Housing Stability

Ten months. That's how long CW had been out of work, searching every day for a job, while raising five children on her own. Ten months of watching the bills pile up. Ten months of dreading the mail and the phone calls.

Then help arrived — and it changed everything.

"That Sense of Security and Dignity"

When United Way of the Columbia-Willamette stepped in to pay CW's utility bills in full, it did more than keep the lights on. It gave her family something money alone can't usually buy: peace of mind.

In her own words:

We are thrilled to announce an innovative new partnership between United Way of the Columbia-Willamette and the Portland Housing Bureau. Together, we are launching the Home Share Pilot, a 12-month program designed to transform how we think about housing stability and community support in our region.

For Katie, life as a single mother in Vancouver, Washington, has been a delicate balancing act. Despite working hard to support her three children, she found herself caught in the gap where too many families reside—earning too much to qualify for assistance but not enough to make ends meet. It’s a situation that United Way of the Columbia-Willamette’s ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) report describes all too well.

Taking a significant stride toward tackling enduring labor challenges within the homeless services sector, the Joint Office of Homeless Services, in conjunction with the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette, has recently distributed $10 million in flexible workforce stabilization grants to 61 providers of homeless services. These grants are earmarked to bolster 3,520 individuals employed in the housing and homelessness services system.

In the intricate dance of life, there are moments when the music falters, and threat casts a daunting shadow over the hopes and dreams of individuals. This can come when a medical emergency strikes, when disaster knocks on your town’s door or when the bills pile up, and your stability and security are struck a destabilizing blow with the red notice of an eviction on your door. These moments rend at the heart of anyone who experiences them, and we believe they happen too often.

Thanks to your help, the Eviction Reform and Reduction Bill has passed! Now we move on to advocating for the passage of the full slate of bills Stable Homes for Oregon Families is endorsing.

For most, home is a place of comfort, safety, and rest. But unfortunately for the 1 in 3 families in our region who are unable to pay for basic needs, and have to make difficult  choices between paying for rent, and other necessities, the reassurance of a safe place to call home becomes less attainable. 

Glenn and his daughters struggled to find somewhere to safe stay after they lost their apartment. See how support from community members like you helped Glenn and his family thrive.

Two years ago, Happy Star and her children didn’t know where they were going to sleep from one night to the next. See how support from donors like you, made all the difference.

Two years ago, Stephanie, a single parent, found herself in an unimaginable situation. Despite having a full time job Stephanie couldn’t afford rent in Washington County, and she and her six year old daughter, Teja, became homeless.