On April 30th, the Oregon Housing Alliance, Housing Oregon, and Residents Organizing for Change collaborated on our annual Housing Opportunity Day. Collectively, we brought together over 127 people, representing 94 different community organizations, resident groups, and municipalities in Salem to talk to lawmakers about their personal experiences.
For some, this was their first time visiting the Capitol, much less meeting with their representatives. For others, they squeezed in testimony before committees between their small group meetings with lawmakers.
(Photo courtesy of Nicole Stingh of Washington County, meeting with Rep. April Dobson)
Over the day, our housing advocates met with 64 members of the Oregon House and Senate. They shared stories of how state funding and policy have shaped their lives or those of community members they have worked with.
Our advocacy focused on three priority areas:
Homelessness Prevention & Emergency Response
- Emergency Rent Assistance: $109.7M
- Addresses over 2,000 monthly eviction filings—now one-third higher than pre-pandemic levels
- Provides immediate stability for families facing unexpected hardships
- Funds go directly to landlords through trusted community organizations
- Homelessness Prevention Services: $63.5M
- Maintains critical housing navigation, landlord-tenant education, and legal services
- Works hand-in-hand with rent assistance to keep Oregonians housed
- Prevents the trauma of homelessness before it begins
Preserving Our Housing Infrastructure
- Affordable Rental Housing Preservation: $260M
- Protects thousands of affordable homes from converting to market-rate
- Prevents displacement of fixed-income seniors, people with disabilities, and families
- Costs 50-90% less than building new affordable homes
- Manufactured Housing Park Preservation: $25M
- Stabilizes communities, as an average of 32 parks are sold yearly
- Preserves this critical affordable housing option in our communities
Creating Pathways to Homeownership
- Down Payment Assistance: $30M
- Opens doors for approximately 750 first-time and first-generation homebuyers
- Addresses the wealth gap that keeps homeownership out of reach
- Provides stability for cost-burdened renters paying more than the mortgage payments would cost
If this is an agenda that you can get behind as well, we’ve got an action you can take today to support our advocacy work and join in solidarity with all our members who have been working hard throughout the session.
We’re all waiting with bated breath for the final revenue forecast and the difficult decisions that will be made about where to appropriate and spend available funds. Keep an eye peeled for additional action alerts that we’ll be sending out through the remainder of the legislative session.
Together, we will keep working to ensure that our state is one where everyone has access to safe, affordable housing.