Portland Housing Bureau reports $130 million invested under North/Northeast strategy; oversight members urge continued action

Portland Housing Bureau Director Helmi Hisrick told the Homelessness and Housing Committee on June 24 that the bureau’s 10‑year North and Northeast Housing Strategy has produced measurable results while stressing the work is only a beginning.

The report, presented to the committee as a briefing (no vote was taken), summarized investments in displacement prevention, home repair and restoration of homeownership in historically Black neighborhoods. Leslie Goodlow, equity and business operations lead and project manager for the North/Northeast effort at the Portland Housing Bureau, and leaders of the North/Northeast Oversight Committee gave details on funding, programs and remaining needs.

Why it matters: The strategy was created to counter decades of displacement in North and Northeast Portland and to prioritize resources so residents with historic ties can return and build intergenerational wealth. Committee members and community leaders said the program is a model for restorative housing work but warned progress requires ongoing political and financial support.

“The effort to restore the opportunity for displaced community members to return to North Northeast Portland is very significant,” Helmi Hisrick said. “It is not a pledge to do better. It has been a steady commitment over a long period of time to direct human resources and financial resources and community to North Northeast Portland.”

What the report said

Leslie Goodlow…