Path Home awarded $500K to expand housing and services for homeless families with children
PORTLAND, Ore.—April 5, 2023 — For 15 years, Path Home has been at the forefront of providing innovative services to families with children who are experiencing homelessness. Recently, Multnomah County awarded the organization $500,000 to purchase two houses adjacent to Path Home’s Family Village campus. These properties will be used as staff office spaces now until Path Home redevelops the land into permanent affordable housing over the next few years.
This plan is part of Path Home’s larger strategic vision to become a one-stop-shop for families experiencing homelessness where they can receive the tools, resources, and relationships they need to thrive. The vision for Family Village campus is to provide a spectrum of housing resources including shelter, transitional housing, and permanent housing, as well as wrap-around services including domestic violence advocacy, substance abuse recovery support, mental health care, employment training, and childcare. Other plans include a playground, basketball court, trauma-informed gardens, and parking.
“This $500,000 award propels us closer to our goal to help an additional 75 families per year, as well as provide 12 units of additional transitional housing, and an additional 30 units of affordable housing to the community, “said Path Home Executive Director Brandi Tuck. “We will also provide every family with access to essential wraparound services such as mental health support, domestic violence advocacy, job training, and parenting classes—all in one location. Eighty-eight percent of our Path Home families retain their housing long-term. With these new funds, we will significantly transform the lives of those in need across our local community.”
The $500,000 grant from Multnomah County comes on the heels of a 2022 $2.5 million grant from the Bezos Day One Fund to help Path Home scale up its services. Based on the latest data, Path Home estimates that more than 5,000 children are currently homeless in Multnomah County. The organization served 2,000 children and parents in 2022, and its current wait list exceeds 800 families.
“These awards help our partners undertake and expand the critical work they do to serve our communities, “ said Chair Vega Pederson. “From the construction of affordable housing to the creation of community space, from preschool classrooms to supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs, these grants make a meaningful difference throughout our country.”
Path Home’s multifaceted housing model focuses on prevention, shelter, wrap-around services, and long-term housing stability. The organization takes a trauma-informed approach to helping families heal from the challenges of being homeless and housing insecure. According to Path Home, long-term stability is the solution to ending the cycle of homelessness.
