Opportunity Village

Opportunity Village
Homeless encampment
Opportunity Village
Coordinates: 44.0616227°N 123.1223195°W / 44.0616227; -123.1223195
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Lane
City	Eugene
Founded	2014
Website	https://www.eugene-or.gov/3705/Opportunity-Village

Opportunity Village is an organized homeless community in Eugene, Oregon. It is supported by the non-profit organization Opportunity Village Eugene (OVE).[1]

History

The village began in the wake of the Occupy movement in Eugene. After the Occupy encampments had been disassembled, mayor Kitty Piercy assembled a task force to address the housing crisis in the city.[2]

In 2013, the non-profit organization Opportunity Village Eugene (OVE) was founded with the goal of addressing the issue of affordable housing. That August, the Eugene City Council voted to donate land to OVE and approved the construction of a village.[3]

Opportunity Village opened in May 2014.[2] It was funded by $100,000 in private donations, and labor and materials were also donated.[1] Each of the 30 houses was constructed for $3,300.[3] Housing consists of small bungalows and Conestoga huts.[4]

Organization

The village is located on a gated, city-owned lot.[5] It has a capacity for over 30 residents and residents share maintenance and cleaning duties.[6][2] There is no time limit for how long residents can stay in the village, but they are expected to transition to permanent housing.[3]

Each structure is 80 square feet in size. Individual homes are not hooked up to electricity or plumbing, and residents share communal cooking, gathering, and sanitary spaces.[1]

See also

• Quixote Village, a similar initiative in Olympia, Washington

References

1. Eastman, Janet (11 November 2014). "Tiny houses for the homeless thrive in Eugene: Would this work in Portland, other cities?". OregonLive. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
2. Stuart, Marin (29 July 2019). "Eight Years Later: Occupy Eugene's Influence". Daily Emerald. Ethos Magazine. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
3. Faught, Andrew. "A heart for the homeless fuels UC DAAP grad's efforts to build a tiny village in Eugene, Oregon". UC Magazine. University of Cincinnati. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
4. "Opportunity Village". www.eugene-or.gov. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
5. McDonald, Rachael (7 February 2018). "Eugene's Tiny House Experiment Expands To Emerald Village". Jefferson Public Radio. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
6. "A peek inside Eugene's 'Opportunity Village' offers insight into plan for Bend". Central Oregon Daily. 14 October 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2023.

Further reading

• Heben, Andrew (2014). Tent City Urbanism: From Self-organized Camps to Tiny House Villages. Village Collaborative. ISBN 978-0-692-24805-8. Retrieved 26 March 2023.