For 19 years, our Housing Transitions Program has been a steady place of safety and care for women experiencing homelessness. This reflection looks at why HTP matters, especially now, and the quiet, life-changing work that happens there every day.
Catholic Charities of Oregon’s Housing Transitions Program (HTP) turns 19 this week. While it’s not a “round-number” birthday, it’s a meaningful milestone for a program that has quietly and consistently shown up for women experiencing homelessness for nearly two decades.
Since its founding in 2006, HTP has been a steady presence in SE Portland, offering something that is still far too rare: a safe, welcoming drop-in day center specifically for single, non-parenting women, including trans women. Many of the women who come through our doors don’t feel comfortable or safe accessing larger, mixed-gender day centers. For them, HTP is a place to exhale.
Open Monday through Friday, the HTP day center provides much more than a meal, though those meals are vital, especially as recent SNAP cuts have hit our clients hard. Women can also take a shower, receive mail, access clothing, connect with peers and work one-on-one with compassionate CCO employees who help them navigate shelter options, healthcare and the long road toward housing.
HTP serves a population that is often overlooked. Women without children in their care are frequently deprioritized for shelter and housing, even as homelessness among women continues to rise. In Multnomah County alone, the number of people experiencing homelessness increased by roughly 35% between early 2024 and early 2025, and women and gender minorities now make up about one-third of the unhoused population.
Behind every statistic is a story.
One woman came to HTP after months of living outside, often skipping meals just to get by. At the day center, she was able to eat regularly, shower, receive mail and meet weekly with HTP staff. These are small, stabilizing steps that helped her begin reconnecting with healthcare and imagining a path forward.
Many women tell us they avoided other day centers because of past trauma. At HTP, they found a calm, women-centered space where trust could grow slowly. Over time, they accessed peer support, built relationships and began taking steps toward housing at their own pace.
These stories, and hundreds like them, are why HTP matters.
This year has not been without challenges. In late June, HTP lost the majority of its funding with just two days’ notice when its primary funder withdrew support due to an internal shortfall. Despite that setback, the program has continued to serve women every weekday, powered largely by community donations and the deep commitment of staff and supporters.
HTP is also rooted in a simple but powerful belief: everyone deserves dignity and care. There are no religious requirements to receive services, and no one is asked to be anything other than who they are. The goal is to walk alongside women, wherever they are on their journey—and help them move from surviving to stabilizing.
As we celebrate 19 years of the Housing Transitions Program, we do so with gratitude for the women who trust us, the staff who show up every day, and the supporters who make this work possible. The need is great, but so is the resilience we see daily.
Here’s to 19 years of community, compassion, and hope. And to continuing this vital work in the years ahead.