This week’s interview is Part 2 on Affordable Housing and Homelessness, where Rob’s conversation with Cole Merkel, Cadence Petros, and Nathan Teske is focused on homelessness.
Cole Merkel is the Deputy Director of Outreach and Engagement at Here Together, a Portland-based nonprofit that helps find solutions for the systemic crises of homelessness, including issues of housing affordability and equity. He previously served as the vendor program director for Street Roots, a weekly street newspaper that assists people experiencing homelessness by offering them paid work for distributing the paper.
Cadence Petros is the Development Division manager for the City of Beaverton. Her department oversees the development of affordable housing projects within Beaverton. She has served the City of Beaverton for seven years, first working as Assistant City Attorney before progressing to her current role in the Development Division. Previously, Petros served as a general counsel for the Mercy Corps.
Nathan Teske is the Executive Director of Bienestar, a Washington County-based nonprofit that provides affordable housing for primarily Latinx residents of Washington County. He has over 15 years of experience improving outcomes for immigrant and low-income communities. His experience ranges from fund development for complex commercial projects to creating and managing new economic and social programs not found anywhere else in Oregon.