Partners
Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS)
Oregon Housing and Community Services Department is Oregon’s housing finance agency. It provides financial and program support to create and preserve opportunities for quality, affordable housing for Oregonians of lower and moderate income.OHCS administers federal and state programs for antipoverty, homeless, energy assistance and community service. The Department administers federal and state tax credit programs and other programs which provide funding for affordable housing development across the state.
In 2007, under the leadership of OHCS and in collaboration with affordable housing industry leaders statewide, the Oregon Housing Preservation Project (OHPP) was created. OHPP’s mission is to align statewide resources to maximize the number of federally subsidized properties preserved throughout Oregon. OHCS was an early supporter of the program, and in 2009 contributed $2 million towards the capitalization of the Oregon Housing Acquisition Fund.
Since 2008, nearly 4,700 units of subsidized housing have been preserved and renovated with Department resources. Through the Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP), the Department created a set-aside of funding specifically for preservation projects.
Visit: www.ohcs.oregon.gov
Network for Oregon Affordable Housing (NOAH)
Network for Oregon Affordable Housing is a nonprofit consortium of Oregon banks created to facilitate the development and preservation of affordable housing statewide. NOAH provides financing expertise and resources to the development community.
Under the leadership of the Oregon Bankers Association, NOAH was formed in 1990 to share the risk perceived to be unique to funding affordable housing at the time. NOAH finances a wide range of housing developments, including new construction and renovated properties. NOAH is the administrator for the Oregon Housing Preservation Project. It houses their staff; manages the grants; and underwrites all loans funded by the Project.
Visit: www.noah-housing.org
Enterprise Community Partners
Entperise is a national nonprofit intermediary. Its mission is to see that all low-income people in the United States have the opportunity for suitable, affordable housing and the ability to move up and out of poverty into the mainstream of American life.
Enterprise manages OHPP’s Green Pilot Program. Some projects may also qualify for Enterprise’s own Green Community Initiative funding as well.
Visit: www.enterprisecommunity.org
Neighborhood Partnerships
Neighborhood Partnerships’ innovative leadership and resources support the creation of affordable homes, healthy communities, and economic opportunities for low-income Oregonians. Underlying all of their strategic goals is a commitment to work to maximize resources for affordable housing development and community development, in order to best support the work of partner organizations.
Visit: www.neighborhoodpartnerships.org
Neighborhood Partnerships supports Oregon Housing Preservation Project work by maintaining the Database of Preservation Properties.
Community Alliance of Tenants (CAT)
Formed in 1996, the Community Alliance of Tenants (CAT) is Oregon’s only statewide, grassroots, tenant-controlled, tenant-rights organization. CAT educates, organizes and develops the leadership of low-income tenants to directly challenge unjust housing policies and practices. Their mission is to educate and empower tenants to demand affordable, stable and safe rental homes. They address the impact Oregon’s decreasing supply of decent, affordable housing and absence of meaningful tenant protections has on low-income tenants.
CAT’s role with OHPP is to provide resident education and outreach services, primarily in situations where owners elected to opt-out of their subsidy contracts. By tracking what happens to residents in buildings that lose their affordability restrictions, OHPP can more effectively assess the impact these subsidies have on real people.
Visit: www.oregoncat.org
RENTERS’ RIGHTS HOTLINE: 503-288-0130
Portland Housing Bureau (formerly BHCD)
The City of Portland is greatly invested in the preservation issue. In 2007 the City adopted a Preservation Work Plan that called for the Portland Housing Bureau to actively seek out partnerships with property owners, lending institutions, non-profit housing providers, and other government entities to accomplish the goal of preserving as many Section 8 properties within the City as possible.
Established under the leadership of Commissioners Nick Fish in 2008, the city’s 11 by 13 Preservation Campaign established a goal of preserving 11 buildings having HUD Section 8 contracts which were due to expire by the end of 2013. Under the 11 by 13 Campaign the Bureau became one of the initial collaborators with OHCS and NOAH on deploying strategies to preserve at-risk federally subsidized housing.
In August 2013 the city recognized a milestone in Oregon’s preservation initiative by celebrating the successful completion of the city’s 11 by 13 Preservation Campaign and the preservation of all 11 at risk buildings. In all, 12 of the city’s Section 8 properties with 950 units were preserved and will provide affordable homes to hundreds of Portland’s low income seniors, disabled citizens and families for the next 60 years.
Visit PHB at: http://www.portlandonline.com/phb/