged a huge amount of talent to give us ideas that we need right now,” Hales said.

He said the sleeping pods will help keep homeless people safe and warm during the winter months.

The “sleeping pods” are insulated and have windows.

Full scale prototypes of these designs will be on display Friday through Sunday.

You can see those prototypes on Northeast Glisan Street and Northwest Park Avenue right across the street from the Pacific Northwest College of Art.

Read more about the pod initiative by visiting the university's website here.