I’ve second the idea about compositing toilets. I have some direct experience with them and it has been entirely positive. In addition to being more sustainable and, frankly, less gross than porta-a-potties I strongly suspect it would be cheaper, too. Yet I almost never hear this discussed. I wonder if that’s due to lack of knowledge about this option, or maybe there’s some reason I’m unaware of.

Does anyone know of any examples / case-studies where composting toilets have been used in this context?

—Emerson

On Jul 26, 2020, at 6:37 PM, Trena Sutton <thegirlsok@...> wrote:



You are Spot on correct. In addition to maintenance there’s the issue of people putting use needles in the bowl. I watched R2D2 threatenef more than once  about losing their Porta pottys  over the needle issue. Then when a porta potty was given to  campers along the spring water near SE 82nd and SE Lambert.  The city provided dumpsters and Porta pottys But it ended up being a mess with the garbage all over and needles in the bowl. Most campers were very respectful of what you were getting but not all were. I also know that some house citizens trying to cause trouble there and blame that on the house t but it ended up being a mess with the garbage all over and needles in the bowl. Most campers were very respectful of what you were getting but not all were. I also know that some house citizens tried to cause trouble there and blamed it on the houseless.

On Sat, Jul 25, 2020 at 9:02 PM Houseless First <houselessfirst@...> wrote:

well toilets are nice, but open-to-all toilets left in public places are almost never adequately maintained or feel safe/comfortable for most people to use. 

Howww about the city, to safeguard and maximize this investment in (I imagine) Port-a-Potties, allow a VILLAGE around each one, to take care of it?  Like, some safe space where a few lucky houseless could huddle and self-shelter with a temporary reprieve from threats of sweeps and ticketing and the demolishing/disposal of their homes. For me that'd be like, awesome, spectacular, a ticket to freedom with merely maintenance of an open-pit toilet as the fee. 

Perhaps if part of the toilets contract were diverted to them because of how much less external maintenance might be needed, the caretakers might even eat, or afford bedding. 

Perhaps it could be called something palatable like say, a Local Community Partnership Caretakers Site, to avoid anything terrifying like "Village" or "shelter"?

idk. A guy can dream, plenty of time for that out on the streets while waiting for the crumbs to fall from city council.   

On Sat, Jul 25, 2020 at 8:24 PM <john_elizalde@...> wrote:

A member of the Downtown Neighborhood Association board told me the city has allocated funding for 50 additional outhouses.  She and I had been talking about trying to find one for the 50+/- campers near SW Main/SW 13th.  Nice to have 50 on the way.  I've no idea how they will be allocated.  Squeaky wheel is a standard practice from what I've seen.