New tiny village sparks uproar after neighbors make staggering claim
Residents of a small town in Portland, Oregon, are being blamed for a dramatic increase in crime in the area.
People who live in University Park, a neighborhood in North Portland, say crime has skyrocketed since the arrival of Peninsula Crossing Safe Rest Village.
Portland Police data supports this claim, according to CAT.
Between July 2023, shortly after the housing site opened, and July 2024, 923 property crimes were reported in the University Park area.
But between July 2022 and July 2023, only 482 of the same crimes were reported.
University Park residents blame a village of tiny houses for the area’s rise in property crime
A resident’s surveillance camera shows someone breaking into a pickup truck.
The homeowner told KATU that the person stole several valuables.
The Peninsula Crossing Safe Rest Village is part of a larger initiative by City Commissioner Dan Ryan to combat homelessness. There were 67 residents as of May 2023 and it is one of six villages, according to the Portland Mercury.
The village has 60 small climate-controlled houses with dressers and beds. There are bathrooms and kitchens on the premises. Residents receive at least one free meal per day.
Some residents believe that Safe Rest Village has cleaned up the neighborhood and removed the tents that used to be in the area.
Police data shows that since the small village was built, the number of property crimes has increased significantly compared to the previous year
According to the Portland government, the City of Portland has allocated more than $44 million to this project and will receive a total of $208 million from the American Rescue Plan by 2026. website.
Despite the criticism, many local residents see its value.
Brian Kim, a neighbor of the small community, told KATU, “Since the city built the Safe Rest Village, things have honestly gotten a lot better on this street. There used to be a huge tent city with over 150 tents along the bike path,
“Now that there is the Safe Rest Village, everything is under control.”
This is Portland’s largest Safe Rest Village. It’s the only one operated by the California-based nonprofit Urban Alchemy.
Urban Alchemy has grown into a notorious, controversial organization.
The organization’s mission is to reduce homelessness, but its methods, especially in San Francisco, have been heavily criticized.
The controversial California-based nonprofit Urban Alchemy runs this village
In 2023, 67 residents lived in the tiny houses, which have beds and chests of drawers inside
Since its founding in 2018, Urban Alchemy has faced dozens of allegations and at least six lawsuits involving civil rights violations, physical and sexual harassment, and theft, according to The nation.
People working for Urban Alchemy have been accused by lawyers and former employees of drug dealing with homeless people, making sexual advances towards vulnerable people and harassing the people they are supposed to be helping.
Peninsula Crossing Safe Rest Village was built in response to Multnomah County’s homeless population increasing 21 percent in 2022, the Portland Mercury reports.