Community Partner Spotlight: Meet Path Home
The entrance to Path Home’s Family Village
At SVP Portland, capacity building is at the heart of our investment strategy. Our commitment goes beyond funding—we bring skills, a valuable network, and resources to help organizations grow stronger and more effective. That’s why we’re excited to welcome Path Home as one of our newest Community Partners. Since 1994, Path Home has provided more than temporary shelter—they’ve been building long-term solutions to housing instability, rooted in dignity, autonomy, and care. Now, they are addressing one of the most urgent and overlooked gaps in our system: equitable access to early education.
Why Path Home?
Our investment in Path Home deepens our interest and commitment to help build successful preschool and affordable housing collocation models. This tackles both the challenge of not having enough facilities for preschool, and accessibility for families that need them the most. Family homelessness continues to rise in Portland, disproportionately impacting children of color. If we’re serious about equitable access to early education, we have to address the barriers that keep children—especially BIPOC children—from ever reaching the classroom.
The Missing Piece: Pre-K Access
One of the biggest challenges unhoused families face in order to return home is the lack of accessible pre-kindergarten. Without it, children lose critical developmental opportunities and parents are left without the support they need to stabilize their lives. Path Home is addressing this head-on—integrating high-quality preschool into a supportive housing model designed for families experiencing homelessness.
In addition to expanding wrap-around services, Path Home is laying the groundwork for a pre-k program based on their Family Village campus. The vision for this program is focused on:
On-Site Preschool: Creating a dedicated preschool space and partnering with an equity-focused preschool provider to deliver high quality, culturally-relevant early learning experiences
Parent Education & Support: Helping caregivers better understand and support their children’s development and cultural identity.
Workforce Development: Creating training and employment opportunities for parents and community members to become early learning providers—building a sustainable pipeline of BIPOC educators.
Strengthening Impact through Partnership
SVP Portland is helping Path Home move this vision from idea to implementation. Our investment includes:
Business Plan Support: Conducting a feasibility study to assess program models and preschool buildout.
Vendor Selection: Helping identify the most aligned preschool provider for Path Home.
Facility & Space Design: Supporting design efforts for the on-site preschool.
Operational Capacity: Strengthening internal systems, staff capacity, and leveraging connections to create a scalable, sustainable model.
Bridging Housing and Early Learning: A Strategic Step Toward Equity
Path Home isn’t just adding a pre-k program. They’re integrating early learning into a broader system of support for families navigating homelessness—centering racial equity, community voice, and long-term change.
This is what SVP Portland is here to do: partner boldly, build strategically, and back solutions that get at the root of inequity. Path Home is creating a model where housing and early education are no longer siloed—but part of one powerful, connected path toward thriving for every child.
Want to get involved? Contact Ursula Garcia at ursula@svpportland.org to learn how you can contribute.
