Happy 2018!
We at NP are excited to start off a new year grounded in our vision for Oregon. We believe in an Oregon where every person, every family, every community can prosper, and we believe that together we have the tools to make that happen. Together, we can open doors to opportunity that may have been closed or blocked, and we can invest in ourselves and our neighbors to help everyone reach their potential.
We’re not pretending this will be easy. We see the many challenges that face us here in Oregon and across the US, and we’ve been reminded of those challenges in many recent reports. We’ve read chilling accounts of the deaths of our neighbors on Portland streets, reports that almost one in five of Oregon children live in poverty, we’ve seen the picture of extreme income inequality and poverty documented across the US by the UN special report on human rights, and we hear daily of the growing lack of affordable homes driven by high costs and too few vacancies.
It won’t be easy, but we know what to do! And we’ve got a full and exciting year of work planned to help us get closer to our vision. We plan to:
• Increase the availability of safe, decent, and affordable homes so that our neighbors can bring their best selves to school, to work, and to our community life. In 2018, we can increase the document recording fee to help move this work forward.
• Build towards more stable homes – through homeownership opportunities and tenant protections. Stay tuned to Housing Alliance plans for 2019!
• Build the wealth of communities who have been historically left behind – wealth builds stability and better hopes for the future. The lessons learned through the Oregon Individual Development Account (IDA) Initiative and the Prosperity Now State Policy Blueprint will help guide our path.
• Build support for our vision through strategic communications, built on best practice and ongoing research. The Advocates College will be back in the Fall, and we will offer other opportunities to learn and brush up on your communications skills. In January, we’ll share the IDA Evaluation and our look at housing needs across all Oregon counties to help you tell a better story.
We look forward to our work together in 2018. We know we’ll be inspired by your energy, your creativity, and your leadership, and we hope to inspire you and offer opportunities at which we can all learn from one another. Mark your calendar now for these events, and stay tuned as we add more soon:
• February 15th, Housing Opportunity Day in Salem, sign up here.
• March 22nd, Asset Builders Unite event in Portland, location TBA. Join your fellow asset builders, allies, and partners for networking, learning, and fun!
• October 23rd and 24th, you’ll want to join us for our RE:Conference in Salem. Come join us to get grounded in advocacy skill and strategy, dive deep into best practice and new ideas, be inspired by the incredible people you all are, and celebrate our accomplishments.