Life-Saving Service and Bridges to Housing: Meet our Outreach Workers

Tory Gonzalez has been an outreach worker for Project Homeless Connect for over three years, providing this life-saving service during all kinds of weather, including the recent heat wave. Tory explains, “I have lived experience and was homeless 17 years ago with my kids. A lot has changed over 17 years and I am truly humbled to be allowed into peoples’ lives.”

Tory bounces between working with participants to fill out ‘Community Connect’ assessments to help them get qualified for housing resources, handing out supplies, and lending a listening ear to anyone who might need it in both English and Spanish. “Everyone’s story is different. Many campers were teens kicked out by parents, others have lost loved ones and are grieving. Some are college educated had homes and families before they lost everything.”

One participant Tory has known for years, Jeff, shares “Tory seemed trustworthy to me. She sees how we live and what we need.” Jeff is getting ready to move into his first apartment later this month, in part thanks to the support of outreach workers like Tory.

Aryn Keeney and Theresa Rostampour work for HomePlate as outreach workers, serving teens experiencing and at-risk of homelessness. During the heat wave at the end of the July, they were outside the Beaverton City Library passing out water bottles and otter pops to anyone in need in some of the highest temperatures seen this summer.

Aryn says, “It’s important to build name recognition and trust. I’m on a texting basis with many of the teens we work with as a resource to drop off supplies, provide that listening ear, and connect them with resources.”

Pictured above: Tory Gonzalez, Project Homeless Connect outreach worker, with Jeff, longtime program participant and friend

Pictured above (left to right): Aryn Keeney and Theresa Rostampour, HomePlate Youth Services Outreach Workers tabling outside Beaverton City Library

Theresa adds, "Coming from a middle eastern background, and working with youth of color, culture plays a huge role in how young people feel comfortable asking for support, and how it might look different from white peers. I love that with street outreach we can connect directly with young people by building relationships, providing resources, and supporting their goals. There are so many strong and resilient youth in our community and it is always empowering to see them succeed in every way!

The Washington County Department of Housing Services funds this coordinated outreach system to ensure community-based providers are meeting people where they are at and able to reach unsheltered people anywhere in the county. We partner with the Forest Grove Foundation, Greater Good Northwest, HomePlate Youth Services, IRCO, Open Door HousingWorks, New Narrative, Just Compassion and Project Homeless Connect to provide the much needed boots on the ground support on a day-to-day basis for our unsheltered community. Together, outreach workers in partnership with housing case managers, shelter providers, and Washington County housing vouchers, are making the difference for many people, like Jeff, to make the transition into permanent, affordable housing.

Dr. Richard Cho, Senior Advisor to HUD Secretary Fudge, Commends Washington County for Strong Response to Homelessness Crisis.

The Washington County Department of Housing Services had the opportunity to host delegates from our HUD regional office and Dr. Richard Cho, Senior Advisor to HUD Secretary Fudge. During the visit, Housing Services staff shared progress made on our homelessness programs and initiatives including housing over 400 formerly homeless individuals and families over the last year.

These 400 families were housed with Mainstream and Emergency Housing Vouchers awarded by HUD and Supportive Housing Services Regional Long-term Rent Assistance (RLRA) vouchers. Thanks to Washington County’s expedient approach to awarding HUD vouchers specifically for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, HUD announced they will be awarding Washington County with an additional 30 Mainstream Housing Vouchers to keep up the good work!

To learn more about the visit with Dr. Cho click here!

Greater Good Northwest Celebrates one year of operating Hillsboro Bridge Shelter location!

Congratulations to Greater Good Northwest for operating the Hillsboro Bridge Shelter for over one year! To celebrate, they hosted a barbecue at the shelter location as a space for shelter staff, outreach and case management partners, shelter guests, and people in the community to reflect on the last year.

Jenny Aguirre, program manager for the Hillsboro Bridge Shelter shares, “We are coordinating across organizations now more than ever and have worked really hard to create a welcoming and positive environment for our guests that allows them to be successful.”

Today, this bridge shelter provides 60 rooms for people experiencing homelessness, ten of which are set aside for people to safely quarantine who have tested positive for COVID-19.

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The Washington County Department of Housing Services was formed in 1992 to administer housing activities and programs of the county and the Washington County Housing Authority. The mission of the Department of Housing Services is to provide a continuum of affordable housing options that promotes community strength. The department offers rental assistance to low-income households through various federally funded programs, creates affordable housing opportunities in the community for low- and moderate-income households through a combination of creative financing and partnerships with public and private entities and administers programs to address homelessness including A Road Home: Washington County’s 10-year Plan to End Homelessness and the new Supportive Housing Services program.

WASHINGTON COUNTY, OR | co.washington.or.us/Housing