Our dedicated staff is one of our greatest assets. Homelessness in Portland is a growing and increasingly complex problem, and it’s critical for Rose Haven to invest in its workforce in order to attract and train high quality people. This is especially true as this work becomes more challenging.
Over the last 3 years, we have doubled the size of our staff in direct response to demand for services. That in turn doubled our staffing costs. Nearly all of our employees – 19 of 23 positions – are dedicated to direct service of our guests, providing essential onsite mental health support, 1:1 advocacy, showers, medical support, food, clothing, supplies, resource navigation and support to 150 a day.
Rose Haven continues to make efforts to provide employees a living wage and meaningful benefits. Inflation has been a challenge, and the increasing cost of living in Portland makes this challenging for an agency of our size. But without investing in our staff, we could not continue providing essential services to 3,000+ guests each year.