PORTLAND, Oregon — Neighbors in Southeast Portland’s Montavilla neighborhood came out Wednesday evening to ask questions and share feedback over Multnomah County’s proposal to build a community housing village near their homes.
“Take the issue of people being trapped in houses next to something that's going to destroy their property values,” vented one neighbor during the meeting held at Montavilla United Methodist Church.
The proposed Montavilla Community Village would sit at Southeast Oak and 82nd Avenue. The county now owns the property which used to be the site of an old RV dealership. The village would have space for 40 people with 29 sleeping pods. It would have space for parking, trash services, showers, restrooms, laundry and a communal kitchenette. Community feedback over the project ran the gamete.
“I’m in favor of resources for our neighbors and I'm excited to meet more of our neighbors both housed and unhoused,” shared one neighbor. “I intend to be present at that village community site.”
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The majority of those at the meeting expressed reservations around the project.
“I am not concerned about the people who are going to be in these safe rest villages,” said another neighbor. “I'm concerned about what goes on outside of the boundary.”
Neighbor John Leslie shared similar concerns.
“We got a notice [the village] was going to happen and outside of that it was just, ‘You're along for the ride,’” said Leslie.
Leslie said his biggest concern is that the housing village will serve as a beacon for unwanted activity.
“It will be a place that will draw lots of homeless, lots of drug users which brings the people who sell the drugs which brings the people who are attached to that,” said Leslie.
Taking in feedback at the meeting was Dan Field, director of the Joint Office of Homeless Services.
“We have to design the Montavilla Community Village to address those concerns," said Field.
The JOHS started planning the village back in 2022 which the nonprofit Straightway Services will operate. Multnomah County's board of commissioners delayed voting on the village in December because they wanted more community feedback. Since then, Field said the joint office has been working with neighborhood and business leaders to create a good neighbor agreement. He said it’s something he takes seriously with every housing village in the city.
“We're working every day to make sure those providers—the nonprofits that are serving those sites—that they’re meeting their obligations and making sure the agreement we have with them is honored every day,” said Field.
The county will hold one more community meeting over the Montavilla Housing Village on April 3 at the Montavilla United Methodist Church. Field said the board of commissioners is set to approve funding for construction of the project April 11. He said construction is set to begin in the summer with completion of the village slated for late December.