Portland’s largest self-governing houseless community staying safe in the heat through solar power

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) — On day three of First Alert Weather, some are more vulnerable to the extreme heat than others. That includes the houseless community.

Those in one long-established encampment in Northeast Portland are going to bed safer this week, thanks to nonprofits that banded together to bring solar energy to the camp.

“Just stepping on this asphalt on a hot day- just imagine not being able to have power or power a fridge,” said Ricardo Moreno with the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF).

That was life for 25 years. Dignity Village in Northeast Portland is the only self-sufficient and self-governing homeless camp in North America, but it was powered by just one electrical pole- and no one had electricity in their individual homes.

“A lot of us were using battery-operated. Well, batteries are expensive,” said Lisa Larson, who has lived in the village with her husband for 14 years.

Still, in extreme heat and extreme cold, people needed to stay safe. They often turned to more dangerous methods, such as propane.

“Imagine a very small, contained space, if you’re dealing with an open flame, if something tipped over, all of these structures are made out of wood, so there have been incidents of fire or propane leaks,” said Robin Swanhuyser, Executive Director of Twende Solar. “That’s exactly why Twende joined fellow nonprofit Verde in the effort to make a change.”

With funding from PCEF, the groups and the community worked together to install solar panels on the 43 homes that make up the village.

“Now that we’ve got solar, we’re coming up in the world,” Larson said. “We’re building more dignity for ourselves and our fellow villagers.”

Verde noticed the need in the camp while installing solar panels in a field across the street that reduces power bills for low-income neighbors. Now, bills in the village will go down by 30%.

“Now, being able to come home from a long day at work and just flip on a light switch, it is an unbelievable feeling. It almost feels like we’re moving back into normal society,” Larson said.

In years past, medical equipment couldn’t charge or would be at risk from the heat. And with blacktop stretching from end to end, the camp heats up quickly.

“It’s really helping a lot of people’s health and your mental well-being. Being in a hot place, you’re kinda going to lose your mind. We noticed there was a lot of strife between villagers when it was either too hot or too cold, so I think this might help a lot,” Larson added.

Dignity Village is inviting the community to celebrate its 25th anniversary on September 7 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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