Operation Welcome Home

A partnership between ODVA and OHCS moves ending veteran homelessness one step closer

More than 500 Oregon veterans, along with countless family members, have stable housing this year, thanks to a new partnership between the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs and Oregon Housing and Community Services.

David Hubbard, of Oregon Coast Community Action, signs the Operation Welcome Home "commitment statement" at the launch event in November 2018. The statement includes the signatures of the 10 local partnering organizations committed to helping accomplish the Operation's goals in their communities.

Funded by Oregon Lottery dollars made possible through voter approval of Measure 96 in 2016, and with the invaluable support of local housing partners and nonprofits, Operation Welcome Home launched last November.

Seavey Meadows, a new permanent housing complex with dedicated housing for veterans, was completed in 2017.

The short-term campaign helped ten communities develop a collaborative infrastructure with the long-term goal of ending veteran homelessness in Benton, Clackamas, Coos, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Lake, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Polk, and Yamhill counties.

The operation helped realize new veteran housing projects in the participating communities, such as Seavey Meadows in Corvallis and Ash Creek Terrace in Independence, while also helping establish an infrastructure to better coordinate and assist veterans experiencing homelessness.

Each of the ten participating communities created a veteran leadership team of community partners that serve veterans. These teams work together to identify the most holistic and timely resources for veterans, considering the unique needs of each veteran experiencing homelessness.

Gov. Kate Brown, pictured here with ODVA Director Kelly Fitzpatrick and Harry, a U.S. Army veteran, toured Seavey Meadows in September.

The funding for the program was allocated to improve outcomes for veterans by the 2017 Legislature, and supports local communities as they work to end veteran homelessness — a firm goal that Governor Kate Brown has made one of her administration’s top priorities.

When the initiative launched in November, the collective goal was to house 500 veterans before the completion of the campaign. That goal was exceeded and 529 homeless Oregon veterans and their families now have a place to call home.

Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs Director Kelly Fitzpatrick and Oregon Housing and Community Services Director Margaret Salazar celebrate the launch of the Operation Welcome Home program in November 2018, at Seavey Meadows, a veterans affordable housing complex in Corvallis.

Operation Welcome Home has had a transformative impact on not just the veterans served, but on their children, families, and community. Thanks to partnerships and leveraging shared resources, and thanks especially to the dedicated work of community partners, hundreds and even thousands of lives have been impacted through Operation Welcome Home.

More needs to be done, but the state recognizes that we cannot do it alone. Veteran homelessness is bigger than any one organization, and addressing it needs to continue to be a coordinated effort across Oregon at the state, federal, and local level. This broad, multi-agency, multi-sector partnership is just the first step.