Hello, North/Northeast Portland community! My name is Helmi A. Hisserich, and I joined the Portland Housing Bureau (PHB) as director a little over a year ago. Before I came to Portland, I worked in the City of Los Angeles for 25 years, another city where entire communities were torn apart through eminent domain to make way for freeways, light rail, stadiums, and hotels. And, just as in Portland, after major public investments were made, rents and home prices skyrocketed, pushing out low-income tenants out of their communities.
I have often heard people pledge to do better in the future, but rarely have I seen that pledge fulfilled. That is why I was so impressed by Portland’s N/NE Housing Strategy and the preference policy. I had never seen a city that worked in such a focused way to bring people back to a community they had been displaced from until I arrived here.
The North/Northeast Housing Strategy is not a pledge to do better or lip service; it is a concrete action. It has been a steady commitment over a decade to direct human and financial resources and community support to North/Northeast Portland.
Importantly, this work has been led by people who come from the North/Northeast community, and I would like to acknowledge them for their accomplishments. First, Leslie Goodlow, the Executive Manager of Operations and Equity at PHB. Leslie has been a steady, guiding hand from the City who has maintained our team’s focus on the North/Northeast Housing Strategy. I also want to thank Dr. Steven Holt, who has volunteered thousands of hours over the last decade as Chair of the N/NE Oversight Committee. Dr. Holt has managed meetings in full transparency, discussing complex topics and often facilitating difficult conversations. I would be remiss to not also mention the hard work of the teams at PHB who implement the home ownership programs, the home repair programs, the multifamily finance and development programs, the North/Northeast Preference Policy, and the administrative team—who show up at the Oversight Committee meetings in Northeast Portland to create space for community dialogue and the sharing of vital housing program information and updates—has been outstanding. I take no credit for this work; it started long before I came to Portland. Rather, I am learning from those who have committed themselves to years to purposeful community leadership and hoping to take those lessons into our work in communities throughout the city of Portland.
Portland should be proud of the North/Northeast Housing Strategy, which has received national recognition, and is truly a unique and profoundly important body of work that few places with similar circumstances have figured out how to implement. I feel privileged to be able to attend the monthly meetings, which are open to the public, and to hear the conversations taking place. It is a real example of what we can achieve when leadership begins with love of Portland, love of community, and an unwavering belief that we can change the course of history.
Sincerely,
Helmi A. Hisserich
Director
Portland Housing Bureau
News:
N/NE Housing Strategy Report to Council
On Tuesday, June 24th, the North/Northeast Oversight Committee and the Portland Housing Bureau (PHB) presented the 2024 North/Northeast Neighborhood Strategy Report to the Portland City Council’s Homelessness & Housing Committee.
A PHB initiative to address a legacy of displacement in North and Northeast Portland, the N/NE Neighborhood Housing Strategy began in 2014 as a community-led effort, which resulted in a $20 million housing plan. Today, the investment has grown to $135 million.
This year’s report highlights the significant achievements of the Strategy, including:
- 563 affordable rental units completed
- 42 affordable homeownership units completed
- 231 affordable rental units in development
- 78 affordable homeownership units in development
- 127 new homeowners
- 1,109 home repair grants and 180 home repair loans
Dr. Steven Holt, chair of the N/NE Oversight Committee, shared his perspective in the meeting:, “When we talk about today’s work, we are not simply talking about building structures. We are talking about repairing harm. We are talking about restoring a rightful place in a city where Black Portlanders have always contributed, even while being denied full inclusion.”
Three additional members of the N/NE Oversight Committee participating in the presentation are pictured below.
Read more about the presentation.
PPS Early Learner Pre-K Openings
There are still preschool spots open across 14 PPS Early Learners sites in Portland.
Program Highlights:
- Free, full-day preschool (6.25 hours) for children ages 3–5
- Licensed teachers in every classroom
- Wraparound support for health, nutrition, and family goals
- Culturally responsive and bilingual staff
How You Can Help:
- Share the flyer or website: pps.net/prek
Help families apply or connect them to the Enrollment Team. You can reach out directly to:
Rhiannon Martin
Enrollment Program Manager
rhmartin@pps.net or call 971-706-1806
Invite them to present or table at your events, they will come to you!
Neighborhood Housing Preservation Program Update
In 2022, John Trinh (below right) joined PHB as the manager of our Neighborhood Housing Preservation (NHP) program, stating: “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."
Three years later, John is back to share an update with the N/NE Community.
It’s hard to believe it’s already been three years since I joined the Portland Housing Bureau. Looking back, I’m incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made and energized by the work that still lies ahead.
Over the past three years, I’ve focused on bringing in additional funding to expand opportunities for Portlanders, particularly in areas where the City historically underinvested in those communities. We’ve increased Down Payment Assistance Loan (DPAL) funding within the Interstate Corridor, enabling more families to access homeownership in neighborhoods where they’ve long had roots.
We also strengthened the N/NE Neighborhood Housing Strategy, growing our NHP team to meet increasing community needs. Thanks to this expanded capacity and ongoing commitment, Preference Policy homeownership has increased from 104 to 119 subsidized home purchases, supporting families displaced by urban renewal and helping them return home.
A recent milestone we’re excited to share is our new funding award dedicated to serving veterans.
While there’s still much to do, my passion for housing and our community remains stronger than ever. I believe deeply in the power of connection, staying rooted in community, being a voice for change, and making resources and opportunities accessible to all.
Together, we can continue to create a city where every Portlander has a place to call home and where belonging and purpose are part of the foundation we build.
Home Repair Grant data from January 2025 to June 2025
72 projects completed
37 at 0 – 30% AMI
26 at 51 –60% AMI
8 at 51 –80% AMI
By Race and Ethnicity:
Black –49
White– 21
American Indian/Alaskan Native – 1
To read more about the successes of NHP’s Home Repair program, click the link below:
Reflection from the City’s Partners in Home Repair Event
N/NE Preference Policy Rental Housing Update
Albina One Opens its Doors: What You Need to Know
Exciting news! Albina One has officially opened—a major milestone in bringing 94 new affordable homes to the heart of the historic Albina community, with 75 units subject to the N/NE Preference Policy. With folks already moving in, Albina Vision Trust and Quantum Residential are honored to welcome residents to this vibrant new community rooted in the history and resilience of the community of North and Northeast Portland.
Coming Soon to Overlook Neighborhood: M. Carter Commons Brings New Affordable Housing to Seniors
M. Carter Commons, a new affordable housing development currently under construction, will offer 62 apartment homes designed specifically to support seniors. Named in honor of Senator Margaret Carter—Oregon’s first Black woman state legislator—this development is a tribute to her enduring legacy of leadership and service.
M. Carter Commons is being developed in partnership by the Urban League of Portland and Northwest Housing Alternatives. The building will include:
- Fifty-one units prioritized for seniors on the N/NE Preference Policy waitlist, supporting those displaced or impacted by urban renewal in North and Northeast Portland.
- Ten Project-Based Section 8 units, providing deep affordability for low-income residents.
- ADA-accessible apartments, an energy-efficient design and resident friendly amenities like a community room, onsite laundry, and a protected outdoor courtyard.
Located across from a Kaiser Permanente medical campus, next to a frequent-service MAX station and Overlook Park, and just on the edge of the historic Albina District, M. Carter Commons offers both comfort and convenience.
Completion is expected in the fall of 2026.
Stay tuned for updates on leasing opportunities and community engagement events—we’ll be sharing more in upcoming newsletters and on our website!
Waitlist Improvements Are on the Way!
We’re actively working to make the N/NE Preference Policy waitlist process more efficient, transparent, and user-friendly. These improvements are part of our ongoing commitment to better serve displaced families and housing partners. In May 2025, the Preference Policy team met with the N/NE Oversight Committee and housing partners to discuss proposed changes. You can find a recording of the May meeting here.
What’s Next?
More details will be shared in the coming months as we finalize changes and prepare for a rollout by Summer/Fall 2025. To start, we will be collecting building and bedroom preferences from families on the waiting list, starting with the 6-point cohort.
Stay tuned—your experience with the waitlist is about to get better.
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
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
The House Her Father Built
Ms. Pamela Marquitta Jelks, daughter of Napoleon Jelks (pictured below), grew up in a two-bedroom house in the 1960s at 727 N. Cook Street. The house, the street, and the neighborhood are no longer there due to eminent domain, she said. “The City gave us some money and said you gotta leave.” Pam was 11 years old.
She recalls the neighborhood being vibrant with plenty of fun things to do in her community. Not only that, but both her mom and dad had a large group of friends. Her father was a 33rd Degree Mason, and her mother was a member of the Eastern Stars.
“We had everything, there was a movie theatre where PCC Cascade is now, a drive-in dairy where they sold milk in glass jars on Williams Ave, and of course the Wonder bread bakery on Williams and Fremont that became Franz bakery.” Another memory Pam has is being nine years old and her mother sending her to the corner store on Mississippi Ave. with coins wrapped in a piece of paper asking the clerk to sell her a pack of Winston cigarettes. Pam chuckled at the thought.
What she remembers most, however, is the feeling of living in a self-sustaining place with a sense of safety and community resulting from the shops that lined the streets, many of which were Black-owned. “This was before Emmanuel did the big land grabbing—and they never did anything with that land,” she said.
Pam is unsure if her parents received enough money from the City for them to purchase a different home, but she remembered that they moved into a rented duplex, likely due to redlining and difficulty securing a loan. Eventually, her dad purchased some land in North Portland and built a shed on it with bricks that someone had given to him. It took years before he, with the help of his friends, built an actual home that the family could move into.
After high school Pam went to college on the East Coast and returned to Portland to care for her parents. After her mom passed and her dad had a stroke, she moved into the home to care for her dad until he passed away. At that point, the still incomplete house was in bad shape, and she could not afford to pay for many of the repairs that were needed.
Then, “In 2024 everything died on me. I had just retired and was receiving disability assistance due to kidney failure when the furnace stopped working. I had no heat or hot water, and it was so cold I started wearing all of my clothes to stay warm. My space heater was dying on me and eventually it caused an electrical fire. 211 helped get me into a women’s shelter in Gresham. With the house needing so many repairs I wasn’t sure I would be able to live in my home again—a home my father built in 1968 after being pushed out of Albina.”
Pam found out from the Portland Water Bureau (PWB) that she had a water leak. She also received a $6,000 water bill. PWB connected Pam with the Hot Water Leak Repair Program, which helped Pam get a new water tank and referred her to the Portland Housing Bureau (PHB) for additional assistance. Through PHB and PWB support, alongside other organizations like Community Energy Project, Rebuilding Together, Mt. Hood Restoration and Construction, Verde NW and Save a Tree, Pam was able to repair and replace flooring, paint, and amenities throughout the home—including the water heater, furnace, roof, kitchen cabinetry and appliances, garage doors, steps and rails, interior knobs and doors, insulation, a new electric panel and service, and the removal of unwanted trees and shrubs. Pam is overjoyed that her home is now finished, safe, and easy for her to move around with her walker.
“The folks at PHB and the Portland Water Bureau were like Superman. They came to the rescue, connecting me with so many non-profit agencies. I am so grateful!”
Calendar
August 2025
- SEI Homecoming Festival
Saturday, August 9th 1pm - 7pm
Unthank Park 3920 N Kerby Ave, Portland - AAAH Estate Planning – Free Webinar
Tuesday, August 12th 6pm - 7pm
Register here - AAAH Estate Planning – Free Webinar
Saturday, September 9th 6pm - 7pm
Register here - N/NE Oversight Committee Meeting (Hybrid)
Thursday, September 11th 6pm - 8pm
In-person: New Song Church (Community Center)
220 NE Russell St., Portland Zoom:
Register here
September 2025
- AAAH Estate Planning – Free Webinar
Saturday, September 9th 6pm - 7pm
Register here - N/NE Oversight Committee Meeting (Hybrid)
Thursday, September 11th 6pm - 8pm
In-person: New Song Church (Community Center)
220 NE Russell St., Portland Zoom:
Register here