New Member Agreement

For Opportunity Village, Oregon – from Tent City Urbanism: From Self-organized Camps to Tiny House Villages by Andrew Heben, 2014

Opportunity Village is a transitional micro-housing village that provides a safe and secure place to be for those currently without hous­ing. It is a self-governing community that is based on five basic rules:

  • No violence to yourselves or others
  • No theft
  • No alcohol, illegal drugs, or drug paraphernalia
  • No persistent, disruptive behavior
  • Everyone must contribute to the operation and maintenance of the Village.

Agreement:

I will be a positive member of this community and contribute toward making it a safe, secure, clean, and pleasant place to live. There­fore, I agree to the following:

What I do will be based on love and respect for myself and others.

I will not disrespect others based on ethnicity, religion, gender, sex­ual orientation, handicap, lifestyle choices, or economic status. We all have the right to expect dignity and opportunity.

I will help make this a place where everyone feels safe and respected. For my own safety as well as the safety of others, I will not carry a weapon or act violently toward others or myself.

Since stealing is one of the most upsetting things that can happen in our community, I will not steal and will make the members of the Village Council aware of any stealing I see. I will respect other peoples property and community property and I expect other peo­ple to respect mine.

I know that illegal drug and alcohol use can damage my commu­ I agree not to use illegal drugs or alcohol while residing in the Village.

I will honor quiet hours from 10PM to 7AM so that others andmyself can stay healthy and rested. I understand that no personal guests will be allowed during that time.

I want to live in a clean, litter-free, comfortable space where I can bring friends, family, and other guests. Also, I know that many communities such as ours get closed down for “health and safety” I will keep the area in and around where I live clean and orderly, and not store any personal items outside of my building footprint or allocated storage space. I will help keep the commu­nity areas clean and will pick up after myself and my pet, if I have one, and keep my pet leashed at all times. I understand that only a limited number of pets will be allowed in the Village in order to maintain an orderly environment.

I understand that in order to maintain a secure environment there will be a single point of entrance and exit that will be staffed 24/7, and that security shifts will be shared equally among Village residents.

I know that it can take a lot of work to keep the Village a safe, clean and pleasant place to live. I agree to work at least 10 hours a week on the operation and maintenance of the Village. This includes serving on security teams, helping with kitchen duties, construction proj­ects, maintenance and clean-up crews, helping plan activities, and other jobs that need to be shared by community members.

I also know that there are financial costs to keep the Village run­ning. I will support the goal of self-sufficiency by contributing each month either financially or through sweat equity by participating in micro-business opportunities or fundraising events.

I will attend the weekly Village meetings, unless I have an accept­able reason for absence, in which case I will find out what went on by reading the meeting notes. I understand that decisions will be made through a majority vote, and that the Board of Directors of the non-profit reserves the right to override decisions made. I agree to abide by all decisions made.

I affirm that I have completed the Background Check Form hon­estly along with all other application documents. I understand that if the background check reveals otherwise, I could be asked to leave immediately.

I promise to keep all of these agreements, as well as others that are approved at Village meetings. If I violate any agreements, the members of the Village Council are authorized to ask me to leave temporarily, or, in serious or repeat cases, to leave permanently. I will do so peacefully and not return unless I am authorized to do so.

I know that Opportunity Village is a place where people value community and support each other. I will try to think of ways to make our community a better place to be. When I am concerned or upset with situations in the Village, I will bring these problems to the atten­tion of the appropriate people so that we can work together to figure things out. I willingly sign these agreements that are a contract between Opportunity Village Eugene and me.

Signature:                Date