In Washington County, where the pressures of sky-high living expenses have long loomed over residents, a glimmer of respite has emerged with the opening of the Altura Apartments, a 75-unit housing development aiming to alleviate the burden for families strapped by the region's almost $2,000 average monthly rent. A victim of the woeful housing crisis, Lisa, a single mother of five, told Washington County News about her uphill battle in securing stable housing and employment after leaving an unsafe marital situation, a narrative unfortunately familiar to many.
Having navigated the complex route to self-sufficiency, Lisa attributes her family's turnaround to the Community Connect program, which provided a connective tissue of support and ultimately funneled her towards Altura. County-funded resources served as a lifeline, guiding her through the bureaucratic tangle to wraparound services including health care, as she juggled homeschooling her kids, and eventually re-entered the workforce, finding a job with the Hillsboro School District. "It was a long two-year journey, but it was worth it in the long run," Lisa conveyed, as noted by Washington County.
Lisa's testimony sheds light on the transformational power of integrated support systems. She said, as per Washington County News, "The Washington County Community Connect is really good, they gave resources that actually went to a person that’s going to be helpful." Homelessness can affect anyone, but with resources like Community Connect and new affordable housing, families like Lisa’s have a chance to rebuild their lives.
