Project Turnkey began as a way to house people who lost their homes in the 2020 wildfires and to provide a COVID-safe alternative to congregate shelters. The Oregon Legislature provided funding for communities to purchase underused buildings, typically motels and hotels, and turn them into shelter spaces where residents could stay for months at a time and engage in support services.

A recent report from Portland State University’s Homeless Research & Action Collaborative found that several measures of a residents’ quality of life, such as their ability to get enough rest, access food and make progress toward their goals, improved after their stay at a Turnkey site. However, it also found that more than half of residents returned to either unsheltered homelessness or an emergency shelter after their stay.

Anna Rockhill, a research associate professor at PSU, led the report. She joins us with more details on the Turnkey model and the role it can play in addressing Oregon’s homelessness crisis.