Single-room-occupancy hotels are providing much-needed affordable housing for the city’s most vulnerable residents.

Molly Harbarger and Elliot Njus report that single-room-occupancy buildings, once common in Portland, Oregon, are being used to help homeless people as they transition into permanent housing. "The city and county are staking more than $20 million on four projects they hope will both provide a home for the poorest in the city and fulfill a pledge to create housing bundled with social services for people suffering from addiction or other medical problems."
Some homeless advocates are critical of the SROs and argue that people need more privacy and space. But residents say that a roof over their heads and the sense of community and safety are crucial as they face a host of other issues.
SROs are less costly to build and are more affordable for people with limited incomes, but offering additional services along with housing can drive up the price. Still, SRO advocates say the more holistic approach to addressing homelessness can help balance out these costs.
"By hosting medical services, addiction treatment, case managers and other support services on site, officials hope to keep residents off the street for the long term. It also saves the public costs otherwise absorbed through the courts, jails and hospitals," note Harbarger and Njus.
FULL STORY: Portland banking on low-rent SRO hotels to ease housing problems

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

Tenant Advocates: Rent Gouging Rampant After LA Wildfires
The Rent Brigade says it's found evidence of thousands of likely instances of rent gouging. In some cases, the landlords accused of exploiting the fires had made campaign donations to those responsible for enforcement.

Seattle’s Upzoning Plan is Ambitious, Light on Details
The city passed a ‘bare-bones’ framework to comply with state housing laws that paves the way for more middle housing, but the debate over how and where to build is just getting started.

DOJ Seeks to End USDOT Affirmative Action Program
The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program encouraged contracting with minority- and women-owned businesses in the transportation sector, where these groups are vastly underrepresented.
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City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
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Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
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Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada