Klamath Rises: DRAFT #2

THIS VISION IS ONLY A PROPOSAL

KR Village

  1. Mission and Overview: Purpose of village
  2. Logistics of Operation: Resident handbook

KR MakerSpace

  1. Mission and Overview: Spaces, tools
  2. Logistics of Operation: Membership fees and policies

KR LearnSTEAM School

  1. Mission and Overview: Lead teacher and staff
  2. Logistics of Operation: Student handbook

KR Community

  1. Mission and Overview: KR board, director, staff
  2. Logistics of Operation: KR operating agreement


KR Village:

  1. Mission and Overview:

    2. Purpose of village

    The village of Klamath Rises (KR) is founded on compassion that empowers persons to increase productivity, education, and dignity. It sites a MakerSpace that fosters collaboration and friendships between those at both ends of the socio-economic spectrum. Thus, the KR community is set to thrive and contribute to the greater community of Klamath County.

    What is the Klamath Rises Village?

    Situated on 12 acres, just south of Klamath Works and the Gospel Mission, is a gated community of 30 huts served by a community kitchen, dining hall, bathrooms, garden, storage lockers, and child day care. At the entrance to the village is a security tiny house that is occupied 24/7 to prevent the entrance of weapons, alcohol or other drugs. Adjacent to the KR village is the 10,000 sq. ft. KR MakerSpace, where residents manufacture their tiny houses. There are also two automotive bays and a bicycle repair shop. Dedicated within the MakerSpace are nearly 4000 sq ft of classroom space of the KR LearnSTEAM school.

  2. Logistics of Operation:

    3. Resident Handbook

    Relief, Rehabilitation, and Development

    Following the advice offered in “When Helping Hurts:How to alleviate poverty without hurting the poor”, Klamath Rises offers to rehabilitate those in poverty through the development of relationships, skills, and entrepreneurship emanating from the functions of the KR MakerSpace.

    Community

    Persons who struggle with addictive substances and behaviors find their best support in friends who hold them accountable to practice healthy habits. Residents commit to living drug free in community in a month-to-month rental agreement. Individuals who prefer isolation, and those unwilling to make positive changes, are not part of KR.

    Eligibility

    Applicants to KR have lived in Klamath county for at least two years, mostly without stable housing. Applicants are referred to KR by service providers such as DHS, KBBH, Gospel Mission, Klamath Works, or other professionals recommending KR might be a good match. Applicants pass the drug free evaluation and commit to random testing during their residency. Thus, the transitional housing offered by KR is not considered “Low Barrier”.

    Freedom and Responsibility

    Each KR Resident spends about 20 hours per week cooking, cleaning, gardening, clerking the store, and securing the community. Responsible KR members are elected to the KR council whose function is to manage the social rights and responsibilities through policy adoption and enforcement. In this regard, the KR framework replicates portions of the successful management structures of Opportunity Village in Eugene, and Rouge Retreat in the areas of Medford and Ashland.

    Rent to own

    Klamath Rises honors the intrinsic value of work and payment for goods and services. Monthly rent for a dwelling with power but no water is $300 per month. ($100 of this goes into the operation of KR, and $200 goes into a savings account for the resident, that may be subject to forfeiture.) A resident who has not been expelled from the KR community, may withdraw $2,400 after 12 months. Maximum stay is 24 months. Thus, at the end of 24 months, it is possible for a rule abiding resident to depart with $4,800, enabling the possibility of permanent housing. Or, the resident may purchase their customized dwelling for $4000, and use their remaining $800 to move it to be attached to city services as permitted by zoning.

    The 8’x6’ insulated hut contains an electric outlet, single bed, egress window, and closet. It is framed to eventually be attached to a 8’x6’ kitchen/toilet/shower. After 12 months of successfully living in the KR community, this second area can be built, wired, and plumbed for a bathroom and kitchen. Customization by the resident is encouraged in anticipation of eventual purchase and relocation. The completed 8’x12’ tiny house is made ready to connect to city water, sewer, and power. The resident pays half the material costs for the kitchen/bathroom customization. KR couples start with an 8’x 8’, and may build to an 8x16 tiny home. In addition, all Tiny Homes have a storage loft above a 4’ porch overhang. Thus, the 8’x6’ hut effectively converts to a trailerable 8’ x 16’ Tiny Home (128 sq ft).

    GED 

    Members of the KR Village who have not yet demonstrated the equivalency of a high school education, will pursue a GED. Evening classes in math, science, social studies, and language arts are tutored by KR members who already have at least a high school education. (The KR classrooms are occupied by LearnSTEAM students from 8:30 to noon, M-F, as they study for GED exams.)

KR MakerSpace:


  1. Mission and Overview: Spaces, tools
  2. Logistics of Operation: Membership fees and policies

KR MakerSpace Collaboration
The KR MakerSpace facilitates productivity through a community of creative makers who reside in Klamath County. Moving from idea to marketable product is made possible through fabrication technology. LearnSTEAM students, over age 18, are trained to instruct and monitor MakerSpace participants. The KR MakerSpace is managed by students in the LearnSTEAM program who are also working to complete high school by earning a GED. They, and other area students upon invitation, have priority use of the KR MakerSpace from noon to 4pm, weekdays. Between 4pm and 6pm, students who are over 18 collaborate with residents of KR to construct shelters and make improvements to existing huts.

Volunteers
Volunteers can earn a “professional” level membership in the MakerSpace in exchange for 10 hours per month of work, e.g., cleanup, organization, inventory, tool maintenance, managing the entrance desk, constructing improvements to KR, or teaching class(es).

Residents of Klamath County can use the KR MakerSpace with through monthly membership dues, which go toward tool upgrades and utility bills. [As a non-profit KR rates contrast with a for-profit. E.g., DIYCave in Bend charges shop hourly rates ($12/hr for members and $24/hr for non-members), whereas KR MakerSpace charges only a membership fee, which works out to about $1/hr]

MakerSpace Monthly Membership Dues

Membership fees are based on access levels. Materials are not included in fees...

All members must demonstrate proper tool use and safety before using tools. Rates for daily drop in and punch cards are not offered. (For example, if someone simply wanted to use our pug mill once a month to prepare their clay, the minimum cost would be $40.) Non refundable monthly payments are due by the first of each month. Schedule a tour of the KR MakerSpace to see if it will meet your needs.

Discounts
50% off during the first year of operation to compensate members for the bumps of the start-up process as additional tools are acquired. 20% off for paying the non-refundable membership annually rather than monthly. (Discounts are not combined.)

Storage
Free, unsecured storage bins on shared shelving. Bring your own padlock to use on old school lockers. $40/month. Store your project in a secure 2’x2’x4’ locker and/or a 3’x3’x4’ lockable rolling bin $80/month. Rent a 10’x10’ lockable room that contains a 3’x 6’ work table and wall shelving.
Inside Automotive Bay (10’x16’) lift and tools. Or covered Outside Bay (14’x22’) w/o tools. $30/day or $180/week or $550/month

Wood Shop

Metals Shop

Ceramic Studio

Jewelry Fabrication

Robotics Lab

Fun with Fabrics

Audio/Visual FX Lab

Capitalism
Many products of the KR MakerSpace are for sale in the KR Store, local businesses, and online. Typically, Makers pay for the cost of materials, commissions, and then keep the rest as profit.

Classes
Members receive a 50% discount on community education classes E.g. “Thanksgiving Break (4 days), Coding and Robotics Camp” ($100 for non members) There are several free meetup events, such as
  • October: “Community Quilting” (24 max participants)
  • December: “Christmas Crafters Gift Making”

    • KR LearnSTEAM School:

    1. Mission and Overview: See LearnSTEAM.com for lead teacher and staff
    2. Logistics of Operation: Student handbook

    LearnSTEAM students
    The KR MakerSpace serves as the classroom for LearnSTEAM students whose focus is on soft skill development. Along that path they complete their high school education with a GED and acquire skills and knowledge in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math). The KR MakerSpace contains a fitness gym. Students prepare and eat their lunches with villagers of Klamath Rises, using the KR kitchen and dining hall. The educational experience of LearnSTEAM is cross-generational.

    Visit LearnSTEAM.com for information.

    KR Community:

    1. Mission and Overview: KR board, director, staff
    2. Logistics of Operation: KR operating agreement

    KR Board Members
    The Village and MakerSpace of Klamath Rises is overseen by representatives from Klamath Works, Sky Lakes Medical, the Gospel Mission, other stakeholders, and elected village residents. The KR board implements the mission of KR and resolves disputes that may arise in the Village Council. (Board members TBA) A note to the Compassionate in Klamath County:

    Compassion

    Compassion literally means “suffering with”. Persons who are compassionate toward those in poverty, will be most effective in building relationships rather than simply donating funds. A foundation of TrueCharity is understanding that if the desire to solve homelessness exceeds to the desire to be with the homeless, then we will never decrease the core causes of homelessness. Too often givers merely donate funds to alleviate personal guilt over an object they feel sorry for, but avoid efforts to form relationships with a subject, and understand complex problems.

    There are four areas for residents of Klamath County to participate with residents of Klamath Rises.

    1. Share potluck meals together weekdays at 6pm. Bring your dish and break bread with the residents of KR who prepare in a community kitchen, for a community meal.
    2. Share by tutoring (or being tutored) in one or more of the GED subjects (math, science, social studies, language arts) during night classes from 7-8 pm weekdays.
    3. Share in managing the hydroponic garden where fish fertilize plants which clean the water for the fish.
    4. Share in the KR MakerSpace (see below for hours and rates)

    What does KR seek to avoid?
    The tragedy of many government programs, such as “Housing First”, is often a toxic charity that endlessly incentivizes and rewards self-destructive behaviors, while fostering entitlement attitudes of dependence on government handouts. The function is thus cruelty, rather than effective compassion. The unintended consequences of the welfare state violate the Hippocratic oath to “do no harm”.

    Time Line of Implementation

    2024
    Operation agreements are approved by the board of Klamath Works, the Gospel Mission, the Klamath Falls City Schools, and the Klamath County Commissioners. 12 acres of land is procured for the KR village and supportive facilities. (solar farm, hydroponic fish/garden, community kitchen, dining/meeting hall, child care, 30 tiny houses, community bathrooms, MakerSpace, classrooms, store, open spaces, and parking.) Permits are secured.

    2025
    Project LearnSTEAM, in collaboration with Klamath Works and the Gospel Mission, begin construction of Klamath Rises. Construct KR MakerSpace, classrooms, and bathrooms.

    2026
    Construct the KR community bathrooms, community kitchen, and dining area. Construct at least 10 of the KR huts, built by LearnSTEAM students and residents of the Gospel Mission. The KR MakerSpace opens to the Klamath County community.

    2027
    The village of Klamath Rises constructs the KR store. Construct green houses and solar farm. Begin construction of aquaponic urban garden, toward sustainable food supplies.

    2028
    Successful villagers entering their second year may convert hut into tiny house.

    Funding Sources: