Heather Lyons

Heather Lyons began her career related to homelessness and housing as a VISTA volunteer in San Antonio, Texas 26 years ago. From there, she worked in direct services, later moving to Portland to do community organizing for Central City Concern. She was with the City of Portland, focused on homelessness programs and policy, in what was then called the Bureau of Housing and Community Development.

She joined Chair Vega Pederson’s office as the Senior Advisor on Housing and Homelessness in April 2024 after spending almost 16 years at the Corporation for Supportive Housing or CSH. In that role, she worked on the intersection of multiple systems such as health, justice, and child welfare with homelessness and housing insecurity. Originally from Virginia, Heather earned her BA in English at Mary Washington College (now a university). She also has training in Applied Improvisation, which uses tools and techniques of Improv to improve adaptability, increase collaboration and innovation, and foster creativity in communities.