WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: Bonamici Introduces Bill to Expand Project Turnkey Nationwide
WASHINGTON, DC [05/15/24] – Local and national advocates for affordable housing are praising Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici’s Project Turnkey Act.
The legislation models Oregon’s successful Project Turnkey Program to provide flexible housing assistance that can quickly convert unused buildings into affordable housing and emergency shelters, enhance services for people experiencing homelessness, and address the nationwide housing crisis. A fact sheet on the Project Turnkey Act can be found here.
“In Oregon, Project Turnkey has already transformed lives by providing safe, affordable housing for families and individuals,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. “This program is a smart way to quickly and economically increase access to housing that provides the stability people need, along with support programs to put them on the path to long-term success. I’m grateful for the many Oregonians who have shared stories about how Project Turnkey has helped them, and I introduced this legislation to expand the program so it can benefit even more people in Oregon and across the country.”
Stories and praise from Oregon Project Turnkey residents and advocates:
Clatsop Community Action
Nadia
“I have my little one-and-a-half-year-old boy with me. I came from a domestic violence shelter, which had a strict time limit—it wasn't enough time to get everything together for me,” said Nadia. “I've been here [at the Columbia Inn – Project Turnkey property] [for several] months, and that gave me time to find a job to get an apartment. It was a safe, stable place for my son.
“On Easter, the shelter set up a bunch of activities for children. There were kids outside with art supplies ... drawing on the sidewalk. My little guy’s been able to make friends and it was just the biggest blessing in the world.
“I don't know what I would do without [this place]. I pray that it stays available for people. It's amazing what people can accomplish when they have some structure, and a safe, stable place to come home to. Knowing that I am safe, and that people have my back is making a huge difference in my life.
“As a single mother, handling a lot of paperwork can be tough. But having help, having people who will go through complicated applications with you to make sure everything's correct, makes all the difference. That's how I found a place. It'll be the first time I have my own apartment, not with my (abusive) ex-partner. My son will have his own space. And that is huge. He's a toddler now, starting to walk, so having more space for him to run around freely is important. Getting the apartment was possible thanks to you guys, and that means everything to us.”
Dorla
“I found myself homeless. I went to stay with someone who I thought was taking me in because she cared about me. But that wasn't the case,” said Dorla. “She thought I had money, and I could help her out. She said she really needed me, but she needed my money--not that I have any.
“A Sheriff came and rescued me from that place and brought me here. Sheriff Nate, I don't know his last name, but what an Angel. What an Angel sent from heaven. He was so kind. He got my stuff for me and brought me here. He delivered me here, and it was like meeting a band of angels. I couldn't believe it. I felt so wanted, accepted and I actually felt loved. Delivered into the arms of the Lord's Angels. Everyone has been so wonderful. It's meant the world to me,
“It's really meant the difference between life and death, because when I came, I was so despondent, so sick and so upset over the situation that caused me to have to come here, I really didn't want to live… I'll be 87 years old next month. I'm at the end of my life, and the Lord has a use for me! I couldn't be more grateful for how I was received here.
“You see that so many needs are met. Simple things, like having a place to set up my computer. My computer is a lifeline for me because I am vision impaired and hearing impaired and I don't get around very well. The computer is my way of communicating with the world. And I am so appreciative of being here and I'm so appreciative of folks that that set up this program that decided to buy up properties that could be used to support people who are less fortunate. It means so much to me, and I am sure that it means so much to these other folks that are that are here taking refuge.
The full audio interviews with Nadia are Dorla are available here.
Central City Concern
Guy. C.
Guy is from Alabama and moved to Portland with his wife for a change of atmosphere. He has a master's degree in data engineering from University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and had a successful tech career. He developed a fentanyl addiction, got divorced and began using every day. He became homeless and stayed in various shelters. After a car accident, he suffered a traumatic brain injury. At Hooper Detox, he received medication assisted treatment to get him off of opiates and it minimized his suffering from withdrawal. He is currently at River Haven and this is the first time he has been in formal out-patient treatment.
“When I got referred to River Haven, it was an answer to my prayers, giving me not only a roof over my head but a supportive place to heal and get my soul and my life back. CCC has been a miracle for me,” said Guy C.
“River Haven is giving me a new lease on life and I’m immensely grateful to everyone who is helping make it possible. The staff are super supportive, the rooms are great, and the community is really solid. It’s a remarkable program and I hope that more like it will open so that more people can be helped as much as I have been.”
Tairon T.
Tarion grew up in Oregon’s foster care system. From the age of 18, he became addicted to meth and was homeless for five years. In September of 2023, he was hit by a freight train when he camped near a train yard. The next day, he woke up in the hospital without his left arm and had no recollection of what happened. After he recovered, he was back out on the streets and returned to drug use until he decided to check into Hooper. He was then referred to River Haven where he has lived for 6 months.
“I’ve been in an out of a lot of treatment programs in Portland and this is the best one I’ve participated in,” said Tairon T. “The staff is the best I’ve encountered: great teachers, best case manager and best counselor I’ve ever had. Having a private room and onsite classes really makes a difference. I was amazed at how big my room was and the quality of my bed. The amenities are great too – high quality washer and dryers and a nice kitchen.”
Jon R.
Since the age of 18, Jon used heroin and fentanyl which led him down the path of overdosing, arrests and jail time. He has been in and out of Hooper, CODA, Blackburn and worked briefly in CCC’s Clean Start program. After his last visit to Hooper, he was referred to River Haven.
“I am so grateful to have a chance to work on myself and my defects. Not being surrounded by people always using, really makes a difference. I’m trying to build healthy relationships,” said Jon R.
“River Haven is helping me stay clean and working through my traumas. I’m thankful to be housed. When I meet with my counselors, I get a chance to talk about my goals and how I can follow through with them. I’m getting a chance to think about my career.”
Julisa B.
When Julisa was 23, she suffered a traumatic brain injury from fentanyl poisoning. She learned to walk and talk again and entered recovery. But, after the loss of her grandmother, she fell back into drug use with fentanyl and crack cocaine. After a fight with her boyfriend, she slept on the sidewalk at Hooper until they admitted her. After two weeks of detox, they referred her to River Haven where she has been living with her cat, Techno.
“River Haven has been life changing since it’s giving me the opportunity to recover in a truly amazing environment,” said Julisa B. “When I arrived at River Haven, I was only 90 lbs. You could see all of my bones. But now, I get the food I need. The staff give me food boxes and I cook in the communal kitchen. I’m gaining weight and it doesn’t hurt to sit down anymore.”
Robert C.
Robert is an alcoholic, has experienced periods of homelessness and received treatment at Hooper Detox. He has been at River Haven for 7 months.
“It’s been a fun experience,” said Robert C. “I have learned a lot and the staff is great. I’m working with an employment specialist from CCC’s Employment Access Center and I just got a job with Clean Start. The staff is also helping me find permanent housing.”
Additional quotes from Central City Concern’s River Haven Clients can be found here. River Haven was the first Project Turnkey to be approved and funded in Multnomah County.
Centro Cultural
“‘…Casa Amparo was just what we needed. They make you feel like they're part of your family…I was on the streets for a long time and it was hard for me to speak with people.’
“Casa Amparo, funded by the Project Turnkey grant received by Centro Cultural in 2021, has provided crucial support to individuals like the one quoted, who found solace and a sense of family there after experiencing homelessness. This initiative transformed a twenty-room hotel in Forest Grove into a non-congregate shelter, offering refuge to displaced Latino/a/x families, seasonal and migrant workers, and others in need of safe housing. The Project Turnkey Act, championed by Congresswoman Bonamici, promises essential investment in our state and county, enhancing our ability to offer culturally responsive non-congregate beds for individuals facing various challenges accessing traditional shelter options.”
Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS)
“Oregon Housing and Community Services is committed to building on our shared housing progress that establishes concrete pathways to lasting economic and social opportunity. Project Turnkey models have served as one effective strategy to provide people with keys to permanent homes—a desired reality under pursuit across the country,” said OHCS Executive Director Andrea Bell. “Investing in effective housing strategies such as this, centers human dignity and contributes to the health of our nation’s economy. The legislation that Congresswoman Bonamici has introduced to extend HOME-ARP is crucial to keeping Project Turnkey doors open in our state and expand this type of shelter around the country.”
Praise for Bonamici’s Project Turnkey Act from national organizations:
National Homelessness Law Center
“While the Supreme Court debates whether communities can punish unhoused people with tickets and arrests just for sleeping outside, Rep. Bonamici knows that housing, not handcuffs, is what actually ends homelessness,” said Eric Tars, Senior Policy Director, National Homelessness Law Center. “That’s why her Project Turnkey Act gives communities the resources to start getting people off the streets and the flexibility to turn unused vacant properties into desperately needed affordable housing and non-congregate shelter. Let’s pass Project Turnkey quickly and then use that momentum to make the even bigger investments we need to end encampments and ensure that every American can enjoy their basic human right to housing.”
National Low Income Housing Coalition
“During the pandemic, Congress acted with urgency to provide historic and unprecedented resources to address the health and housing needs of America’s lowest-income and most marginalized households, including people experiencing homelessness. With these investments, Congress saved lives and prevented a wave of evictions and an increase in homelessness,” stated Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. “Congress must build on the tremendous successes and lessons learned from the pandemic to build a stronger housing safety net by enacting Rep. Bonamici’s Project Turnkey Act and other critical legislation.”
National Alliance to End Homelessness
“We appreciate Representative Bonamici’s leadership in translating into sensible legislation the lessons learned during COVID from the conversion of hotels to non-congregate housing and shelter for people experiencing homelessness. Her Project Turnkey Act would help communities convert not just hotels, but also motels, schools, hospitals, and office buildings into affordable housing or shelter as well as repair and expand existing shelters. If we are to achieve deep and meaningful reductions in homelessness, we must build significant new affordable housing. But that takes time, years. Representative Bonamici’s bill would help communities to provide shelter and housing to people experiencing homelessness while that permanent housing is being built.”
Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
“The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities is pleased to support the legislation sponsored by Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici that would amend the HOME Investment Partnerships Program Act to establish a Project Turnkey Program to leverage vacant hotels and motels for affordable housing and other support services,” said Sunia Zaterman, Executive Director of The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities. “This legislation would provide public housing authorities with an additional flexible funding source to support people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.”
National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO)
“The staggering increase in homelessness we’ve seen this year is a clear sign that we need to do more to address the nation’s affordable housing crisis,” said Mark Thiele, CEO of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO). “Congresswoman Bonamici’s Project Turnkey Act would represent a step forward in providing new funding for a program that’s proven to address homelessness and house our nation’s most vulnerable populations. NAHRO applauds the Congresswoman’s efforts and supports the creation of a federal Project Turnkey program.”
First Focus Campaign for Children
“It’s no secret that the country is facing a housing crisis, and children bear the brunt of it,” said Bruce Lesley, President, First Focus Campaign for Children. “Research has shown that children face the highest risk of eviction, a shameful policy failure. The Project Turnkey Act would make important strides in reducing child homelessness and eviction rates. First Focus Campaign for Children is grateful to Rep. Bonamici for this bill and for her continued support as a Champion for Children.”
The Project Turnkey Act is endorsed by:National Low Income Housing Coalition, National Alliance to End Homelessness, National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low-income clients), National Leased Housing Association, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, National NeighborWorks Association, National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders, National Coalition for the Homeless, LeadingAge, SchoolHouse Connection, Housing Assistance Council, National Network for Youth, Justice in Aging, Community Change Action, First Focus Campaign for Children, National Rural Housing Coalition, Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, National Women's Law Center, Community Opportunity Alliance (formerly NACEDA), National Homelessness Law Center, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), and Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH).
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