Letter from the director

Dear Washington County,



It is the end of February, and the new year is moving quickly, as is our team with the many changes happening in the Department of Housing Services and the Housing Authority of Washington County. We have rolled out a department-wide work plan for 2024, continued to build out our team in service of the residents and participants of our programs, and invested in furthering our equity goals with a new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) training program.

The 2024 work plan lays out key goals for the department such as establishing a strategic framework to refreshen our vision and mission statements, determining initiatives like renovating and expanding our affordable and transitional housing portfolio, and better communicating our department’s operations like an upcoming overhaul to our website to make it more user friendly. We have also welcomed Jill Chen as assistant director of our housing authority, who I have had the pleasure of working with for five years at the Portland Housing Bureau. An experienced strategist and expert in housing finance with 25+ years of experience in government, nonprofits and businesses, she spent the last five years implementing the Portland and Metro housing bonds, creating over 4,000 new homes for low-income residents in Portland. Jill's new role will consist of her overseeing the housing authority’s public and affordable housing properties, rental assistance programs, and other related activities. I am thrilled she will round out our executive team in service to the residents of Washington County.

Lastly, the Center for Equity and Inclusion’s training has furthered our diversity, equity and inclusion goals, enabling our team to be more effective when engaging our residents and advancing racial equity in our policies, workforce, and communications. But for now, take a look below at our Aloha Safe Rest Village opening or the 1,000 families we housed thanks to the Regional Long-term Rental Assistance (RLRA) program funded by the Metro Supportive Housing Services Measure. RLRA has been a tremendously effective tool in our efforts to end and prevent homelessness, and we are seeking to expand this program next year. More to come.

Best,

Molly Rogers

After months of preparation, the Safe Rest Village at Aloha United Methodist Church opened for program participants this month. This is the only shelter in the Aloha area, with 30 brand new pallet home structures offering a safe, dry place for formerly unsheltered community members to get inside and get connected to services.

A year ago, Washington County set a goal to site three pod shelter locations (representing 90 total pods). Today, we have pod shelter locations operating in Cornelius, Hillsboro, and Aloha thanks to ongoing operations funding from the Supportive Housing Services measure and purchase of the pods funded by Governor Kotek’s executive order.

This site would not be possible without the courageous partnership of our Board of Commissioners, Aloha United Methodist Church who bravely offered their parking lot to site the shelter, and Open Door HousingWorks who took on operations for their third pod shelter location in Washington County. The temporary location will provide shelter services for up to two years and fill crucial gaps as year-round shelter locations remain under construction.

Regional Long-term Rental Assistance removes barriers to house 1,000 families

The Regional Long-term Rental Assistance (RLRA) program, funded by the voter-approved Supportive Housing Services measure, has been essential in Washington County to housing some of our most vulnerable community members. Prior to the housing services measure, there were virtually no long-term housing programs available for people exiting homelessness and most housing voucher programs had years long waitlists.

Jill Chen selected as Housing Authority of Washington County assistant director

On February 28, 2024, Washington County Department of Housing Services welcomed Jill Chen as the new assistant director of the Housing Authority of Washington County following a nationwide recruitment and competitive selection process.

Before joining the county, Chen served the Portland Housing Bureau for approximately seven years, five of them as the Housing Investments and Portfolio Preservation Manager for multifamily rental and homeownership projects. Prior to the City of Portland, she worked in international development with the Grameen Foundation, Bank of America, ABN AMRO Bank and the World Bank Group.

"I am thrilled to accept the position as assistant director at the Housing Authority of Washington County in an incredible opportunity to work across the spectrum of housing and homelessness integrating capital funds, supportive services and rental assistance with an equity focus," said Chen. "I look forward to working with our partners and stakeholders in addressing these challenges facing our region."

For more information on Chen's appointment, read our press release.