Horizon Property Management (HPM) is a mission-based property management model housed within New Narrative’s services. HPM oversees transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, and independent housing with a focus on aligning with New Narrative’s mission and objectives. HPM reduces the traditional barriers that prevent many individuals from finding housing through combining a trauma-informed approach necessary to work with populations experiencing mental health challenges. Michael is one of our HPM residents who recently testified before an informational hearing for the Oregon House Committee on Housing and Homelessness regarding our mission-based model in housing. Read his story below, and learn more about how mission-based property management works at New Narrative by reading our overview here.
“I am a currently a tenant of Horizon Property Management (HPM).
I was homeless and living in the Clark Center prior to being housed. I was seeing a counselor through Lifeworks and was put on a waitlist for housing. My name was called from the waitlist around October 2014 and I began the move in process ; I went to a mandatory meeting through housing to get me prepped for move in. The move in process was good, nice and smooth, easy, they showed me an apartment that they had available and I took it. I was very happy that I got my own place, and I don’t have a roommate. I only had a few months left at Clark Center before I would be homeless again. Moving in was an easy transition for me.
My life got better; I have no family, so going from shelter to a stable place to live has made me a better person. I have my own place and I have worked for what I got. I did what I had to do get here and I went through many hoops. It was a nice simple transition to get here and I am grateful to be here for 8 years. I started renting with HPM in a studio through a voucher and I am now in a one bedroom and I have my own income coming in through social security and retirement. I am able to pay my bills, the first thing I do when I get my income is pay my rent. I try to keep things nice, neat and clean, I like to keep an orderly house.
Last July I got my own companion dog. I had not had a dog since I had a family. I was not able to afford a dog before but now I am able to have one and care for her. I got my dog from a shelter. I am now able to pay for her food and care and I am happy.
All the furniture I have now is brand new, I can have guests over, I am happy to have things of my own, I picked everything out. I would like to accomplish moving one more time, I would like to move somewhere with more amenities and closer to the Washington Square mall and other attractions. I would like to stay within HPM when I move so that I don’t have to go through all the challenges of renting through a different agency.
I am grateful to be where I am, but I would like to move to give someone else the opportunity to rent here like I have. If I wouldn’t have had access into housing I probably wouldn’t be here today, I would have been wanting to be dead because I didn’t want to live all my life homeless.”
Visit our Housing Page to learn more about New Narrative’s housing services; if you want to support this work, please consider supporting New Narrative with a donation. Any amount benefits our mission to provide resources so people seeking mental health care can develop the tools to thrive, not just survive.
