Portland Man Wants to Convert Cruise Ship to House the Homeless

Portland resident Kenneth Capron believes that cruise ships can live on, even when their days at sea have ended. He’s on a quest to find and transform a decommissioned ship into housing for vulnerable populations in the city.

Capron, who heads a nonprofit called Memory Works, has dubbed his project Hope Harbor. At the moment, hope is Hope Harbor’s only asset. Capron doesn’t have a ship in mind, per se. But, he is applying for funds to conduct feasibility studies. And, he’s already received a green light from Portland’s city council.

In an interview with local ABC TV affiliate WMTW, Capron said:

“We’re looking at four populations: the homeless population, the low-income population, the workforce population and immigrant population who all need housing. They all need job skills training. We’d offer that on board.”

Portland may be known for its hidden gems as a tourist destination. But, it’s also in the grips of a severe housing shortage. The city needs approximately 1,000 housing units, according to Mayor Ethan Strimling. The cruise ships theoretically could house up to 800 people, as well as crew members to offer social services.

“I have no idea if it’s the craziest idea I’ve ever heard, or the most brilliant idea I’ve ever heard, but what I like about it is that he’s coming up with creative ways to figure out how to build housing in the city of Portland,” Strimling told WMTW.

“There’s tons of hurdles that anyone would have to overcome to do this, but once again I need housing. So if people want to bring crazy, far-fetched ideas to me, I’m happy to hear them out,” Strimling added.

Capron is optimistic and plans to go full steam ahead.

“They’re going to try to throw all the negatives at you up front. That’s why we’re doing a feasibility study to see if these are valid negatives or something we can work around,” he said.

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