By Janet Byrd
February was an eventful month at NP with much of our focus on the Oregon Legislature. We saw years of work by so many people pay off with the passage and signing of a bill to better protect Oregonians who rent their homes from housing instability.
We’re not done, though — there’s a lot still happening in Salem, and four months to go. In addition to building housing opportunity through the Housing Alliance agenda, we are working to build a stronger financial base for Oregonians with our asset building agenda.
February was also a month full of work to build financial security through the Oregon IDA Initiative. The NP staff worked closely with Oregon Housing and Community Services to review requests for funding, to look closely at data on who the Initiative is serving, and to bring the priorities and goals of the Statewide Housing Plan to the forefront of decision making.
The Oregon IDA Initiative is made up of strong partners doing amazing work in their communities. They make the most of every dollar as they work to help people clarify their financial goals and build a plan for success. The flexibility of the Initiative allows savers to identify their best next step towards financial stability, and the Initiative provides the incentive and support savers need to succeed.
Our success story map celebrates the power of IDAs. I encourage you to read and be inspired by the stories you’ll find there of what the Initiative has made possible. Whether starting young with educational or homeownership goals, or starting over after illness or job transition, IDA savers inspire us, they inspire their communities, and they help build a better Oregon.
We need your help! We can’t do this work without your engagement and your advocacy. We need you to lend your voice to tell your Legislators how these policies impact your community. Read the newsletter to learn ways you can be engaged in the work to create opportunity in Salem, and to support the work of the IDA Initiative, the Housing Alliance, and Neighborhood Partnerships. And we hope you’ll also join us at one or more of the gatherings we talk about in this newsletter – there are opportunities to join us and others in our networks for advocacy, for networking, and for learning!