In a  blog post about her experience touring Portland's Dignity Village, a permanent encampment made up of small, insulated wooden buildings in Northeast Portland, city council member Sally Bagshaw lays out her concerns about Mayor Mike McGinn's proposed tent encampment in SoDo. Noting that "there are no tents in Dignity Village," Bagshaw writes, "

rather than putting $202,000 operating costs into tents, plus $500,000+ into capital construction, wouldn’t we be smarter to invest the $700,000 in smart looking dormitory style housing throughout the city where people who need shelter have some privacy and warmth?...

I understand that some people like to be outside in tents, because that is their only affordable option.  Maybe we can find a space where those who want to be in a community in tents can safely be together as they can be at Dignity Village.  But for my money, I would rather invest in those who are already providing food and shelter to homeless people, and to use our public money to build or retrofit some permanent housing where those who need it can be housed in a clean and warm space.

Contacted by email this morning, Bagshaw said she and other council members have "serious concerns that the anticipated $1 million expenditure (that's the estimate for 2 years) for the Sunny Jim site could be more effectively spent. ... I think there's going to be many more conversations about alternatives," including new single-room-occupancy apartments and expanded partnerships with churches to house tent cities on their property. Bagshaw also says the city should consider paying churches to allow homeless people who live in cars to use their parking lots.

"I do not think the City should limit the length of stay nor the numbers of churches that can provide food and shelter," Bagshaw writes. "Perhaps we can subsidize some showers/toilets/ and food to support the congregations who are providing food and shelter for those with temporary needs."