Our Stories: AntFarm Youth Services

A partner’s perspective: supporting housing stability in rural Oregon

At AntFarm Youth Services in Clackamas County, Oregon, housing manager Brittani Jordan sees the transformative power of stable housing firsthand. Thanks to Governor Kotek’s executive order (EO) funding by way of Oregon Housing and Community Services, Brittani and her team have been able to offer more than just shelter — they’ve restored dignity and humanity to individuals facing homelessness.

“With the EO funding, besides housing people and giving them safety and comfort, we were able to basically give them their humanity back,” Brittani explained. “So many people are just living on the streets, and you don’t even know it. You wouldn’t guess it just by looking at them in the store, but they’re sleeping in their cars or crashing at somebody’s house at night.”

AntFarm’s work goes beyond providing a roof over someone’s head. Brittani shared how the organization empowers individuals to maintain housing stability by building life skills, offering job support, and fostering confidence.

“The biggest challenge is giving people the confidence that they can continue being housed after we’re through with them,” she said. “Half of the people are already terrified that they’re going to not succeed, that they’re just going to be homeless again.”

Despite the successes, sustaining these vital services poses ongoing challenges.

“What would be helpful to continue providing services would just be continued support,” Brittani noted. “And support usually comes in the form of money. We just don’t have enough of that. We didn’t have enough of it for the first round. Hopefully we’ll have enough of it for the second round. But we just run out so fast.”

Brittani also highlighted the pressing need for more housing resources in rural areas.

“To make what we’re doing sustainable, we need more resources and money,” she emphasized. “We need more vouchers. We need more low-income housing. We already have the land; we just need the houses on the land.”

The community’s role in addressing homelessness is critical. Brittani called for “a lot more understanding and grace” and stressed the importance of public support through advocacy and collaboration.

“These are people. They deserve to be cared about,” she said.

For Brittani, moments of success, like seeing a client secure stable housing, make all the changes worthwhile.

Recalling one such instance, she shared, “That moment that we saw that positive impact, honestly, was when Nolan got accepted to that apartment. It was so much relief, knowing that he wasn’t going to have to be in his car anymore. It made my heart happy, knowing that we can help him.”

At AntFarm Youth Services, the mission is clear: Provide stability, restore dignity, and help people move forward. With ongoing support and resources, organizations like AntFarm can continue to make a profound difference in the lives of those they serve.