Ending housing instability for 3,000+ Washington County households

Posted June 3, 2026

Washington County reached a major milestone this spring: more than 3,000 households have moved out of homelessness or housing instability and into stable housing since the Supportive Housing Services (SHS) program funded by Metro launched in 2021.

"Reaching this milestone reflects years of sustained, deliberate work," said Washington County Chair Kathryn Harrington. "Supportive Housing Services funding has allowed us to expand our system in ways that were simply not possible before. The result is thousands of families and individuals, our neighbors, now thriving in stable housing."

Before SHS investments, the County relied almost entirely on limited federal Continuum of Care resources. With new regional and state funding, Washington County rapidly expanded our system, developing programs and building new facilities to provide a full continuum of homeless services for the first time.

Of the 3,000+ households served so far, just over 2,000 are now in permanent supportive housing. This long-term model pairs rental assistance with individualized case management to support people with the highest barriers to housing stability. Jackie, a participant served through New Narrative, now lives stably in Forest Grove thanks to these wraparound supports.

More than 1,000 additional households have secured housing through medium-term rent assistance and case management, often called rapid re-housing. This approach gives people time to regain stability while connecting them to workforce and economic opportunities. Maria overcame addiction and is now participating in workforce development programs, supported by the Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization.

The majority of SHS funding is set aside to serve people who have experienced homelessness for at least 12 months and have a disabling condition, also referred to as chronically homeless. Because of this targeted investment, data from the 2024 and 2025 Point-in-Time counts show that most people previously identified as chronically homeless in Washington County at that time, are now stably housed, breaking long-standing cycles of poverty for many of our most vulnerable community members. However, the need for homeless resources continues to outpace available resources, and as of January 2026 there were over 1,700 households waiting for a housing referral in Washington County.

Chronic homelessness is only one part of the story. Data from households served through June 2025 show that more than 40 percent include at least one child, 64 percent include a person with a disability, and 28 percent include someone age 55 or older.

To hear directly from community members who have been housed through the Department of Housing Services, including formerly homeless participants, visit our blog.

ABOUT WASHINGTON COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING SERVICES:

The department creates pathways out of homelessness, promotes housing stability, and invests in affordable communities for Washington County and our residents. The Department is a unique organization focused on the full continuum of housing stability-from street outreach and shelter access to long-term rent assistance and affordable housing. We support a comprehensive system of care that meets the needs of people experiencing homelessness and connects them with immediate shelter and housing services. We administer rental housing and rental assistance to more than 7,000 households across Washington County and serve over 20,000 people a year.

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