A MAN desperate to find a safe space for his tiny home was banned from one site due to a 10-year rule, leaving him scared for his safety on the roadside.
Ronnie Michael from Portland, Oregon has been living in an RV after being homeless on the streets for five years.
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Michael has called his RV home for the past two years but a crackdown by the city saw his situation worsen with increased violence and instability.
He had been living on the roadside for a number of months but the city ordered road-clearing which saw people like Michael forced to move on or have their homes towed.
Speaking to Katu 2 last year he said: "I'm just trying to find a place to park somewhere.
"Hopefully my housing will come through soon."
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However, he failed to find anywhere to stay and was even moved on from another spot by a local business.
With his tiny home on wheels being over a decade old, private RV parks refused to accept him.
Michael ended up back at the same piece of road along NE 33rd Drive which he had been moved from.
However, the living situation had worsened and over the winter his windows had been smashed and an explosive was thrown at his RV.
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Michael's friend then died in June after being hit and killed on the road due to an explosive being thrown.
This was the final straw and Michael managed to find some luck with the Salvation Army.
In July, the new Sunderland RV Safe Park opened up as a Safe Rest Village for vehicles.
The park run by the Salvation Army provides tenants with a parking spot and a small outdoor area, bathrooms, showers, laundry facilities, and a kitchen with free meals.
"It's nice. In the morning I sit outside and read, and it's really nice. It's quiet. There's some really good people here," Michael said.
"All my stuff is safe here, so I can go out and go to appointments and do what I need to do and get in touch with everybody.
"Whereas before, I didn't really want to leave for long periods of time because, you know, you have everything you own right there."
Michael has been disabled since he was nine years old and can finally take care of his health and not worry about his property meaning he can focus solely on his future.
The resident admitted that he previously did not want to show his face in the initial news report last year due to fears for his safety.
He told Katu: "I'd rather not let people know where I'm at because I'm not into the life I used to be twenty years ago,"
However, now he is living happily at the Salvation Army RV park, Michael is confident enough to show his face and more of his home including his pet cat Little Bits.
The park has 55 spots for vehicles and so far 25 have moved in but there are many referrals that could fill it to capacity.
However, some people who would be eligible to stay there are struggling to do what is necessary such as sort through their belongings and give up certain hobbies that go against the community guidelines.
The guidelines include no drugs or alcohol, quiet hours between 10pm and 7am, and at least one wellness check every day.
Salvation Army Portland Metro Coordinator Major Bob Lloyd told the news outlet: "Some people are at a point in their personal journey where they're ready for that transition right away.
"Other people, it takes a little bit longer for them to kind of deal with their circumstances, get everything packed up, get ready to move.
"PBOT has gone out to tow people in as many as five times, and they've not been ready."
Michael noted: "A lot of people don't come in here because the activities they do won't work in here.
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"You can't be stripping cars in here, and you can't be doing all that."
Major Lloyd discussed another couple who were forced to move into the site after they lost their housing due to ill health, showing how important this kind of service is to those in need.
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