Help provide safe housing

We have seen homelessness skyrocket in our community. As housing prices rise, many working-class people are forced to make tough decisions, sometimes choosing between healthcare and shelter. Every day more individuals fall through the cracks.

 

We make regular donations to social programs and local food banks, but we feel motivated to do more. We reached out to local homeless shelters to help match an individual who would benefit from a free housing opportunity with us. We were looking specifically for someone who is clean and sober, law abiding and actively dedicated to a healthy lifestyle.  The director of Safe Sleep, a women's shelter contacted us with the perfect candidate. Cindel is a middle-aged woman managing multiple medical issues. She is employed full-time as an essential worker in a residential care facility. She is a vegetarian, a non-smoker and loves gardening. Her dream is to have a peaceful place to stay with her elderly cat. She was recently featured on Oregon Public Broadcasting; Over half of the unhoused population in Salem are women.

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/12/06/over-half-of-the-unhoused-population-in-salem-are-women/?outputType=amp

 

We have a large garden and space with an overflow of organic produce to share. Luck would have it that our neighbor has been working with the city to design safe, comfortable and secure micro-housing units which are being placed in the city to meet the needs of individuals without housing. Some units are on city land, and some are put at churches. We feel that having a private and secure micro shelter within a safe neighborhood will help bridge the gap and provide the opportunity to transition into complete independence for the right candidate.

 

We have cleared a space on our property and are in the process of purchasing a built to code 9x8 ft micro shelter for $4000. (The units typically cost $6000, but our neighbor was kind enough to absorb some expense). It is constructed with insulated walls, a steel roof and double-paned windows to withstand harsh weather conditions. It is equipped with an H-Vac that controls the unit's temperature and humidity to keep the occupant healthy and comfortable. In addition to the $4000 overhead, we have some expenses, including laying down a gravel pad, paying for window coverings, and basic furniture, including a bed.

 

We can cover these expenses independently but welcome any help to offset the financial burden of taking on this project. We also would like to give our guest a welcoming gift card as she has minimal personal possessions.

 

We hope that this micro shelter will help several people in the years to come. We will make it available on a month-to-month basis for up to a year for each guest as a stepping stone to a brighter future.

 

We have included some photos of the micro-shelter that we are in the process of purchasing.