From homeless to housed: Gresham family settles into new home with help from city

GRESHAM, Ore. (KPTV) – Thirteen-year-old William Dunham made sure he was the first through the door of his brand-new home. He exclaimed, “this is great,” as he opened the fridge, kitchen cabinets, and ran from one bedroom to the next, before deciding which would be his first bedroom in nearly five months.

In Aug. 2025, a two-bedroom apartment like the one the Dunham’s moved into in Feb. 2026 seemed more than out of reach.

“Basically we were trying to get rent paid, but we either pay the rent or buy food, so we bought food,” said Richard Dunham. “We ended up in the national forest and then Gresham Park.”

Dunham shared that he had tried calling shelters after his family was evicted, but no one would be able to take them. Some shelters told him they could take a man and a woman, but not a child, or they could take a woman and a child, but not a man.

“Basically, all the doors were locked, and I didn’t know what to do,” he said. “I was going to give up. I was getting close to giving up, until hope came along.”

Hope arrived in the form of the Gresham Homeless Services Team, which came across the family on the Wy’East Trail.

“I saw a child playing in the bushes by himself and I was really curious as to why he was by himself on the trail. And he came up to me and said, ‘Don’t take my home away,’” said John King, a City of Gresham Homeless Services Specialist.

The Dunham’s had been sleeping in the bushes.

“I immediately told the child, I’m not going to take this home, I am going to put you in another home and put them all at ease that they aren’t going to spend another night on the street,” said King.

Gresham Homeless Services Team

King is one of four specialists with the Gresham Homeless Services Team, which serves as the first point of contact and case managers for those experiencing homelessness within the City’s jurisdiction.

Through seven days of outreach, the team works to get individuals and families off the streets and into permanent housing, helping clients overcome barriers, including criminal backgrounds and past evictions, while helping them find jobs and housing that will set them up for success.

“These guys are the best,” said Dunham. “The reason I appreciate [them] is because [they] took on a bunch of strangers and gave them hope.

Within an hour of the team meeting the Dunham’s, the family was moving into a reserved shelter hotel room paid for by the city as the team figured out the next steps.

“This is not easy work. To get someone from street homeless to housing, there are many steps along the way,” explained Senior Homeless Service Specialist, Willie Shaw.

Shaw said the Dunham’s are one of their longer cases, taking nearly five-months, but that there were many barriers to overcome including: close collaboration with metro public defenders to reduce the family’s property debt from eviction, employment agencies, mental health treatment, use of city homeless services funding, and reconnecting them with their Section 8 housing voucher and social security benefits.

“We do that from A to Z because we know if we can control that whole process, it will get done quickly and efficiently and that’s what’s best for the families,” said Jessica Harper, the Community Services Manager for the City of Gresham.

Setting up for Success

One of the last steps was for the team to utilize its relationships with property management companies to find a safe and accessible apartment within walking distance of William’s school.

“They are the best people ever, known to man,” said William. “It feels very happy and relieving, knowing things aren’t going to fall down again. I’m just happy that we are here.”

Moving forward the Dunham’s will receive rent assistance for a few months, an effort by the city to help clients gain stability. Also, the Gresham Homeless Services Team will continue to check-in.

Budget cuts may impact future efforts

The Gresham Homeless Services team is completely funded by Multnomah County with an annual budget of $1.2 million. Nearly half of the budget, about $500,000, goes to rent assistance. The other half supports the team members and all other services offered.

“That funding has grown over the last 10 years and with that increase in funding we have been able to add so much to our services. The most critical is that rent assistance,” said Harper.

So far in Fiscal Year 2026, the Gresham Homeless Services Team has housed 74 households, 151 individuals, with three months and 13% of funding remaining. According to Harper, that number far surpasses the County’s established funding-based goal of 53 households.

The future is uncertain though, as Multnomah County’s Homeless Services Department faces an $87 million funding difference for Fiscal Year 2027. In its Department Requested Budget released in February, HSD suggested closing 675 shelter beds, reducing programs aimed at job training, eliminating 16 county jobs, and trimming an emergency rent assistance program.

“We really stretch these dollars to really make sure we are getting the most out of them as we can. So, we really hope our outcomes speak for themselves and that the county can continue to support our programs,” said Harper.

The Multnomah County Chair is set to release her proposed budget on Thursday, April 16. The County Board will vote on a final budget in June.