A Washington County mother of three used a federal housing voucher to escape domestic violence, reunite with her children, and earn a college degree.

The woman, identified only as Lisa, shared her story through Washington County's Department of Housing Services on Thursday, Oct. 1, to mark Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Her account shows how stable housing became the foundation for rebuilding a life shattered by abuse.

Lisa arrived in Washington County in 2010, then moved to Lincoln County, where she obtained a Housing Choice Voucher. The program helps low-income individuals and families pay rent in privately owned housing; the tenant pays a portion and the Housing Authority covers the rest. With that support, Lisa held a part-time job as a project manager for a copy-editing company.

But those two years in Lincoln County were brutal. She was raising two children while experiencing domestic violence and increasing isolation. The violence escalated until Child Protective Services became involved. Lisa returned to Washington County with her voucher to be closer to family, to care for her mother whose health was declining, and to give her children time with their grandmother.

What followed was, in Lisa's words, "the worst year of her life." Her mother died. The next day, her children were placed in foster care. She was also navigating a pregnancy.

Lisa worked with CPS for about a year. By October 2019, her children were fully reunified with her. The case closed in January 2020. A few months later, she welcomed her third child. In January 2021, her abuser died.

"I no longer wake up to a barrage of horrible messages," Lisa said in the county's profile. "I don't have to wonder what threat is coming next. I don't live in constant fear anymore."

Lisa enrolled in the county's Family Self-Sufficiency program, a federal employment and savings incentive program for voucher holders and public housing residents. Participants work with a case manager to set goals around education, job training, or career advancement over roughly five years.

In December 2025, Lisa graduated from George Fox University with a bachelor's degree in psychology and mental health studies.

She now chairs the Survivor VOICES Advisory Committee at the Family Peace Center in Hillsboro, where more than 20 partner agencies serve survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse under one roof. Executive Director Rachel Schutz said at an August 2026 press conference that the center had served more than 3,500 people since opening in January 2026, with 20 to 30 people seeking help each day. Two-thirds of homicides in Washington County are domestic violence-related, Schutz said.

Lisa also serves on the Head Start Policy Council, the FSS Program Coordinating Committee, the Community Action Organization Board of Directors, and as vice chair of her children's school district's Educational Equity Advisory Committee. She has testified on state legislation and contributed to efforts that changed Oregon laws affecting survivors.

The need for housing assistance in Washington County remains steep. Fair market rent for a one-bedroom apartment hit $1,776 per month in 2026, up from $1,610 in 2025, according to the Hillsboro News-Times. As of January 2026, more than 1,700 households were waiting for a housing referral in the county, according to county housing data. On average, survivors return to an abusive partner seven times before leaving for good, the county said.

Residents experiencing domestic violence can reach the Family Peace Center in Hillsboro at fpcwc.org or by visiting the center, which brings services together so survivors do not have to navigate multiple agencies.