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City of Tigard

Homelessness Resources

Hot Meals Resources

Resources Available at the Family Justice Center

Family Justice Center of Washington County (FJC) opened last year to offer one stop for victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault.  Coming to the Center is free, safe and all information is kept strictly confidential.  What has traditionally taken days to get from agency to agency, now can be done in one day at FJC.  

FJC brought together 11 onsite service providers to offer services to those affected by domestic abuse.  Victims of abuse can come in for one or more services to help them escape violence in their homes.

Onsite at the FJC are: 

  • Domestic Violence Resource Center (DVRC) – advocacy, counseling, safety planning, housing
  • Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC) advocacy and counseling regarding sexual assault Mondays and Wednesdays
  • Community Action – housing resources and energy assistance
  • DHS – financial assistance, food assistance, employment related childcare.  Mornings only
  • Oregon Law Center – free civil/family law counsel.  Monday and Wednesday mornings
  • Victim Rights Law Center – free legal assistance related to sexual assault.  Thursdays
  • Hillsboro and Beaverton Police Departments & Washington County Sheriff’s Department– investigations and crime reporting
  • Remote circuit court – appear at the FJC’s court room for restraining orders
  • Voices Set Free – prevention and education about domestic violence.

FJC is located at 735 SW 158th suite 100, Beaverton, OR. Phone:  503-430-8300.  Hours of operation – Monday through Thursday 8:30 – 4 and Fridays from 8:30 – 3.  Childcare is available Monday through Friday 10 – 3 while receiving services at FJC.

In 2017, the City Council created the Task Force for the Homeless. The 15-person task force identified a number of ways the city could help the growing homeless populations, including educating the public about the face of homelessness.  

Just Compassion Founder Darla Tillman-Samuelson explains how there is a role for everyone in decreasing homelessness in Tigard.

“Adults are living in cars or other places that are outside of what most would call habitable shelter. They need resources that can remind them of their inherent value and worth, like in person-to-person contact for support. They need resources that provide for their health and safety, like food and clothing. They need a warm and dry place to clean and rest so they can face the circumstances of their lives like employment and housing. Without these resources chronic homelessness will continue to increase.”

We have worked with non-profits to produce Resource Cards, which provide detail on severe weather shelters, hot meals, showers and laundry, and food pantries.

Learn more about the organizations making a difference in Tigard and learn how you can support their mission.

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Bethlehem House of Bread
Location: 9055 SW Locust St, Tigard, OR 97223

Bethlehem House of Bread's mission is to invite those who are hungry in body or spirit at a table where all are welcome. They are open on Sundays and Thursdays from 1-3 p.m. Guests may shop at our pantry once a month. A free store with clothing and small household items is open during food pantry hours.

Meals on Wheels People
Contact: Catie, 503.953.8101

Meals on Wheels People has been changing lives, one meal at a time, since 1970. We provide a nutritional and social lifeline for older adults through dozens meal sites in Multnomah, Washington and Clark counties and Meals on Wheels delivery to homebound elderly.

Calvin Presbyterian Homeless Ministry
Contact: Kelcie Anderson, Kelcie.Anderson@live.com

The mission of Calvin Presbyterian’s Homeless Ministry is to serve the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the homeless and poverty stricken in our community in coordination with other area churches and organizations. Every Friday night, December through March, we provide an overnight shelter, a hot dinner, and a McDonald's gift card for breakfast.

How Can You Help?
We need volunteers for the following roles:

  • Set up facilities on Friday morning to prepare for our guests’ arrival
  • Interact with guests on Friday evening by serving the meal or distributing clothing and hygiene items
  • Spend the night as one of several overnight hosts

If you are interested, complete this volunteer form.

Project Homeless Connect (PHC)
Contact: Kim Marshall, kim@phcwashco.org

The mission of Project Homeless Connect is to bring communities together to create and promote tangible solutions that remedy the homelessness of their neighbors.

So far, Washington County’s 2018 PHC events provided critical services to 986 individuals. Our ninety-five community partners and 275 volunteers have provided dental care, vision screening, haircuts, food and clothing, and connections to housing and social services. In Tigard, we hosted “Dental Day” which served 24 individuals with cleanings and extractions, including seven children, one who had eight cavities.

We also host Project Employment Connect. Working with the Oregon Employment Department, Work Source, Goodwill, and 40 local businesses we connect those experiencing homeless or at risk of becoming homeless with employers who are hiring.

Tigard-Tualatin Family Resource Center
Contact: Catherine West, 503.603.1585

Located on the campus of Tigard High School, the Tigard-Tualatin Family Resource Center connect school families with community resources as well as providing a variety of direct services. For a copy of the Tigard-Tualatin Community Resource Guide in English or Spanish, click here.  

How You Can Help?
Please use the Resource Guide as a tool for assisting children, youth and families in the Tigard and Tualatin area. The guide contains information about the most commonly needed services and how to access them. Individual pages can be copied and provided to families who are seeking help.

Good Neighbor Center (GNC)
Contact: Heidi Guffey, volunteer@goodneighborcenter.org

The Good Neighbor Center (GNC) has been sheltering homeless families since 1999.  We are the largest of the three family homeless shelter programs in Washington County.  Our mission is to provide safe emergency housing with supportive empowering services for families.

GNC's first concern is to provide shelter and food. We also offer case management toward permanent housing for every homeless family. Our staff makes use of all possible resources to help families remove barriers to housing, including participation in our two housing programs, referral to other transitional and permanent housing programs, referral to employment and training programs, weekly mandatory life skills classes, the Rent Well curriculum, and access to public benefits.  

We are also focused on stabilizing all children in school, with liaison services to local school districts, interaction with each child's school counselors and teachers as appropriate, a daily Homework Club during the school year, individualized tutoring, and a ten-week full day Summer School.  We work with adults on completing GED requirements and accessing other educational and job training resources.

For clients who have moved out of our shelter into housing, our staff supports families in effort to maintain stable housing, increase household income and reduce the need for public assistance.  For instance, our Housing Stabilization Program leverages rent subsidies in partnership with Washington County Department of Housing.  We also place families into the federal Shelter Plus Care housing program.  Some clients receive weekly or monthly case management and many receive food boxes, clothing, school supplies, and money for the occasional prescription or utility bill to help families move toward independence. 

How You Can Help?
We rely on the community for donations and financial support. We accept donations year-round for men’s/women’s clothes, children’s clothes, shoes, hygiene items, cleaning supplies, household items and any food items (perishable or non-perishable). We also accept financial contributions and gift cards to fund the specific needs of families.

Volunteers are needed for hosting dinner, maintaining the grounds, adopting rooms, staying the night (night host), teaching classes, helping with childcare and many other special projects. 

Meals on Wheels People
Contact: Catie, 503.953.8101

Meals on Wheels People has been changing lives, one meal at a time, since 1970. We provide a nutritional and social lifeline for older adults through dozens meal sites in Multnomah, Washington and Clark counties and Meals on Wheels delivery to homebound elderly. With the help of more than 5,000 volunteers, we serve 5,000 meals daily and 1.2 million meals each year.

To ensure that all homebound elderly have sufficient meals during inclement weather, we will deliver a two-day supply of shelf-stable meals the week of Nov. 5 to more than 3,000 homebound participants throughout Multnomah, Washington and Clark counties. Participants will receive instructions to save these meals until they receive a call from their Meals on Wheels People center advising them to use these emergency supplies.

On days when weather is so severe that the majority of volunteer drivers cannot deliver meals, Meals on Wheels People staff will phone all Meals on Wheels recipients to conduct a wellness check and to instruct clients to consume one of their emergency meals. A cadre of pre-approved emergency weather drivers will be available to bring food to homebound elderly who are completely without food.

How You Can Help?
We’re recruiting volunteer drivers to assist in bad weather. You can register online. A background check will be required.

Just Compassion
Contact: Darla Tillman-Samuelson, darsamuelson@gmail.com

Just Compassion has been providing services to homeless adults in the area for over eight years. Services have ranged from temporary warming shelters to once-a-month laundry days, but the area homeless are in desperate need of a safe, friendly and welcoming space year-round.

In the last year, we have opened the Just Compassion Resource Center on Hall Boulevard. We provide homeless persons with a lunch, a safe place to rest, socialize and resource materials every Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

How You Can Help?
We have a number of ways that the community can support our mission. We are always looking for volunteers and/or donations. On our webpage, we have a list of the donations needed for the Resource Center. Volunteers are needed to staff the Resource Center and complete various projects on the property. We also accept financial contributions.

Family Promise of Tualatin Valley (FPTV)
Contact: tvfamilypromise@gmail.com

FPTV serves homeless children and their families. We are creating a network of religious and civic organizations that will provide shelter, meals, and resource assistance. Individual family plans are developed with our FPTV case manager to help families identify and connect with services specific to their needs with permanent housing being the priority.

How Can I Help?
The community keeps our program going. Without the support, we wouldn't be able to help families on their path to sustainable housing. You can support our cause here. 

You Should Also Know About….

Washington County Family Shelter Network
Contact: (503) 640-3263
Community Action offers a variety of assistance for homeless families and persons at risk of homelessness.

Safe Place for Youth
Contact: (503) 542-2389
Safe Place serves youth in Washington County, up to age 19, who are in need of a place to stay and help from our trained staff. Safe Place also serves youth who need to spend a period of time away from their home and family to address behavioral issues with the help of our specialized staff.

HomePlate Youth Services
Contact: (503) 320-8965
HomePlate is Washington County's only non-profit provider of drop-in centers and street outreach for young people experiencing homelessness.

Open Door Counseling Center (ODCC)
Contact: (503) 640-6689
ODCC offers drop-in daytime services for homeless persons including hot meals, showers, laundry, phone and mailbox use.  Emergency food boxes and other services are also available. 

Task Force Recommendations

Task Force for the Homeless:
Implementing Recommendations from the Task Force for the Homeless (FY 17-18)

Completed

Recommendation: The City should participate in the annual Point-in-Time Count. 
Action: The Point-in-Time (PIT) count is a count of sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons on a single night in January. On the local level, point-in-time counts help communities plan services and programs to appropriately address local needs, measure progress in decreasing homelessness, and identify strengths and gaps in a community’s current homelessness assistance system. A number of city staff participated in the Point-in-Time Count on January 25, 2018. Staff visited homeless camps, interviewed homeless individuals, and provided information on available resources for the homeless. Staff worked with Luke-Dorf and Washington County before and during the count to ensure a quality count.

Recommendation: The City should continue to fund a post office for Just Compassion to use for their homeless clients.
Action: A key need for homeless individuals is the ability to receive mail. This is important because a mailing address is required for job applications and social service programs. The City funds the cost of renting a post office box. Just Compassion manages the post office box and ensures that clients are aware of its availability. 

Recommendation: The City should continue to provide in-kind support (printing, graphics, design) to nonprofits addressing homelessness.
Action: The City designs and prints homelessness resource cards which provide information on severe weather shelters, showers, and food pantries. Just Compassion distributes the laminated cards to their coalition members. The Tigard Library and Tigard Police also use the cards while interacting with the homeless community.

Recommendation: The City should prioritize homelessness assistance on their legislative agenda. 
Action: In January 2018, the City Council approved a Federal Legislative Agenda which supports homeless assistance grants. The agenda reads: "The city is collaborating with Just Compassion to address the lack of homelessness resource in Tigard. Just Compassion, a registered nonprofit in Oregon, is committed to establishing a day shelter for homeless adults in Tigard. The day shelter will provide resource information for mental and physical health, as well as assistance in overcoming barriers to employment, job, and housing stability."

Ongoing

Recommendation: The City should support the continuation of the Task Force for the Homeless. 
Action: The Task Force for the Homeless will meet four times in 2018. The task force will review the implementation of their recommendations and discuss new issues surrounding Tigard and the homeless community.

Recommendation: The City should assist Just Compassion in securing property for a day center. 
Action: At the December 19, 2017, the city council proposed allocating $16,000 in projected revenue from marijuana sales to assist Just Compassion with a down payment for a permanent day shelter for the homeless. Other councilors voiced support for this funding proposal as long as former Councilor Marland Henderson supports the proposal. The city council also directed the Budget Committee to consider, during the budget FY 18-19 process, a $60,000 grant to Just Compassion.

Recommendation: The City should create an internal tracking system to track homeless related incidents. 
Action: The Tigard Police Department has adjusted their internal tracking system to better account for incidents involving homeless individuals. The City will continue to review the tracking system for opportunities to gain better data.

For Budget Consideration

Recommendation: The City should fund an annual Project Homeless Connect event.
Action: Project Homeless Connect held a Tigard event in 2017. The city council will consider a grant request to fund the event in 2018.

Recommendation: The Tigard Police and Luke-Dorf should partner on homeless outreach.
Action: The Budget Committee will consider the recommendation during deliberations in April and May.

Recommendation: The Tigard Police should fund four hours of overtime for outreach to the homeless.
Action: The Budget Committee will consider the recommendation during deliberations in April and May. 

Future Consideration

Recommendation: The City should appoint a Homeless Services Coordinator.
Action: The city’s response to homelessness spans across multiple departments. For now, you can direct inquiries to Kent Wyatt, kentw@tigard-or.gov.

Recommendation: The City should provide public bathrooms and/or portable restrooms that are available 24 hours/day in the downtown core and surrounding neighborhoods.
Action: N/A

Recommendation: The City Council should issue a proclamation for Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.
Action: N/A

Recommendation: The City should approve a guiding statement for their approach to homelessness.  
Action: N/A

Recommendation: The City Council should host an annual service event focused on homelessness.
Action: N/A

Recommendation: The City should create a GIS map with resources available in Tigard and Washington County for people experiencing homelessness.
Action: N/A 

Task Force Meetings, Members and Key Documents

Task Force Members: Bianetth Valdez, Kim Marshall, Carol C Herron, Donna Krauthoefer, Sue Stephens, Darla Tillman-Samuelson, Ruby Buchholtz, Rose Bowning, Dennis Moonier, Carolyn Poach, Swift Falcon, Pat Rogers, Linli Pao, Christina Graslie, Jeanne-Marie Ritter, Marquesa Caldero, Jude Thaddaeus

Meeting Schedule for 2018

  • Wednesday, August 15 (postponed)
  • Wednesday, November 21, Library 2nd Floor Conf Room, 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Previous Meetings

Key Document
Bylaws

City Council Discussions on Homelessness in Tigard

Items Requested by the Task Force

City Resources Devoted to Homelessness

The City is committed to addressing homelessness in Tigard. We have taken the following preliminary steps:

  • Supporting federal homeless assistance grants The City’s Federal Agenda highlights support for homeless assistance grants. The city is collaborating with Just Compassion to address the lack of homelessness resources in Tigard. Just Compassion, a registered nonprofit in Oregon, is committed to establishing a day shelter for homeless adults in Tigard. The day shelter will provide resource information for mental and physical health, as well as assistance in overcoming barriers to employment, job and housing stability.
  • Providing social services grants Just Compassion was awarded a $3,000 grant for FY 18-19.

    Historically, the city has set aside approximately one-half of 1% of the prior year’s operating budget for community events and social services. Due to budget cutbacks, the city reduced the amount given to agencies and events in the fiscal year 2019 budget. Additional cuts may be necessary in future years as well.

  • Contributing in-kind support The city supports Just Compassion with printing services, graphic design, and staff time.

LOCAL AREA RESOURCES

  • Good Neighbor Center: Located in Tigard, on SW Greenburg Road, the Good Neighbor Center is a 36 bed facility serving up to nine families at a time. Each family has a private room where they can live for up to six weeks.  Families are provided three meals a day. The Center is supported by volunteers, donations, grants and various government funding programs. Link: Good Neighbor Center Resources
  • Just Compassion of East Washington County: Just Compassion is a coalition of religious, service, civic and business organizations that have joined together to network and share resources for creating a safe and hospitable environment and a community centered response to the needs of those without homes and those living in poverty in Tigard, Tualatin and Sherwood. Link: Tigard coalition tackles homelessness
    Resources Cards (courtesy of Just Compassion): Showers, hot meals and laundry and local food pantries
  • Washington County Shelter and Resources. The Washington County Department of Housing Services engages in many efforts to prevent and end homelessness in our community:
    • Shelter Resources. When the temperature drops below freezing, Washington County's Severe Weather Shelters may activate, providing homeless persons with a warm place to stay overnight. Shelter resources includes other services for homeless families and individuals.
    • Severe Weather Shelter Response Plan. Washington County's plan for shelter activation in times of severe weather as well as resources and educational materials for shelter providers.
    • 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness. A Road Home, Washington County's 10-year plan, was approved on June 3, 2008. Each year, progress on the goals of the plan is evaluated, documented, and posted online.
    • Housing and Supportive Services Network (HSSN). This group, made up of non-profit organizations, public sector social service agencies, government representatives and the faith based community, implements the Continuum of Care and ensures integrated and coordinated access to affordable housing and services.
    • Homeless Data and Point in Time Activities. Reports of homeless counts, including the Annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Street and Shelter Count and the Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR).
    • Homeless Programs and Events. The Department of Housing Services works with social service and non-profit agencies, as well as faith-based partners, to promote programs and events that serve homeless individuals and families throughout the year, including meal sites, Project Homeless Connect, and the annual Point in Time Homeless Count.
    • HMIS. Resources and training information for users of Washington County's Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).
  • Community Connect is a coordinated entry system that helps people experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of homelessness to find housing resources in Washington County, Oregon and can be reached at 503-640-3263. Individuals and families who want help with housing should call the Community Connect access number to discuss their situation and what help is available (503-640-3263). Community Connect is staffed by Community Action Organization, with offices located in Beaverton and Hillsboro. Individuals and families experiencing homelessness will be scheduled to attend a one-hour assessment appointment to determine the housing and service program that best supports the needs of the homeless household.  Referrals will be made to the following Community Connect partner agencies based on household assessment of need and available housing beds/units.
  • Homeless Veterans Resources
    A compilation of veterans' resources can be viewed here.

Council Discussions on Homelessness in Tigard (9/20/16)

The City Council discussed the city’s role in addressing homelessness at the council meeting on September 20, 2016. Staff presented a report entitled "Defining the City's Role in Homelessness."

In June 2015, the City Council held a discussion on the face of homelessness and the availability of services for the homeless in Tigard. Just Compassion of East Washington County contributed to the conversation by providing a comprehensive report on serving adults without home in Tigard. The council agreed to continue the discussion through the council goal to “define and establish the city’s role in addressing homelessness.”

Read the Just Compassion report (Face of Homelessness report). Read the minutes from the council discussion here.

Staff Contact
Kent Wyatt
Communications Manager
503-718-2809 | Email

Severe Weather Shelters 
In times of freezing and inclement weather, severe weather shelters may activate in Washington County. For current Severe Winter Weather Shelter information, check the current Shelter Activation List. 

 

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