The IDA Advocacy Coalition came into the 2025 legislative session with one primary goal: to fix the funding for IDAs. Providers and savers know firsthand the power of this program, and the difference it can make in the face of increasing economic instability and the rising costs that Oregonians are facing. The work to fix the funding for IDAs began over a year ago, as Neighborhood Partnerships and coalition partners worked to lay out two viable options to increase IDA revenue by $10M per year. A bi-partisan, bi-cameral coalition of legislators took up the challenge in 2025 and advanced two bills that kept IDA funding alive up until the very end of the session.
The Outcome
Unfortunately, after many months and hundreds of hours of advocacy from savers, supporters and partners, we have come to the end of the 2025 session having fallen short of our goal. The final bill that includes IDA funding was HB 2087-2, which only expands the tax credit that funds the IDA program from $7.5M to $7.7M in 2025, and to $8M in the years after.
There is no way around it: this is a devastating outcome. While it’s hard to know all the reasons why the proposed IDA funding was reduced so significantly at the last minute, the House Committee on Revenue that voted to pass HB2087-2 named that the legislature is operating in a constrained budget environment, and there is a lot of uncertainty around potential impacts of federal actions and the future of the state’s revenue.
Gratitude for Our Coalition
We are extremely grateful to the 109 savers who shared with legislators their stories of how an IDA impacted them, the 73 organizations that endorsed the IDA’s 2025 legislative goals, the 77 people that joined us in Salem to lobby for IDAs, the individuals that gave and submitted testimony in support of our bills, the coalition partners that convened across the state to rally and testify at Ways & Means ‘roadshow’ hearings, and everyone who joined the IDA advocacy coalition over the last year.
We are also grateful for our legislative champions and allies, especially Rep. Ruiz and Senator Weber, who put forward the IDA bills, along with many other legislators who continued advocating for this program to the very end of the session, including Rep. Nathanson, Rep. Hartman, Rep. Hudson, Rep. Smith, and Sen. Meek.
The Broader Impact
Our work was not only about the need to increase the revenue for the IDA program; it sent a powerful message about what it looks like when the state makes ongoing investments in the financial futures of individuals and communities that have been excluded from wealth-building opportunities.
We want to acknowledge that we did secure one administrative change earlier in the session through SB 465 – the elimination of the annual match limit. This improvement will help the IDA resource be more flexible and centered on the saver’s goals and timeline. We look forward to working with IDA Providers as we implement that change starting January 2026.
Looking Forward
Stay tuned as we plan opportunities to reflect on the experiences from 2025 and as a coalition consider how we will continue to advocate for IDAs in the future. NP will continue our work to prioritize raising the maximum amount of funds for the IDA through the 2025 tax credit. Despite the current funding challenges, we continue to be inspired by the many ways that the IDA network has and will continue to provide important support to so many communities across Oregon through the IDA and beyond, and we look forward to continuing in this work with you in the year ahead. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.