September 2022 Newsletter

Newsletter
mural with faces
September updates from the N/NE Neighborhood Housing Strategy. N/NE Oversight is recruiting! Next meeting Sept 8, in-person and virtual. Meet the new Neighborhood Housing Preservation Manager. Program updates, spotlight stories, and resources.
Published
Updated

Welcome Message from Matthew Tschabold, PHB Interim Deputy Director

Headshot of Matthew Tschabold, Interim Deputy Director of the Portland Housing Bureau.

The N/NE Preference Policy was developed in 2015 to prioritize those community members harmed by the legacy of urban renewal in North/Northeast Portland for affordable housing opportunities. I’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the team here at PHB, who work to implement this first-of-its kind policy for the N/NE community, along with our partners.  

The N/NE Preference Policy staff supports the community by processing thousands of applications, maintaining and updating the list of applicants, providing outreach and customer support to the community, and much more. This is no small task, and we are very grateful to the Preference Policy team for their hard work and dedication.

We are also excited to introduce the newest member of our team, Sheriah Foster:

"Greetings! My name is Sheriah and I use she/her pronouns. I am a Portland native with a solid background in various State and County services/departments. I am coming from Multnomah County where I was a Senior Office Assistant advocating and promoting health care for the Student Health Centers. I will definitely be leveraging my experience here as an Assistant Housing Program Specialist. Outside of work I like to collect sneakers, spend time with my dog, shop, repair cars, house repairs, cooking, tandem skydives, attend music festivals/concerts and try local restaurants (all food welcome). I am really excited to be working with you all and I am looking forward to assisting the community with achieving housing stability."

Sheriah joins a dedicated team that includes Dyvisha Gordon and Ramone Payton. She will make an invaluable addition to the team as we prepare to open several new Preference Policy buildings next year. We look forward to providing more updates as this process moves forward.

“Where there is no vision, there is no hope.”
—George Washington Carver


News

Join the N/NE Oversight Committee!

Speakers provide public testimony

Do you have lived experience in N/NE Portland? Are you passionate about restorative justice and housing equity? Are you interested in influencing housing policies, strategies, and resources?

The Portland Housing Bureau is now accepting applications for the N/NE Oversight Committee. The committee oversees implementation of the N/NE Neighborhood Housing Strategy and reports annually to City Council. Members commit to meeting every other month for renewable terms of two years. No experience is needed; we will provide training.

Apply now

Applications are due by October 2, 2022. For more information, please contact:

Leslie Goodlow
Leslie.goodlow@portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-4160


The N/NE Oversight Committee Returns to In-Person Meetings

In-person audience views a presentation by Dr. Holt and PHB staff

The September 8 meeting of the N/NE Oversight Committee will be held in-person for the first time since the pandemic. We have missed seeing you and we're excited to gather in person once again. Please join us at:

New Song Church Community Center
220 NE Russell Street
Thursday, September 8
6:00pm - 8:00pm (note updated start time)

Register to attend

Food and beverages will be provided. Meeting details

For anyone still feeling cautious about gathering or unable to attend in person, you can still join us remotely via Zoom.


Program Updates

Meet New Neighborhood Housing Preservation Manager, John Trinh

Neighborhood Housing Preservation Manager John Trinh

John Trinh has joined PHB as the manager of our homeownership programs. 

"I am honored and excited to be part of the PHB team.  I immigrated to the US in 1975 from Vietnam - but consider myself a native Portlander. Affordable housing, homeownership and preservation have been a passion in my life. Growing up in North Portland and seeing the opportunities and changes that the bureau envisions has been revitalizing. I look forward to working with the community and the bureau to continue this work to meet our mission." 

The N/NE Neighborhood Housing Strategy has a goal of creating 110 new homeowners by the end of 2022 through down payment assistance loans and the development of new affordable homes for N/NE Portland families who were displaced, are at risk of displacement, or the descendants of families displaced due to urban renewal. So far, 105 families have become first-time homeowners with support from the N/NE Housing Strategy—89% of these are Black/African American. Not only is PHB is on track to reach its goal by this year, but another 14 families have been able to access homebuying opportunities through the Preference Policy without requiring financial assistance specifically allocated for the Preference Policy program.


Home Repair Grants: January - June 30

Ms. Miranda Monroe recently shared her experience repairing her grandparents home:

36 Projects Completed

  • 34 at 0 - 60% Area Median Income (AMI)
  • 2 at 61 - 80% AMI

By Race and Ethnicity

  • Black: 15
  • White: 5
  • American Indian/Alaskan Native: 1
  • Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 1
  • Asian: 1
  • Other: 13 

Ms. Miranda Monroe (in photo) recently shared her experience repairing her grandparents home:

“That experience was a blessing… it helped a lot for a team to come together and volunteer to help me clear out my house. I felt grateful just to know that there were people that were willing to take time out of their lives to help me get things from four stories of a house—from the attic to the basement, including all sorts of things from the 1950’s onward.” 

Read Miranda's story


Asset Preservation Program: Jan - June 30

a home in Portland

N/NE Preference Policy Rental Update

5020 N Interstate opening winter 2024

We are currently accepting Preference Policy rental applications on a rolling basis. There is no closing date. If you applied for N/NE rental housing opportunities before 2021, you will need to submit another application to be considered for these rental housing opportunities. Applicants on the current waitlist are transferred to the housing provider when their name reaches the top of the waitlist.

As of August 11, 2022

  • Total number of applicants on the waitlist: 1,082
  • Number of vacancies in preference policy buildings: 48

The N/NE Preference Policy was developed as part of the Portland Housing Bureau’s N/NE Neighborhood Housing Strategy, to prioritize those community members most impacted by the harmful legacy of urban renewal in N/NE Portland for affordable housing opportunities. 

Current Vacancies

New Buildings in Development

Every month, the team will review applicants that have been on the waitlist for 12 months or longer to confirm their active status. This means that applicants will receive an email, a phone call, and/or a letter asking them to confirm their interest in remaining on the waitlist.


Partner Spotlight

Shalonda Menefee - Portland Housing Center

Shalonda Menefee - Portland Housing Center

When your grandparents lived in Vanport, and purchased a home and a church in the Albina area, where you were born and raised, your roots in Black Portland run deep.

North/Northeast Portland would always be home to Shalonda. After moving to Milwaukie, OR for middle school and being crowned Rose Festival Princess representing Marshall High School in '92, she returned to the North/Northeast community and got involved in community advocacy. The community was struggling after years of blight and disinvestment, followed by unfair reinvestment and lending practices that resulted in gentrification. For years, Shalonda sat on boards and participated in community meetings to discuss the ever-increasing problems. “It was stressful. A lot of people were angry. I was articulating what was needed and felt I was not being listened to,” she shared.

“What I realized is our community lacked education regarding wealth building, and awareness of these destructive practices. Also, our elders had purchased their homes for twenty or thirty thousand dollars, they worked really hard, but the newer generation was unable to hold onto the homes for various reasons. There were all of these governmental plans promising assistance—yet none of them spoke to the other, addressed how one dynamic affected another, or considered the impact they would have on the N/NE community.” 

Shalonda began working for the PCRI/MHAC Collaborative on foreclosure prevention and found fulfillment in helping elders keep and repair their homes. She discovered the biggest barrier to assisting the community was trust, so she went to work building relationships. “In Portland, we have been lied to over and over. I let my clients know I am here to help them, not to judge them. Serving as a conduit between City-sponsored programs and the community means getting people the information they need. This is now my life’s work.”

Shalonda joined the Portland Housing Center in 2015 where she currently works as the PHC Program Manager of the Preference Policy, guiding her clients through the process of buying their first home. Many are able to return to or remain in their N/NE neighborhoods. She praises data-driven processes, like the Preference Policy, stating these are necessary for affecting change.

Despite all the harm that gentrification has brought to the N/NE community, it is where Shalonda plans to continue nurturing her family and enjoying her grandchildren. In fact, this past year, she achieved her own lifelong goal of becoming a first-time homeowner in N/NE Portland as well, describing her new home in the community where we was raised as “perfect.” To that we say, congratulations and well done, Shalonda! 


Resources

Eviction Defense

The Portland Housing Bureau has contracted with Oregon Law Center, Metropolitan Public Defenders, and Portland Community College to provide free legal services to low-income renters facing eviction. Renters who receive a termination notice or a summons for an eviction court case should call the Eviction Defense Project at 888-585-9638 or email evictiondefense@oregonlawcenter.org to seek these free services.

Renters who need help paying their rent should call 2-1-1 to see if rental assistance is available (even if they’ve already applied elsewhere). For more information, visit: multco.us/rentrelief


Calendar

SEPTEMBER 2022

The Community Pulse Series 
Saturday, September 3, 2022, from 9am – 2pm
Free community engagement event - hands on workshops and more!  
5325 N Williams Ave, Portland, OR
Learn more

N/NE Oversight Committee Meeting
Thursday, September 8, 2022, from 5:15pm – 7:30pm
In person and on Zoom: New Song Church Community Center, 220 NE Russell St, Portland, OR 97212
An agenda and meeting materials will be posted online here.
Register to attend

Proud Ground - Financial Beginnings Workshop Series: Goals & Tools
Wednesday, September 14, 2022 from 6pm – 7pm
Register or learn more

Proud Ground - Financial Beginnings Serie de Talleres: Objetivos y Herramientas
Thursday, September 15, 2022 from 6pm – 7pm
Register or learn more

OCTOBER 2022

African American Aliance for Homeownership 2022 Day of Service
Saturday, October 8, 2022 from 10am
Repair, Rebuild, and Restoring Properties for Black Homeownership
Learn more