Nearly 200 City Leaders Attend Homelessness Outreach Discussion

From Vision Action Network: Vision Action Network (VAN), in partnership with Project Homeless Connect, facilitated an action-oriented dialogue on homelessness between leaders of faith and government on Thursday, Jan. 18, at Sonrise Church in Hillsboro.

During the three hour event, mayors, city councilors, county commissioners, and state representatives rolled up their sleeves alongside priests, ministers, and rabbis, as well as dozens of nonprofit service providers to discuss the many challenges facing people who experience homelessness, and to explore collaborative ways to support them better.

“I knew we were making progress when a pastor shared his ‘aha moment’ that he needed to get in front of elected officials to tell them he was serious about serving the community, and not just saving souls,” said VAN Executive Director Glenn Montgomery. “People were inspired and energized.”

Based on preliminary responses to a post-event poll from 45 attendees, when asked what next steps they would take as a result of attending the event, nearly half said they would connect with a homeless person and listen to that person’s story, and over 55% intend to engage their elected officials urging further action to address the problem.

Reflecting this intention, one participant claimed, “I was encouraged by seeing so many people from so many organizations interested in the challenges of homelessness and other related problems. Let's put this energy into a movement that can change our county and then other counties across our country.”

Gold Level Sponsors of the event included Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District and The City of Tigard with additional financial support from Old Town Forest Grove Church and The City of Cornelius.

“This is both a local and statewide issue,” asserts Annette Evans, Washington County Homeless Program Manager. “During the 2016-17 academic year, nearly 2,400 students experienced homelessness in our county.”

As the convener of cross-sector collaboration in Washington County, VAN will synthesize feedback from participants and discern next steps for engagement.

Project Homeless Connect plans to host its next day of free services for people in need on Friday, January 26 from 9-3pm at Sonrise Church in Hillsboro.

Vision Action Network is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2001 to connect stakeholders from all sectors and facilitate dialogue to address critical issues in Washington County. From mental health to aging to economic security, VAN focuses on community-wide priorities and promotes collaborative problem-solving to achieve better outcomes.

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