Homelessness in Portland Project (HIPP) Details
A new approach to cleaning up the streets and giving those in distress a guaranteed path forward.

The Behavioral Wellness Institute, a 24/7 free public community building center with walk-in mental healthcare and life/vocational skill building programs. The outline below explains the general concept.

Phase	Problem	Solution / goal
A. MEASURE	Very hard to track status.	We can only solve a problem we can quantify.
1. Sanctioned camping	Aggregate disparate tent locations.	Closer areas for people who meet a minimum behavior standard and areas farther out for the small percentage who are unsafe or unstable.
2. Enforce camping ban	Set boundaries.	Limit people to shelters or camping areas to reach capacity while clearing the streets for residents.
3. Shelter registration	Assess the population.	Track users to monitor and reward progress.

Phase	Problem	Solution / goal
B. MANAGE	Huge unmet need.	Scale wellness to all receiving homeless & SUD services.
4. Require education	Charity doesn’t feel good long-term.	Make "improved shelter" access contingent upon taking wellness classes.
5. Evaluate tenants	Determine who is ready for more.	Put participants into groups to focus curriculum and measure improvement.
6. Build community	Get as many neighbors involved as is pssible.	Rely heavily on area businesses and groups (i.e. faith orgs) to regularly offer a wide array of services and activities.

Phase	Problem	Solution / goal
C. GROW	A comprehensive program.	Give prticipants diversions and carrots.
7. The magnet	Make "improved shelters" a place people want to go to.	Create a desirable destination initially with sleeping area and lounge expanding to food, showers and integrative activities.
8. 24/7	Free access to everyone whenever they need help.	Offer daily day-time events to all with themes supporting life and social skills, asking existing and new providers to fulfill one day/month.
9. Transition	Half-way housing	Turn therapists, peer counselors, et. al. into engaged landlords as we help those who were recently homeless transition back into the community (i.e. don’t aggregate them in "affordable" aka "subsidized" housing).
10. Volunteer	When the education is complete / successful, payback starts.	Get participants to get involved and give back as much as possible
11. Mentor	Make everyone a reciprocal peer counselor.	Convert garages & basements to put money in resident's pockets as a scalable housing solution driving micro-integration.

Check out the nascent self-help web app outlining the approach informing this solution.