The Breen family arrived early outside their new home at Oasis Village, a transitional housing community for homeless residents that opened Wednesday in Redmond.

They brought all of their worldly possessions, stuffed into black trash bags and luggage, as well as a small potted plant.

Tamara Breen, 49, was joined by her husband, John Breen, 81, who will share one of the 100-square-foot homes with her, and her son, John E. Breen III, 28, who will live in an identical tiny home next to his parents.

The Breens have been without a stable roof over their heads for more than four years. They said they were skeptical when Alison McKinney, case and program manager for Oasis Village, told them she had homes for them.

Follow the family’s journey through homelessness

The Breens lost their rental home after a spike in rent.

By the end of 2022, nothing got better for the family.

At 81 years old, John Breen was thankful to be alive while living most nights at an emergency shelter in Redmond.

“I was shocked,” said Tamara Breen, as she sat in a comfy armchair, sipping coffee. “I didn’t think we would get it at all. I’m here. Now I know. It’s true. I’m not dreaming.”

The Breens were among the first people to move into Oasis Village. It has 15 units with more planned and seeks to help adults find more stable housing.

Being low-barrier means Oasis Village does not perform background checks, and while drugs and alcohol are not allowed on the premises, Oasis Village will allow residents struggling with addiction and alcoholism to live there, where they can access recovery resources.

Prior to Oasis Village, the Breens were passing cold nights at the Shepherd’s House drop-in shelter in Redmond. Before that, the family of three lived in a single tent with a ripped door on Juniper Ridge, north of Bend.

The Breens said the area popular with homeless campers is a violent and chaotic place where gunfire is common and people are routinely beaten, threatened and robbed. They wanted out of there as soon as possible and decided to leave after two nearby vans caught fire, nearly taking their tent with them.

“I’m not ever coming back to Dirt World,” said Tamara Breen, using a nickname for Juniper Ridge. “Ever.”

Now, the family can sit together in a warm, comfortable place. They hope to save up money and try to get into a rental house or apartment. That’s something the Breens haven’t been able to do, they said.

“Every time we tried to get help, we always got turned down,” Tamara Breen said. “So we gave up.”

Together, the family receives around $3,000 a month from Social Security. John and Tamara Breen said they tried to get on a waiting list together for low income housing, but they were routinely denied. They were told they make too much money to qualify.

Now that he has a roof over his head and a safe place to live, John E. Breen III said he will seek work. He said getting a job and finding a place to stay has been difficult for him because of his criminal record, including convictions for sex crimes.

A criminal conviction, which can result in a lifetime of societal judgment, does not disqualify someone from living at Oasis Village, McKinney said. Oasis Village exists as a place that will accept anyone, no matter what mistakes they’ve made in their past.

“I think grace and forgiveness goes a long way, and I wish more human beings were more graceful in their outlook towards the community,” McKinney said. “I think everybody deserves a chance to do and be better… If you are busy trying to survive, you are not making good executive decisions…and I think that is what happens to a lot of them.”

In a living room that buzzed with laughter and smelled of home cooking, the younger Breen stirred a mug of hot chocolate and reflected on the family’s experiences living without shelter.

“It was the worst thing we went through in a long time,” he said. “It is a lot better here. This place is like home. It feels like home here.”

Next steps

Staff of the nonprofit administering Oasis Village said residents can live in the village for up to two years, though they hope many residents find permanent housing more quickly. The waitlist to get in is already long and getting longer.

While at Oasis, residents will be able to access resources, case management and other amenities. The Breens said they feel two years will be more than enough time for them to get back on their feet.

Eleanor Bessonette, Oasis Village executive director, said the nonprofit will rely on a mix of funding sources to offer long-term stability for the project. The village will rely on donations from individuals and service organizations as well as ongoing state funding and private foundations, she said.

Bob Bohac, chair of the Oasis Village board of directors, said the organization hopes to prove that local dollars are used effectively and efficiently at the village.

Bohac said Oasis Village has received two substantial grants from the Central Oregon Health Council and is currently benefiting from a program through PacificSource that includes access to funding via Medicaid that will be used to pay staff who administers the village.

“It is the best long-term funding that we have right now,” said Bohac. “And (Oasis Village) will go indefinitely into the future as long as Medicaid is supporting it.”

Bohac said Oasis Village has enough funding in the bank to operate for three years. He said he is confident the nonprofit will develop more funding sources in the future so it can expand and endure.

“I am more comfortable right now with our long-term sustainability than I ever have been,” Bohac said.

Finally inside her new tiny home, Tamara Breen unpacked her possessions, stacking items in the storage space underneath her bed. The small shelter will be tight, but it is a warm and safe place out of the elements.

Smiling, she placed the small potted plant on a shelf.

Home at last.