A home shouldn’t be
the hardest part
of college.
Experiencing homelessness.
Housing insecure.
Historical context, not a current estimate. 2019 #RealCollege survey across 14 Oregon community colleges, reported by OPB in 2021. Explore the sources
Closer to home: in CHNW’s own 2026 Student Needs Survey, 57% of the 567 residents who responded were housing insecure and 68% were food insecure in the past year. See our resident survey findings
Tap a card to learn more. Swipe to see all four.
Not just housing.
A whole foundation.
Created by students, for students, since 1969. We start with the student and build support around them.
A person. Not a unit number.
Students are more than tenants. Their needs and voices guide how we work.
- Student voices help shape our communities
- Support that recognizes the whole person
- A community built around belonging
Support for the everyday.
A home is a start. We connect residents to the resources and people that keep them moving forward.
- Onsite food pantry access and essential resources
- Monthly resident events to foster community
- Help navigating support and rent assistance
A foundation to build on.
Our nonprofit housing model puts student success first, keeping rents affordable and barriers to moving in low — so a home is one less thing standing between a student and their degree.
- Affordable, student-centered communities
- Lower barriers to moving in: low deposits, no required rental history
- Connections to campus and community resources
We work in collaboration with colleges and community partners, including
Launched in 2020, ARCS provides additional supports to students experiencing homelessness or housing instability. ARCS students receive rent assistance and personalized support from a Student Resource Coordinator.
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ARCS is currently at capacity and is not accepting new referrals at this time.
Had it not been for ARCS I wouldn’t be in school anymore.
ChelseaARCS student
Chelsea shared how housing support helped her continue studying toward becoming a social worker.
Read more storiesPotential is everywhere.
Opportunity should be, too.
Help make stable housing — and everything it makes possible — available to more students.
Open a door.
Support affordable housing and the resources students need to keep going.
Make a gift 02 / PARTNERBuild with us.
Colleges, employers, foundations, and community organizations: let’s work together.
Start a conversation 03 / LEARNBring the story.
Invite CHNW to speak about housing, student success, and what’s possible together.
Invite us to speakReal places.
New possibilities.
Three examples of how we make housing affordable — out of seven CHNW communities across the Portland metro area, with more on the way.
Growing to serve more students.
Our newest community: modern apartments minutes from Portland State University and OHSU, where students train for Oregon’s in-demand health and professional careers. Managed in partnership with Coast Property Management, The Acqua shows how partnerships let CHNW expand its mission to more students.
A hotel, reimagined.
Once a hotel, now affordable student housing — purchased and renovated through Oregon’s Project Turnkey program.
through Oregon’s Project Turnkey
Public support, affordable rent.
Purchased with support from the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), helping keep rent affordable.
See all seven CHNW communities on our properties page
The work continues.
More from CHNWFrom a Gresham hotel to a place students call home.
A closer look at The 601 and a different approach to student housing.
Read the story KOIN / PROGRAM COVERAGEHousing support that helps students stay in college.
How ARCS addresses housing insecurity through rental assistance and support.
Read the story RESEARCH / THE BIGGER PICTUREBetter futures start with understanding the need.
The research, surveys, and reports behind this page — with context on what each figure does and doesn’t tell us.
Explore the researchEvery student deserves a place
to call home.
Help a student stay housed BY STUDENTS. FOR STUDENTS. SINCE 1969.Research & sources
Research provides context. Student experience gives it meaning. Survey populations and dates matter when interpreting the numbers below.
Student housing insecurity in Oregon
The 52% housing-insecurity and 20% homelessness figures refer to respondents in the 2019 #RealCollege survey, with 14 of Oregon’s 17 community colleges participating. They describe surveyed students, not all Oregon students, and are not presented as a current prevalence estimate.
Read OPB’s May 2021 reportingThe Hope Center 2023–24 Student Basic Needs Survey
Approximately half of respondents were housing insecure and about 14% experienced homelessness in the prior year; 79% of respondents who had stopped out or were considering it cited basic needs or financial reasons.
The Hope Center at Temple University2024 Oregon Talent Assessment
Oregon has significant workforce development needs in fields that require postsecondary education — health sciences, information technology, behavioral health, manufacturing, and more.
Oregon HECC / SRI InternationalRising cost burden & student housing
Housing costs have risen faster than incomes for two decades; student housing costs are rising even faster than multifamily housing broadly, adding geographic pressure near campuses.
Oregon Housing & Community ServicesARCS Program: FY 2025–26 & six-year (2020–2026) reports
CHNW’s own program data on students served, credentials earned, equity demographics, and the FY 2025–26 state funding reduction and its impact on exits to safe housing.
Download the ARCS annual report (PDF)2026 CHNW Student Needs Survey
567 residents across CHNW properties responded to CHNW’s third annual survey in spring 2026, reporting on food and housing security, benefits enrollment, and overall experience living at CHNW.
Download the survey summary (PDF)