Warm Springs Housing Authority celebrates new Permanent Supportive Housing community

WARM SPRINGS, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs’ Warm Springs Housing Authority last week officially opened a new Permanent Supportive Housing Project, which will provide dedicated, comprehensive support to dozens of Tribal members who are experiencing chronic homelessness. 

With the support of the State of Oregon, who furnished a $4.1 million grant to fund its construction, the new housing community includes 10 one-bedroom units designed for one or two people, as well as a duplex for families experiencing homelessness.

Residents of this new community receive dedicated support through the addition of a Service Center, where members of the Tribe’s Behavioral Health team will provide counseling and case management support for tenants of the complex. In addition, the Bureau of Indian Affairs will fund road refurbishments leading up to the new facility.

In 2024 alone, 91 people on the Warm Springs reservation experienced homelessness, an increase of 18 people from the previous year. This mirrors national trends. Across the country, Native people experience the second highest rate of homelessness, 10%, despite only making up 1.5% of the U.S. population.

Existing resources across the country often fail to fully support Native people with comprehensive and culturally-responsive services. Yet when Tribes like the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs are given the resources necessary to build supportive housing and behavioral health centers, they’re able to not only house and care for vulnerable Tribal members but also ensure that members can stay within the community as they transition out of homelessness. 

PROJECT DETAILS

• 5-acre complex at Park Place Court, including:
• 10 one-bedroom 660 sqft units for 1-2 individuals each
• 1 duplex on Wasco Street for families with children
• Behavioral health Service Center

Danielle Wood, Executive Director of the Warm Springs Housing Authority, said:

“For our community members who face extensive barriers to transitioning out of homelessness, they not only need resources but to be among a community that cares. As people move in, they’ll be exactly where they need to be to begin their journey towards recovery and stability. I thank our community, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Indian Health Service and the State of Oregon for making this possible.”

Caroline Cruz, General Manager of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Department of Health and Human Services, said: 

“Our community is our family. It has always been our way to embrace our people, no matter their struggles or no matter who they are, at every point of their journey. This housing center is one more way in which we can ensure that everyone has the resources they need to thrive, with their community behind them every step of the way.”