Bridges to Housing (B2H)

Contact:

Diane Yatchmenoff, Principal Investigator: 503-725-4158; yatchmenoffd@pdx.edu
Kimberly Ford, Project Manager: 503-725-4170; fordk@pdx.edu
Mandy Davis: 503-725-9629; madavis@pdx.edu

Bridges to Housing (B2H) is a targeted initiative aimed at moving high need homeless families out of the cycle of homelessness by providing permanent affordable housing and intensive family services designed to build on the strengths of family members.  Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas Counties in Oregon and Clark County in Washington State have joined together (along with the city and housing authorities in the region) to jointly develop B2H.   In addition to supporting families in their efforts to obtain permanent housing and progress towards self-sustainability, primary objectives of B2H include developing regional solutions to family homelessness and stimulating the re-alignment of public resources and needed systems and policy changes to more effectively assist homeless families.  A two-year pilot of B2H has been implemented by four service providers in Multnomah and Clark Counties starting in October 2006.  These providers are expected to serve 67 families in the first year.  B2H will serve an additional 56 families starting in the fall of 2007, which includes projects starting in Clackamas and Washington Counties.

The Regional Research Institute has been asked by the Neighborhood Partnership Fund, which administers B2H, to design and conduct an evaluation of the project.  The evaluation will examine service delivery and outcomes over time for families in B2H and will gather and report on changes to the regional service system that may result from the initiative.  The family-level evaluation will examine characteristics of the families served, services provided as part of B2H, service utilization, and outcomes.  The key outcomes include stability in housing, changes in employment, changes in income, and stability in child care or educational settings. 

More information on the project can be found at: http://www.bridgestohousing.org/