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January 26, 2023 | housingservices@washingtoncountyor.gov

Safe Rest Pods on SW 17th Ave Makes a Difference

Staff and elected officials had an opportunity to tour the Safe Rest Pods located in Hillsboro and were impressed by the dedication of partners at Open Door HousingWorks, who have truly created a safe place for guests to recover and begin moving towards long-term housing.

Steven Cadoreth, one of the staff at Open Door, recently shared his experience with the Hillsboro NewsTimes. Just last winter, Steven was a guest at one of Washington County’s winter shelter locations after experiencing homelessness for three years. Today, he is housed and working to give back, thanks to a dedicated housing case worker who supported him along the way and a housing voucher from Washington County. “I know what it’s like to be homeless,” Steven said. “I want people to know it’s not a joke, this a serious thing to help them better themselves. I know if I can do it, they can, too.” 

Check out this video to learn more about this life changing site!

Couple Heeded Call to Action with Gift Card Donations to Families in Shelters 

When Avery Stafford, lead pastor for Common Ground Church in Beaverton, learned that Community Action had 300 Visa gift cards valued at $145 each to give away to families in need by the end of the calendar year, he sprang into action contacting connections he had made across Washington County. His spouse, Nina Stafford, is one of our very own Housing Advisory Committee (HAC) members and helped connect him with local shelters serving families in Washington County at Casa Amparo, Family Promise of Greater Washington County, and Family Promise of Tualatin Valley. Avery and Nina also gave gift cards to struggling families through connections at local public schools and local churches. 

Gift cards required a signed notice from the recipient and were all successfully distributed within two weeks. Avery is already thinking about next steps and shared that, “We can continue to build on these relationships. There were a lot of emotions from families [receiving the gift cards] and this support is truly a blessing for families going through tough times.” 

Nina added, “In my role on the HAC and before that on the COVID Equity committee, I’ve developed many connections over the last few years. There is a big need out there for support and we are happy to play a role in helping others.” 

The Housing Advisory Committee (HAC)'s mission is to advise the Housing Authority Board of Directors on policy matters, identify housing issues, and recommend programs and services for the low- and moderate-income residents of Washington County.

The HAC hosted their annual forum “Housing our Community Through Partnerships”, providing a key opportunity for the leaders of Washington County to come together in conversation about housing policies and programs. During the event, partner industry experts shared their respective expertise and experiences working with the County to reach our shared vision of a healthy, prosperous community. Speakers included Josh Lehnar - State of Oregon Economist, Mindy Stadtlander - Chief Operating Office - Health Share of Oregon, Patricia Rojas - Regional Housing Director at Metro, Jesse VanderZanden - Forest Grove City Manager and Natasha Detweiler - OHCS Head of Affordable Rental Housing Division.

If you are interested in an exciting opportunity to help shape Washington County's housing policies, then consider applying to join the HAC. Currently, the County is recruiting for four positions. More information on these positions and the HAC in general can be found here. The positions need to be filled by 03/31/2023.

WASHINGTON COUNTY, OR | washingtoncountyor.gov/housing