Brian's story
'Everything is easier when you have housing.'
Brian Mitchell experienced several years of homelessness, but never gave up on his dreams.
“I resided in a tent for three years, but I had a vision in the midst of what I was going through. I had a vision that I would be a better man for myself and my community,” he said.
“I would always tell people: One day I’m going to college, and I’m going to graduate. And everybody told me I was crazy. I was in my tent doing homework — sometimes two, three, four nights, I’d stay up all night doing homework.”
Brian was camping in Old Town when he connected with a housing navigator with Transition Projects. And thanks to the pilot program Housing Multnomah Now — which blended street outreach with intensive housing navigation services — Brian was able to get into a studio apartment at Bud Clark Commons pretty quickly after applying.
Video: Brian's story
Housing Multnomah Now
The Housing Multnomah Now program, launched in early 2023, aimed to connect hundreds of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness to housing. The pilot program tested new methods of outreach, bringing housing navigators, case managers, and dedicated funding for rent assistance and other needs directly to campsites. The program also connected people in low-barrier shelters to housing resources.
Funded by the Supportive Housing Services Measure, Housing Multnomah Now exceeded its goal of housing 300 people by June 30, 2024, ultimately housing 313 people.
Brian finds stability in housing
Brian now has his own studio apartment to call home, inside Bud Clark Commons, which includes a Resource Center and shelter space operated by Transition Projects and supportive housing apartments operated by Home Forward.“It makes everything a little bit easier when you have housing.”
Brian’s goal is to be a drug and alcohol abuse counselor. Now, thanks to the stability provided by his housing, as well as having a part-time job doing maintenance at the facility, he is on track to graduate in December with a degree in drug and alcohol counseling.
“I want everybody to be somebody, to be the best that they can be,” he said.
