Roots and Reach Alliance members; the collaboration takes its name from its work to deepen the roots of each client while expanding the reach of resources across five counties.
Roots and Reach Alliance members; the collaboration takes its name from its work to deepen the roots of each client while expanding the reach of resources across five counties.
This is the fourth in a series of press releases from Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC). In this release, we highlight MCCAC’s role as lead convener of the Mid-Columbia Houseless Collaborative (MCHC) and introduce the Collaborative’s Roots and Reach Alliance, a multi-agency effort designed to strengthen the region’s response to houselessness from the ground up.
Founded in 2022 by MCCAC and Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP), the Mid-Columbia Houseless Collaborative is a coalition of nearly 40 organizations, local governments, and community members spanning five counties across Oregon and Washington — Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Skamania, and Klickitat. Together, they are working to implement a five-year strategic plan aimed at reducing and eventually ending houselessness across the Mid-Columbia region.
As a lead convener, MCCAC plays a central coordinating role — bringing partners to the table and supporting the collaboration to translate shared goals into action. This work is guided by a strategic plan organized around four goal areas: Shelter, Services, Housing, and Advocacy. Across each of these areas, the collaborative is committed to centering the voices of people who have experienced houselessness and ensuring that services are delivered in culturally affirming ways that uphold human dignity.
The collaborative’s newest effort, the Roots and Reach Alliance, reflects that systems-level commitment. Driven by the work of front-line staff, the initiative brings together medical and social service professionals, from community health workers to executive directors. This array of partner agency staff meets weekly to build shared tools, coordinate care, and reduce the barriers that can leave community members without the support they need. The Roots and Reach Alliance takes its name from the dual focus of the work: deepening the roots of each client while expanding the reach of collaborative resources across all five counties.
“One of the most meaningful parts of this work is watching agencies that used to operate in silos start to move together with real intention,” said MCCAC Care Coordination Manager Elizabeth Fernandez. “Roots and Reach is about making sure the whole system is working for the person standing in front of us — not just the program they walked into. When our partners are connected and coordinated, our clients feel that. It changes the experience of being helped.”
The Roots and Reach Alliance also advances the collaborative’s commitment to equity. The MCHC recognizes that housing insecurity does not affect all community members equally — people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, families fleeing domestic violence, and those with prior involvement in the justice system face disproportionate barriers to stable housing. The initiative is designed to address those disparities directly.
This work builds on years of momentum. The MCHC has convened annual Housing Stabilization Summits, published regional houselessness data, and developed shared resources including client feedback toolkits and a coordinated entry system that allows partner agencies to more effectively exchange information and serve shared clients without duplication.
MCCAC is grateful to the nearly 40 organizations and local governments that make this work possible, and to the community members who continue to share their lived experience to guide it. No single agency can solve houselessness alone. Progress in the Mid-Columbia region is the result of sustained partnership — and the Collaborative is just getting started.
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