By Kate Budd, Executive Director of the Council for the Homeless

Council for the Homeless is fortunate to be a partner with United Way Columbia-Willamette, Clark County’s local United Way. Across the Portland metropolitan region, United Way funding serves as a catalyst for many initiatives, including focusing on schools, families and communities to move families out of homelessness and stabilize them for the long-term.

In Clark County, United Way funds support families who need move-in cost assistance. In 2018, CFTH has found it costs $2500-$3,000 on average for a family to move into a new home. Common move-in costs during the last year include, application fees, security deposits, first/last month’s rent, administrative/paperwork fee, cleaning fee, move-out fee and pet fee. When one in three families cannot meet their basic needs, it makes sense that almost 50% of people experiencing homelessness in Clark County are families based on the 2019 Point in Time Count.

We are excited to share a video produced by our local United Way. The video tells one Clark County family’s story of how they found hope and a home in partnership with Council for the Homeless.