12350 SE Powell Blvd.
Portland, OR 97236
(503) 548-0223
FAX: (503) 548-0292
www.humansolutions.org

AGENCY INFORMATION
Jean DeMaster, Executive Director
Sarah Zahn, Housing Director
Total Number of Staff: 80
Housing & Community Development Staff: 12
Annual Operating Budget: $8,068,984
Area Served: East Portland, East Multnomah County
Year of Incorporation: 1988

Total Number of People Housed (as of end of 2010): 2,260
Total Number of Units Developed: 539 (Rental-539; Homeownership-0)
Total Number of Units Under Development:69 (Rental-69; Homeownership-30)

PROGRAMS AND SERVICES OFFERED

• Social Services
• Youth Programs
• Workforce Development
• Community Safety
• Economic Development
• Mixed Use Development
• Green Building
• Community Facilities
• Energy Assistance
• Resident Services

MISSION
To help low-income and homeless families and individuals achieve self-sufficiency by providing affordable housing, family support services, job readiness training and economic development opportunities.

WHO WE SERVE
For more than 20 years, Human Solutions’ comprehensive array of social services, employment skills training and anti-poverty programs have provided stability to thousands of vulnerable families. Human Solutions is also the largest non-profit developer of affordable housing in Mid and East Multnomah County, with 14 complexes containing of 539 units of housing. Human Solutions takes a holistic approach to meeting the needs of the “poorest of the poor” who live in east Portland and east Multnomah County.  The majority of families living in our affordable housing are either unemployed or under employed and many are single parent households struggling with issues from being in generational poverty or new immigrants and refugees trying to build their lives in a new and at times confusing new community.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Completion of the Rockwood Building. This project is a mixed use, transit-oriented project incorporating 47 units of affordable housing for low income families, including 15 units of permanent supportive housing for homeless families and 32 units serving families earning no more than 60% of AMI. The project also includes a 25,000 square foot MultiService Center housing 6 service agencies including Human Solutions.
• Acquisition/Rehabilitation of the Briarwood Apartments, a 22-unit property in SE Portland that includes 10 units reserved for homeless families.
• Resident Services programming offered for all families in our rental housing.  Offerings include Learn Links Homework Club and other children’s programming; family financial literacy program; Rent Well; Summer Lunch; community outreach; and partnerships for information and referral with multiple agencies serving children and adults.
• Operation of an emergency shelter for homeless families in partnership with the DayBreak Shelter Network.
• Operation of three employment training programs serving extremely low income, low-skill clients, recent immigrants, and residents of the poorest neighborhoods in the metropolitan area.
• Provision of energy assistance, eviction prevention, homeless services, emergency assistance, and access to opportunities to over 90,039 persons in mid and east Multnomah County annually.
• Operate 56 units of Permanent Supportive Housing in Human Solutions properties, providing rent assistance and case management services to 56 formerly homeless, high barrier families

CURRENT PROJECTS

• Development of Glisan Commons Phase I slated to begin in June 2012. This project is a mixed use, transit-oriented project incorporating 67 units of affordable workforce housing. The ground level of the property will house corporate headquarters for Ride Connection, a local transportation nonprofit agency.
• Refinancing and Rehabilitation of the Pines, a 66-unit Human Solutions project  that serves very low income families in Gresham. The rehab project of $1.75M will include all new roofs, siding, windows and other energy and ventilation upgrades, as well as site and landscaping improvements.
• Refinancing  and moderate rehab of The Cedars and Cedar Meadows, two LIHTC projects that have reached the end of their compliance period.
• Focus on new funding for Resident Services to continue services under a 3-year, $160K per year grant from United Way. This grant focused specifically on providing outreach and support with the local school district for Somali and Russian families living in 2 HSI properties.
• Continue to provide and expand effective employment training for individuals who lack the skills or experience to qualify for Steps to Success (Welfare to Work) programs.

• Continue to provide and add additional units of Permanent Supportive Housing for homeless families under the Portland/Multnomah County Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness

PARTNERS IN DEVELOPMENT

Oregon Housing and Community Services Department  • Portland Housing Bureau  • Portland Development Commission  • City of Gresham • Multnomah County • U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development • Bank of America  • Enterprise  • Key Bank  • PNC  Capital  • Network for Oregon Affordable Housing • Oregon Community Foundation •  Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund  • Meyer Memorial Trust  • Portland General Electric  • The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation The Collins Foundation • HEDCO Spirit Mountain Community Fund • Housing Development Center

STAFF PARTICIPATING IN INDUSTRY SUPPORT PROGRAMS

Amal Ahmed     Resident Services
Laura Lirette     Resident Services
Wakan Alferes  Resident Services
Viktor Bereznay  Resident Services
Dimitriy Kuzmich    Resident Services
Sarah Hendrickson   Resident Services
Sean Devlin   Resident Services
Tonya Parson     Resident Services
Betsy Elwood     Resident Services
Shauna Childress      Asset Management/Multi-Family Development
Melissa Rinehimer     Property & Asset Management
Fran Weick     Resident Services
Sarah Zahn  Multi-Family Development

Photos: Top-Park Vista and Lincoln Woods; Bottom-The Cedars and Carolyn Gardens