Oregon housing agency honored for Permanent Supportive Housing program
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Oregon Housing and Community Services was awarded a 2022 Award for Program Excellence at the National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) annual conference this week. These awards are one of the highest honors in state housing finance. Oregon was selected as a leader in its Permanent Supportive Housing program.
PSH is a proven model that serves individuals and families experiencing chronic homelessness. By providing on-site, individualized services, PSH stabilizes individuals addressing their needs holistically using a housing-first approach. In the long term, PSH is shown to increase societal benefits while decreasing the cost of public services.
“We do not accept homelessness as a fact of life,” said OHCS Director Andrea Bell. “To the people of Oregon struggling to get by: We see you and will continue working every moment for you. The progress of our state should be measured by how people are doing. Our collective humanity means that we are most effective when everyone is being served and has their basic needs met.”
“Thank you to our peers across the nation and the National Council of State Housing Agency for recognizing Oregon’s work in providing housing for those who struggle with chronic homelessness. We are just getting started.”
One thing that makes Oregon unique is the Oregon Supportive Housing Institute. Organizations interested in developing and managing PSH homes are selected to participate in the institute from across Oregon. The project teams receive targeted training, technical assistance, and project planning support through the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH). Since 2019, 27 teams have completed the institute and are developing PSH units throughout Oregon.
As a result of the concentrated effort on PSH, Oregon was able to surpass its 2019-2023 Statewide Housing Plan goal of funding more than 1,200 PSH units more than a year in advance. This would not be possible without the collaboration and learning of other state housing agencies across the nation who have also implemented permanent supportive housing programs.
