How to contact PHB, Program Directory, links to advisory groups, and more. Learn about what we do to support equitable access to affordable housing.
Due to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency the Portland Housing Bureau is temporarily suspending person-to-person customer service. Please use phone, email, fax, or post mail for all customer service needs. View additional guidance.
Welcome to the Portland Housing Bureau
Who We Are
The mission of the Portland Housing Bureau (PHB) is to solve the unmet housing needs of the people of Portland. PHB is responsible for leading housing policy for the City of Portland and administering programs to produce affordable rental housing, increase and stabilize homeowners, prevent and end homelessness, and regulate and assist landlords and tenants in the rental housing market. We are guided in our work by a vision that all Portlanders should have equitable access to affordable housing and to the opportunities that a safe, stable home can deliver.
Meet Housing Bureau Director Shannon Callahan and the PHB Management Team
Director's Bio, Quarterly Calendars, and Management Contacts
What We Do
To achieve the City’s housing goals, PHB implements programs and policies in four key areas:
- Production and Preservation: PHB finances the construction and preservation of affordable housing— through both direct financing as well as indirect subsidies, such as tax exemptions and fee waivers. PHB-funded housing is required to remain affordable at targeted incomes for up to 99 years. PHB currently regulates a portfolio of nearly 15,000 units of affordable housing throughout the city.
- Homeownership: PHB funds programs to increase homeownership for vulnerable and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, including down-payment assistance loans and homebuyer education.
- Preventing Displacement: PHB uses a variety of strategies to stabilize vulnerable renters and homeowners, especially in North/Northeast and East Portland. Strategies include supporting and implementing new tenant protections, funding legal services, and providing home repair grants and loans to help low and moderate-income homeowners retain their homes.
- Ending Homelessness: Through the Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS), PHB invests in services and programs that assist individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. These include short-term rent assistance, Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), transitional housing, and winter and emergency shelter. Together with our partners, PHB is working to achieve Portland City Council’s goal of creating 2,000 new supportive housing units by 2028.
Performance Measures
How many units? How many people served? See how PHB is measuring up to its quarterly performance targets in the PHB Data Window.
PHB Contacts and Public Records
For general questions, please contact us:
Email: phbinfo@portlandoregon.gov
Phone: 503-823-2375
For program information, view the program directory.
Media Inquiries
For all media inquiries, please contact the Public Information Manager:
Martha Calhoon
Martha.Calhoon@portlandoregon.gov | 503-823-1132
Public Records Requests
Submit requests online through the City of Portland Public Records portal. Here are the steps to make a request.
Also see these additional resources:
PHB Staff
PHB Advisory Groups and Commissions
Attend a meeting, submit public testimony, or view meeting minutes.
Portland Housing Advisory Commission (PHAC)
PHB's primary advisory body on housing policy, strategy, and resources.Portland's Housing Bond Oversight Committee (BOC)
Oversees the expenditure and program implementation of Portland's Housing Bond.Rental Services Commission (RSC)
Primary public forum for rental housing law, regulation, and renter-owner programs and services.Fair Housing Advocacy Committee (FHAC)
Advocates, develops, and reviews strategies and best practices to advance Fair Housing.North/Northeast Oversight Committee (N/NE Oversight)
Oversees the implementation of the N/NE Neighborhood Housing Strategy.
Who We Work With
Jurisdictional Partners
- City of Beaverton
- City of Gresham
- City of Portland
- Clark County Public Health
- Metro
- Multnomah County
- Oregon Housing and Community Services (State of Oregon)
- US Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD)