Multnomah County, Ore. (May 15, 2024) — Multnomah County has partnered with FORWARD, the trusted partner in program administration for local governments, to launch the Common Application Program. This program is designed to increase accessibility to community programs for Multnomah County residents.
Residents can apply to up to 20 programs with a single convenient application.
The Multnomah County Common Application Program was originally known as the East Multnomah Common Application Pilot Program and launched as a pilot program in January 2023. At its launch, the pilot program allowed for residents to apply to up to six programs with a single application and grew out of a grassroots movement by community groups and Commissioner Lori Stegmann’s office to build climate resilience in East Multnomah County. Today, the Multnomah County Common Application Program is designed to allow residents from across Multnomah County to apply for up to 20 community programs through one application. The Common Application Program has been designed with accessibility at the forefront and includes call center support and multi-language applications.
“We’ve all seen people in need and it’s difficult to know how to best serve them. I think one of the best things we can do is provide people access to the resources that already exist,” said Commissioner Stegmann. “Whether it’s preventing hunger, keeping warm in the winter, accessing medical care, or keeping the lights on there is help available. But you shouldn’t have to have a secret code to access these resources. Our goal for the Common Application was to remove barriers and give everyone the opportunity to have their basic needs met in a trauma-informed way.”
Eligible programs through the common application serve immigrant communities, young families, and low-income seniors and include:
- Healthy Families-Parenting Support
- Women, Infant, Child (WIC)
- Healthy Birth Initiative
- Nurse Family Partnership
- Big Brother Big Sister
- Easterseals Connecting Communities
- Services with Children with I/DD
- Meals on Wheels
- Store to Door
- Veterans’ Services
- Wraparound
- Eviction Defense Project
- Reach CDC
- Multnomah County Weatherization Program
- Wood Stove Replacement Program
- NW Natural Bill Discount Program
- PGE Income-Qualified Bill Discount Program
- Portland Water Bureau Bill Assistance
- Pacific Power Low Income Discount Program
Multnomah County approved FORWARD as the program administrator contractor to assist with community outreach, application support, and screening for eligibility in a way that makes it convenient for people to access and learn about services in a streamlined manner. Applicants can expect:
- To apply for programs though FORWARD’s online application, available in 68 languages
- To have access to application support available in multiple languages via phone, text and email
- To present proof of residency in Multnomah County
- To submit proof of income, if needed
- To submit proof of utility bills, if needed
- To present a copy of photo ID
“At FORWARD, we are driven by the mission of empowering communities through innovative solutions,” said Adnan Mahmud, CEO of FORWARD Platform. “The Common Application Program exemplifies this commitment by revolutionizing access to vital resources. By collaborating with Multnomah County, we’ve been able to create an application process that simplifies the bureaucracy of applying to multiple community programs, while also fostering a sense of belonging and dignity for every resident.”
Learn more and apply to the Multnomah County Common Application Program at: www.forwardplatform.com/common-app.
ABOUT FORWARD PLATFORM
FORWARD partners with governments and organizations to deliver resources and funding to communities using human-centered technology and customized solutions. Over 80% of the team members have worked in government and understand the unique challenges and what it takes to execute, enabling the team to operate with speed, precision, and competency. FORWARD automates complex program administration processes that increase back-office capacity, improve transparency and trust with data, and break down silos to unlock coordination and service delivery quickly and securely — all while maintaining compliance and data security.
To learn more, visit www.forwardplatform.com.