Bridge Meadows is an intergenerational affordable housing nonprofit based in Portland, OR. Bridge Meadows brings the generations together to improve health and well-being through meaning, purpose, and belonging. Built around the concept of interdependence, our affordable housing communities support children who have experienced the foster care system, their adoptive families, and elders, who serve as mentors.

Bridge Meadows’ community-driven program of integrated onsite support services and therapeutic interventions generates reciprocal social capital for three generations of community members: 1) youth formerly in foster care, ideally those who are part of a sibling group; 2) families who will either adopt or become permanent legal guardians for the youth (most of whom have a pre-existing kinship relationship, such as grandparent, aunt, or cousin); and 3) elders living on fixed or limited incomes.

Our community-based housing model has demonstrated what can be achieved through a holistic, intergenerational approach. Starting with a safe, stable environment to call home, Bridge Meadows cultivates family permanence and resilience, building connection between neighbors and across generations.