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 said the city has invested more than $130,000,000 from a mix of local funding sources tied to the strategy, including tax‑increment financing (TIF), construction excise tax (CET), short‑term rental fees and Metro bond funds. Goodlow said more than $12,000,000 has supported home repair and stabilization programs and that almost 1,300 families have received critical home repairs through PHB‑funded grants and contracts with community partners.

Goodlow described homeownership assistance as a core restorative tool. The bureau’s down‑payment assistance has been increased three times since the strategy launched, from an initial figure of $60,000 (set in 2015) to a current assistance level of $150,000 within the Interstate Urban Renewal Area, she said. The assistance is structured as no‑interest, no‑payment loans; a portion used for home improvements is treated as a grant. Loan forgiveness begins in year 15 (50% forgiven) and continues with 3% forgiven each year thereafter until full forgiveness at year 30, Goodlow said.

Through a partnership with Prosper Portland, Goodlow said the program helped 16 households achieve homeownership under the North/Northeast preference policy, which gives priority points to applicants with personal or familial displacement history. Goodlow said the rental‑housing side has been the largest investment area, with the bureau supporting the development of multiple buildings and hundreds of affordable units; she reported 11 buildings delivering 877 affordable rental homes, of which 739 units are subject to the preference policy. (PHB materials shown at the briefing listed these figures; the presentation indicated additional exclusions for some federal or project‑based assisted units.)

Oversight committee response

Dr. Steven Holt, chair of the North/Northeast Oversight Committee, framed the strategy as a long‑running effort to keep promises to communities harmed by prior city actions. “Promises made, promises kept,” Holt said, repeating a phrase he said he has long used to describe the committee’s expectations of city follow‑through.

John Washington, an oversight committee member, said the committee plays a key role in accountability for housing quality and services and urged the council to treat homeownership restoration as a priority.

Jillian Suraj Felton, housing director at Community Partners for Affordable Housing and an oversight committee member, told the committee the North/Northeast approach has served as a prototype used by other cities and called for greater engagement from newly elected council members. Achilles Montas, a longtime North Portland resident and committee member, also spoke in support of continuing the work to prevent further displacement.

Policy and program details

The preference policy awards up to three points for an applicant’s own displacement history and up to three additional points for a parent, grandparent or legal guardian. Households whose family homes were taken through city action or eminent domain receive the highest priority level, Goodlow said.

Goodlow also described PHB’s expanded renter protections and services, including eviction prevention, legal assistance, a security‑deposit pilot and screening reforms such as “ban the box” and a Fair Ordinance intended to reduce barriers in tenant screening.

What was not decided

The committee took no formal action on the report. Chair Avalos said the presentation was for information; the committee will open the record for public testimony after the presentation and will defer the related unified housing strategy objectives to a future meeting. No votes or ordinance referrals were recorded during the session.

Why leaders warned continued attention is needed

Speakers emphasized that measurable gains do not yet reverse decades of displacement and that sustained funding and council engagement are required to expand homeownership and preserve affordability. Dr. Holt and other oversight members expressed concern about continuity in engagement as city leadership changes.

Looking ahead

Committee members and PHB staff said they will continue implementing the initiative and reporting to the oversight committee. The bureau and oversight committee asked for continued council support and follow‑up at future meetings; the unified housing strategy objectives were moved to the committee’s next agenda.