Hello North/Northeast Portland community! My name is Ira Bailey, and I am a program coordinator with the Portland Housing Bureau (PHB) Neighborhood Housing Preservation Team. In my role, I work with community partners to support North/Northeast residents in achieving their homeownership and home retention aspirations. Thank you to our community partners, who work tirelessly to support housing and homeownership efforts in North/Northeast Portland, as well as the rest of the City and metro area. Without organizations such as African American Alliance for Homeownership (AAAH), Hacienda CDC, Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives (PCRI), Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA), Proud Ground, Portland Housing Center (PHC), and Habitat for Humanity partnering with PHB to help families become first-time homeowners, the stories surrounding the N/NE Housing Strategy and Preference Policy would look very different – if they existed at all.
Additionally, I want to point out that 10 years into the N/NE strategy, PHB and our partners are still working to support families that were displaced due to City action. Chief among these are the community members who have volunteered their time and energy on the N/NE Oversight Committee to ensure that, as Committee Chair Dr. Steven Holt likes to say, "promises made are promises kept" for these families, who are given opportunities for housing stability through affordable rentals or homebuying assistance via the N/NE Preference Policy.
Recently, I was presented an award for "Strides for Equity and Racial Justice" at the Housing Oregon Conference. Although this was a big honor for me for many reasons, I recognize that the work for equity and racial justice cannot be done, or undone, by a single person. To work for equity, one must believe that every human has value and every person has needs. I believe that life is like a race; that although we all start at different points on the track, we all have the potential and the right to cross the finish line. Working towards equity is not just about race or gender or age or ability or any of the many things that make us different. It's about recognizing and accepting that we are all different with different talents but still working in unity for the betterment of not just ourselves, but our fellow humans. The N/NE Neighborhood Housing Strategy was created and continues to live in that place, thanks to the many hands involved in continuing the work and maintaining its focus.
In our country, things seem to be unraveling and chaotic, but please know that PHB, the N/NE Oversight Committee, and our community partners have not lost the vision nor intention to create a solid foundation for you by helping you find a place you can call home.
I hope that as we continue through Fall, and with Winter inching closer, you are finding warmth in loved ones both near and far. We are near the end of 2025, and what a year it has been. We have seen new leadership and challenges at every level of government and in our communities. While 2025 has brought experiences that we only believed we might see on a movie screen, I am proud to be a part of a team at PHB that has maintained its focus on serving the community.
Sincerely,
Ira Bailey
Program Coordinator, Neighborhood Preservation Team
Portland Housing Bureau
News:
New Members of the N/NE Oversight Committee
PHB is pleased to welcome three new members to the North/Northeast Oversight Committee: Claudia Claudio, Lex Weaver, and Jesse Goncalvez. Learn a bit about them below, and please join us in thanking them for their service!
Claudia Claudio was born in Santa Ana, California and grew up in the St. Johns neighborhood of North Portland, where she continues to remain an active community member. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communications and Advertising from Portland State University.
For the past decade, Claudia has built her professional career in local government with the City of Portland. She currently serves as an Office Specialist with the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, supporting the city's Graffiti Program. In her role, she contributes to efforts that help maintain clean, vibrant, and welcoming public spaces.
Claudia is deeply dedicated to serving her community and brings passion, care, and a strong sense of responsibility to everything she does. Her roots in North Portland continue to shape her commitment to making a positive impact across the city.
Lex Weaver is a strategist, community engager, and Popular Education facilitator. She specializes in supporting Employee Resource Groups, leading trainings, and creating meaningful learning spaces that foster connection and growth. As a Queer Black woman, Lex brings both lived experience and strategic insight to her work. Outside of facilitation, she finds joy in poetry, time in nature, rock climbing, and the deep sense of community she shares with her friends.
Jesse Goncalves was born in North Portland in 1996. He fondly remembers playing with a diverse group of neighbors out in the streets and around Columbia Park, hanging out at just about every coffee shop in town with his stay-at-home dad and walking over to the University of Portland to visit his mom during the work day or to watch women's soccer games at night (including Megan Rapinoe, Christine Sinclair, and many other legends). He attended Cedarwood Waldorf School for K-8 and then Central Catholic for high school.
Jesse moved out of Portland from 2015 to 2021, first to study Applied Mathematics in Seattle and then to work in healthcare tech in Madison, Wisconsin. These experiences, along with his growing political consciousness and the stark differences he observed between pre- and post-pandemic Portland, motivated Jesse to dedicate his energy to healing in his hometown. He first worked at Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center upon returning to Portland, before concentrating his energy even closer to home at Central City Concern, where he currently leads the Business Intelligence team.
Aside from living in North and Northeast Portland almost his entire life, Jesse was inspired to join the Oversight Committee by his conviction that housing is a human right and that we are not separate from our houseless and housing-insecure neighbors. Nor are we separate across race, class, gender, or any other identity: our healing and liberation are completely interdependent.
Envisioning a Reconnected Albina: District Framework Open House
Join our partners at the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability for an open house on Dec. 3 to explore how streets, buildings, open spaces, and connections could function together to create a vibrant neighborhood in Lower Albina.
When: Wednesday, Dec. 3, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Where: Harriet Tubman Middle School, 2231 North Flint Avenue, Portland, OR
About the event:
Portlanders—join us for Envisioning a Reconnected Albina: District Framework Open House!
Project partners will host an open house featuring interactive stations, concept boards, and hands-on activities designed to inform the future district framework and urban design approaches for Lower Albina.
Light refreshments will be provided.
About the Reconnecting Albina Planning Project
The Reconnecting Albina Planning Project is a two-year project to create restorative urban development strategies to reconnect the physical fabric of the Lower Albina, Lloyd, and Rose Quarter areas. The project is a collaborative effort involving the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, Portland Bureau of Transportation, Prosper Portland, and Albina Vision Trust.
Neighborhood Housing Preservation Program Update
Partnering for Homeownership — How PHB and Local Agencies Support Preference Policy Homebuyers
The Portland Housing Bureau (PHB) continues to expand homeownership opportunities for residents with historic ties to North and Northeast Portland through the N/NE Preference Policy. This initiative connects eligible homebuyers with trusted local agencies that provide counseling, education, and access to down payment assistance.
These partnerships are helping families rebuild roots, achieve stability, and reclaim a sense of belonging in neighborhoods shaped by decades of displacement.
A key partner in this work is the Portland Housing Center (PHC), which helps first-time buyers become mortgage-ready through financial coaching, classes, and one-on-one support. PHC guides Preference Policy clients through every step. From improving credit to securing down payment assistance to helping families purchase homes in the neighborhoods they once called home.
PHB also works closely with other community-based partners. If you or someone you know may qualify for the N/NE Preference Policy or want to explore first-time homebuyer resources, contact one of PHB's homebuyer partners:
- Portland Housing Center (PHC)
- African American Alliance for Homeownership (AAAH)
- Hacienda CDC
- NAYA Family Center
Together, these agencies have helped more than 120 households buy homes through the Preference Policy, restoring opportunity and stability in historically displaced communities.
To learn more or start your homeownership journey, visit:
N/NE Preference Policy Rental Housing Update
Now Referring Families to Strong Empowerment Village
We are excited to share that families/households will now be referred to the Luther Strong, Jr. & Dr. Jackie Strong Empowerment Village (the Strong Building). This new apartment community is located at 4985 N Williams Avenue (corner of N Alberta St. and N. Williams Ave). The building honors the Strong family, longtime neighborhood residents, and supports the N/NE Preference Policy by prioritizing households displaced or impacted by urban renewal.
Rent and Utilities
Residents are responsible for the rent and electricity. The landlord will pay for water and trash services.
Below are the estimated rents for each unit type.
| Unit Type | Number of Units | Occupancy Standard | AMI Level | Estimated Rent* |
| One Bedroom | 3 | 1-3 people | 30% AMI | $656 |
| One Bedroom | 18 | 1-3 people | 45% AMI | $995-$1,015 |
| Two Bedroom | 5 | 2-5 people | 30% AMI | $784 |
| Two Bedroom | 27 | 2-5 people | 45% AMI | $1,195-$1,215 |
| Three Bedroom | 3 | 3-7 people | 30% AMI | $905 |
| Three Bedroom | 19 | 3-7 people | 45% AMI | $1,395-$1,415 |
*Rents are estimated and may change slightly at the time of leasing.
Income Eligibility
These apartments are not subsidized. Rents are discounted based on income, and residents must meet income requirements for the AMI level of their unit.
Exact income limits will be provided by the leasing agency during the official application process. You can review the Portland Metro Area's income limits here.
On-Site Management and Resident Support
- Guardian is the property management company for the building.
- Self Enhancement, Inc.(SEI) will provide resident services and support, with a focus on helping families earning 30% AMI or below, including Black families.
Coming Soon to Overlook Neighborhood: M. Carter Commons
M. Carter Commons is an upcoming affordable apartment building for adults 44 and older planned for North Interstate Avenue near Overlook Park. The Urban League of Portland and Northwest Housing Alternatives are working together to develop this new community.
The building is planned to include 62 affordable, accessible homes, plus one on-site managers unit. Future residents will be able to enjoy a community room, laundry facilities, on-site staff, and an outdoor courtyard.
Named after Margaret Louise Carter, Oregon's first Black woman legislator, M. Carter Commons will be located next to a light rail stop, close to medical services, and near the historic Albina District—an ideal location for senior housing that supports Preference Policy candidates, including communities of color.
Funding sources include Metro, the Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area, and Home Forward. Support from the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) will help the building include energy-efficient systems and appliances to improve comfort and help keep utility costs low once it opens.
Stay Tuned
Community information sessions will be announced soon. More details are on the way as the project moves forward.
Contact Information
Email: PHBWaitlist@portlandoregon.gov
Phone: (503) 823-4147
Preference Policy Rental Housing Opportunities
Open Buildings:
Beatrice Morrow
Charlotte B. Rutherford Place
Dr. Darrell Millner Building
Garlington Place
Magnolia II
King + Parks
Renaissance Commons
Songbird
Albina One
Paramount Apartments
Upcoming Buildings:
M. Carter Commons
Strong Family Site
Williams & Russell Project
Thank you for being part of this process. We’re excited to support you on your housing journey!
Stories of Resilience
Participating in the Community
Native to Portland, Minyana recalls visiting her grandparents' home in the Lloyd-Holladay district off of NE 18th and Brazee. It was a very large house, and they were the only people of color in the neighborhood for as long as she could remember. Those memories fueled her desire to one day have a family, and a home they could call their own.
That dream became a reality in 2024 when she re-enrolled with the Portland Housing Center (PHC) and was connected with other supportive homeownership agencies such as the African American Alliance for Homeownership (AAAH). Now a homeowner, Minyana appreciates being able to grow equity. "It's an investment. Homeownership removes the fear of increased rent, and the need to ask permission when you want to make home improvements, something I really enjoy doing."
Minyana also enjoys working in education with a focus on policy and community development. Deeply committed, she supports a variety of grassroots and public efforts to create new pathways for success and advancement for North/Northeast community residents. She recently served on the Central City TIF District Committee, a local committee responsible for overseeing the exploration and development of new Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts aimed at advancing equitable development and inclusive growth in the Central City of Portland.
"I'm very active in the community, and being able to purchase in North Portland has allowed me to participate in the community in ways that I have always wanted. I'm on many committees and many boards. I'm in those rooms. I'm present, I'm showing up, and I don't get paid for it. I'm advocating for folks to have access to grants and programs they might not otherwise be able to."
Minyana's hope is that in ten years from now, a lot will have changed and healing will have taken place, both economically and within our education systems—key areas where she lends her volunteerism.
"I show up to help bridge the gap because some folks feel like their voices don't matter, and actually their voices mean everything. When we don't show up and we're not present, we lose out on essential opportunities."
"I talk to my grandmother probably four times a day. She's 81. She was born in 1944. She's my best friend. And she shared with me that right now is a call to action. We need to bring all generations together and teach one another how to be present. My grandmother grew up in the south, and she moved here as a little girl. She witnessed many horrific experiences—sundown laws in the Laurelhurst District, a lot of segregation, and the Civil Rights movement."
Minyana's grandmother warns her that history repeats itself, so it is important to be aware and to stand up for others. Minyana models this for her three children, ages 8, 10 and 13, teaching them the importance of understanding history while working hard for a prosperous future. "Working in early childhood learning while currently pursuing my master's in policy and education, it's a big deal to them. I am also honest with them about what goes on in the world, and what it means to have integrity and hold yourself to high standards. I have those hard conversations with my kids, and walking in my purpose helps guide them."
Minyana hopes her story helps to encourage others to pursue homeownership, recognizing everybody's situation is different. "There are a lot of grandparents that are raising their grandkids and maybe they've never owned a home. Maybe they lost their home or have been displaced. Homeownership is still an option for them, and there are programs that can help."
To learn more about Minyana's path to homeownership, and the trusted organizations she worked with, watch this video:
Calendar
August 2025
- Envisioning a Reconnected Albina: District Framework Open House Wednesday, December 3rd, 5:30pm - 7pm
Harriet Tubman Middle School, 2231 North Flint Avenue, Portland, OR
Learn more or register here.
- AAAH's First Time Homebuyers Class
Saturday, December 13th, 9am - 5pm
In-person: 825 NE 20th Street, Suite 100, Portland, OR
Register here.
$20 per person. Certificate of completion awarded to participants at the end of class. Coffee, snacks, and lunch provided.
September 2025
- N/NE Oversight Committee Meeting (Hybrid)
Thursday, January 8th 6pm - 8pm
In-person: New Song Church (Community Center)
220 NE Russell St., Portland
Zoom: Register here.
- AAAH's Financial Workshop – Budgeting
Zoom: Tuesday, January 13th 12pm - 1pm
Register here.
- AAAH's First Time Homebuyers Class
Saturday, January 24th 9am - 5pm
825 NE 20th Street, Suite 100, Portland, OR
Register here.
$20 per person. Certificate of completion awarded to participants at the end of class. Coffee, snacks, and lunch provided.