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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Organizations rally to help White City woman overrun by stray cats ... Central Point has a blue hue for its police ... Emergency services, Aug. 8 ... Organizations rally to help White City woman overrun by stray cats ... Central Point has a blue hue for its police ... Emergency services, Aug. 8 ... OUR VIEW Our View: Tiny houses will meet opposition anywhere Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Aug. 7, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Aug. 7, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News Sheltering people in so-called tiny houses may be a partial solution to the problem of homelessness in the Medford area, or it may not. A proposed pilot project would help answer that. But getting such a project started is looking less likely. Supporters of Hope Village were poised to install 14 of the 8- by 10-foot structures on a city-owned lot at Third and Front streets, along with a communal cooking, bathroom and laundry facilities. The houses themselves would have no plumbing or electricity. Despite the lot's location in a commercial zone, businesses nearby strenuously objected. The City Council, which had expressed general support for leasing the parcel to the nonprofit agency Rogue Retreat, decided instead to look at more than 190 city-owned properties, hoping to find one that wouldn't generate opposition. That seems unlikely to happen. If there are 200 properties on the list, there will be 200 groups of neighboring property owners ready to oppose this project. The opponents will declare their support for the concept of a tiny-house village for the homeless, but insist it would be better situated someplace else. Anywhere else. In fact, it will probably be hard to find a better choice than the Third and Front property, for several reasons: It's not in a residential neighborhood, but it's close to the city's core, and to the public services and bus lines residents would need to look for work or travel to jobs. On Thursday, the City Council heard some public comments on the Third and Front property, but after a tie vote on approving the lease, the council will take up the matter in a full discussion on Aug. 18. Rogue Retreat representatives say if the city does not approve a lease, they may have to look at buying property. That could add $200,000 to the money the organization needs to raise to get the project started. But even if that hurdle is cleared, buying land could be even more problematic than leasing from the city. Owning the land would not insulate the agency from opposition. Although tiny houses are constructed of the same materials found in permanent structures, they do not have foundations or utility connections, and do not qualify as residences for zoning purposes. Establishing a village would require special approval from the city, necessitating public hearings and notification of nearby property owners, who could be counted on to raise objections. Another consideration is that Hope Village was intended as an experiment to see of the concept was workable. That means it could be dismantled if things didn't work out. Purchasing property would be a more permanent step by Rogue Retreat, potentially saddling the agency with an unusable piece of property if the project didn't succeed. While Hope Village won't solve the problem of homelessness by itself, it could be part of a larger solution. But we'll never know if the community continues throwing up roadblocks. 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