dignity village holiday bazaar??? where was i?

Strictly from the above pictures, how does one honestly describe Dignity Village as a "homeless camp?"

I'm not trying to be facetious here, I am serious.

@blownspeakers - Might have to do with the difference between the words "house" and "home"....or the phrase "basic shelter," in this case....

Blownspeakers, Dignity Village is (wink) temporary (wink).

Blownspeakers - I'm not really sure what phrase to use to describe the unique site. "Temporary homeless housing project" is clunky, "homeless community" is vague... given the ostensibly temporary nature of the houses and the cobbled together feel of the site, I settled on "camp."

I'm definitely open to better ideas.

"exciting new microcondominiums"

And doesn't $4,000 seem like a lot for propane and some portapotties?

So let me get this straight. In exchange for turning goods and services into cash, they then use said cash to get shelter.
BRILLIANT, by jove!
Where are MY permit waivers?!

I quite like the term "liberal ghetto," personally. Although don't let the housing commissioner catch you saying that.

If I recall, it was originally known as "Camp Dignity" when it first took form under the east end of the Morrison Bridge.

I had to check up on what was happening with Dignity Village--to see if it was still in operation and was shocked to see the "living" conditions of people sleeping next to Habitat for humanity Re-Store, below the Morrison Bridge yesterday. If this was the original site, I hope someone can help these folks find their way to the new one.

Cardboard boxes and what I thought to be debris started moving so I stepped quickly aside as I realized those were people's heads underneath. Apparently people trying to sleep during daylight hours. One older grey-haired woman in particular caught my eye and it upset me greatly to realize that she looked very middle-class, with a nice haircut style (she could be a lovely grandmother or well-mannered office-worker), hugging blankets around her shoulders as she sat very still, trying to keep warm in the cold, drizzly winter-chill.

There was human waste (use your imagination) that you had to watch out not to step in, all around these folks. It's gross beyond my wildest nightmares how any civilized society can allow people to suffer this way. And I'm sure I've not seen the worst of it! All I could think was, why can't we help these people--at least get some Port-a-Potties down here so we don't spread disease? If we are not going to care what happens to them, as a society, do we at least care that we are turning parts of our city into an open toilet?

Matt, thanks for your reporting at the Portland Mercury--I really appreciate it!

And to the person who is complaining that the homeless are given waivers on building permits so they can get a decent shelter, would you please get your ass down where I was and look for yourself at just how little these people have and then tell me you still feel sorry for yourself that you don't have what they have...

So disgusted at what has become of our city and the present state of our world.