Entry to Dignity Village
If you’d like to live at Dignity Village, please show up for a meeting with the Village Intake Committee. Please do not expect to be given a bed or place to sleep right away. There is a waiting list for our tiny houses and our overnight guest shelter is only open in the Winter (the rest of the year it is a greenhouse). The Village Intake Committee meets every Tuesday at 10:00 am (except during weeks of major holidays & call ahead to be sure 503 281-1604). Be prepared to show proof of full vaccination against COVID at the gate. The VIC’s role is to screen potential residents to ensure understanding of Village rules, and to get a sense of who potential Villagers are: their stories, needs, and what they can contribute to the community. The VIC will explain what it takes to live at Dignity Village, and answer any questions about life at Dignity Village, community resources, and necessary steps to obtaining residency. There are only three qualifications for anyone interested in living at Dignity Village: that you are homeless, have proof that you are fully vaccinated against COVID, and are over the age of eighteen.
While on the waitlist, you must call in to the Village every week to maintain your place in line. It’s also a requirement that you do a number of hours of sweat equity within the Village each month– which the VIC will go over in detail. We make exceptions if you are working full time or have a medical excuse.
Once a structure opens up, the next person on the list is offered 60 day guest status. During this probationary period, it’s important to get to know the other Villagers, the way things operate, and to fully participate in all the necessary hours of Village sweat equity.
Most importantly, we want to know what you can contribute to Dignity Village. We’re living proof that it takes a Village in order to get by. We’re stronger as a group than we can be as individuals, and we want to continue to live by the ideals of community.