When Support Networks Are No Longer an Option

Murray Ruhland recently moved into the Ritzdorf after being homeless for about six months. He took care of his mother for many years and struggled to find an affordable apartment for low-income seniors before she passed away.

Ruhland lived with his dog in his car, parked in a Walmart parking lot in Gresham.

^{Murray Ruhland and his dog Jenny experienced homelessness after the loss of Ruhland’s mother. He is happy to call the Ritzdorf home and says the people in the neighborhood love Jenny.}

A friend called different apartment buildings for low-income people to help him find a place in Portland. She found that the Ritzdorf had an opening and urged him to apply.

“It’s like heaven,” Ruhland said. “These apartments are so nice and I’m not used to that. They are so nice here and around the neighborhood.”

^{Across our region, rising rents have left more people vulnerable to homelessness. Learn more about the housing shortage and how a regional investment in affordable housing is part of the solution: oregonmetro.gov/snapshot}