Looking Back to Move Forward: Reflections on the Launch of the SPARC Network

Image of organization leaders at the SPARC Summit 2025 — SPARC Summit - North Bend, OR - October 21, 2025

On October 21, 2025, more than 50 leaders representing 26 organizations from across Coos and Curry Counties gathered for what became a defining moment for housing collaboration on Oregon’s South Coast.

That day, every organization in the room committed to helping build the SPARC Network. Together, we formally aligned our efforts across shelter, housing, health, and supportive services, establishing SPARC as the regional framework for coordination across the housing continuum.

Looking back now, it is clear that the SPARC Summit marked more than a single convening. It marked a shift in how our region approaches housing stability, collaboration, and long-term systems change.

From Shelter to a Seamless Housing Continuum

SPARC goes well beyond shelter, but integrating the shelter system into the broader housing ecosystem was a critical first step. Shelter must be meaningfully connected to housing, and SPARC was designed to make that connection real.

SPARC stands for Service Providers and Regional Connections. It functions as an operating system for building community. The framework links shelter to housing, affordable rentals to homeownership, and connects services, workforce development, and education to housing at multiple levels. This alignment improves access, strengthens care coordination, and supports long-term stability across the region.

The October Summit marked the moment our systems, services, and shared purpose formally aligned around a seamless pathway from homelessness to housing stability and, ultimately, homeownership.

Built on Deep Collaboration

The SPARC Network did not emerge overnight. Its roots run deep in years of partnership and capacity-building work funded through the General Housing Account Program administered by Oregon Housing and Community Services. That early investment supported foundational collaboration between the North Bend City and Coos Curry Housing Authorities and Southern Oregon Coast Regional Housing, laying the groundwork for what has become a regional framework for housing innovation.

The ideas behind SPARC are shaped by lived experience, shared learning, and best practices developed across Southern Oregon and other rural communities. Longstanding collaboration among agencies, local governments, and service providers built the trust that now powers the Network.

Partnership That Made the Launch Possible

The October 21 Summit would not have been possible without the partnership and continued support of Oregon Housing and Community Services. We were honored to be joined by Tanisha, Meghan, Danielle, Kimie, and Rachel, whose presence reflected the agency’s deep commitment to rural Oregon.

Special thanks also go to Amy and Sarah for helping bring the OHCS team to the South Coast, and to Director Andrea Bell for her continued belief in the potential of this region. That belief has translated into real capacity, alignment, and momentum.

A Blueprint for Rural Resilience

As we reflect on the launch of the SPARC Network, its purpose has only become clearer. SPARC is not simply coordinating shelter and housing efforts on the South Coast. It is building the infrastructure needed for long-term regional resilience.

In a time of uncertainty at the federal level, rural communities must strengthen their ability to work together, share resources, and respond collectively to change. SPARC does exactly that by creating shared capacity, mutual support, and coordinated systems so that when challenges arise, our partners can stand strong together.

Just as SPARC touches every stage of the housing journey, so does Oregon Housing and Community Services. Together, state and local partners are demonstrating that when alignment replaces fragmentation, communities can build systems that do more than manage homelessness. They can end it.

Thank you to OHCS for walking this path with us, and to every partner who committed on October 21, 2025, to building something stronger together.

Author
Matt Vorderstrasse
Executive Director, North Bend City and Coos Curry Housing Authorities
SPARC Network Partner