Washington County appointed Kevin, a resident who spent a year in shelters, to its Housing Advisory Committee in August 2026.

The committee advises the county on housing policy, program priorities and long-range planning for communities across Washington County, including the Bethany and Cedar Mill areas. Kevin's appointment puts someone with firsthand experience of homelessness at the table where those decisions are shaped.

Kevin, whom the county identifies only by his first name in a profile published Sept. 3, lost his job, his relationship and his housing in a series of personal challenges beginning in spring 2022. He moved between shelters throughout Washington County and the Portland metro area for the better part of a year.

The scale of the crisis stunned him. "When I first became unsheltered, I was shocked at what I saw. I did not know that this type of problem was so prolific in this country," he said in the county profile.

While living in shelters, Kevin was assaulted and his wallet and identification documents were stolen. Replacing those documents took nearly three months. He credited the nonprofit New Narrative, a mental health services agency with roots in Washington County dating to 1977, with helping him navigate that process.

Exactly one year after losing his housing, Kevin moved into his own apartment through a long-term rental assistance voucher funded by the Supportive Housing Services (SHS) measure. Metro-area voters approved the measure in May 2020, and the program launched in 2021.

With stable housing, Kevin began counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder he had carried for years. He is pursuing certification as a peer counselor to help others facing mental health challenges and housing instability.

Kevin hosted a Fourth of July barbecue at his apartment, cooking for friends. He described his life with one word: "Grateful."

His appointment comes as the county's SHS-funded programs mark a broader milestone. By spring 2026, Washington County had helped more than 3,000 households move out of homelessness or housing instability since 2021. Of those, just over 2,000 are in permanent supportive housing and more than 1,000 secured housing through rapid re-housing. As of January 2026, more than 1,700 households were still waiting for a housing referral in the county.

Washington County Chair Kathryn Harrington said in a June 3 county news release marking that milestone that the funding "has allowed us to expand our system in ways that were simply not possible before."

The Housing Advisory Committee meets the fourth Thursday of each month from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Adams Crossing Building, 161 NW Adams Ave., 2nd Floor, Hillsboro. Meetings are hybrid.