(POD) INITIATIVE

In an effort to ease Portland’s houseless crisis, the City of Portland declared a state of emergency in 2015, and solicited a range of proposals to address the lack of affordable and transitional housing. The Village Coalition, an organization made up of advocates, activists, and houseless individuals, joined forces with PSU’s Center for Public Interest Design to form the POD (Partners on Dwelling) Initiative, engaging architects and student groups to develop prototypes for a transitional tiny-house village.

Using the existing houseless village Hazelnut Grove as a case study, the designers came up with a solution that addressed houseless individuals’ need for flexibility and multi-use space with plenty of storage. The front porch helps to create a welcoming presence, and indeed, this ‘pod’ became affectionately known as The Saloon, a neighborly gathering place for the villagers.

This project was part of Molly Culbertson and Haley Wallace’s pro-bono and volunteer work at SERA Architects.