Housing Oregon partners with the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) to advance economic justice and fair access to credit, capital, and financial services for low- and moderate-income communities. Through this partnership, we help ensure Oregon’s housing and community development needs are represented in national conversations and reflected in local investments. Community benefits plans are a cornerstone of NCRC’s work to increase the flow of private capital into underserved and under-resourced communities and communities of color, and to end the racial wealth divide. The plans depend on dialogue between banks, community organizations and local reinvestment coalitions to identify local priorities and strategies to address them, which continues after a plan is established through community councils set up to advise on implementation and to monitor bank performance.
Key focus areas include:
Ongoing collaboration with NCRC to monitor banking and financial institutions’ commitments to Oregon communities.
Participation in NCRC’s national Just Economy Conference and Capitol Hill lobby visits with Oregon’s congressional delegation.
Expansion of the Oregon Latino Community Reinvestment Subcommittee, which set 2025 priorities including hosting an Oregon Latino virtual meeting to talk about expanding bank lending to Latino businesses, and increasing Latino representation in bank hiring.
NCRC Fellowship Program supporting the Oregon Reinvestment Coalition by researching special purpose credits and other funding to expand Black homeownership in N/NE Portland.
Key focus areas and Council activities include:
The City of Portland’s Housing Opportunities Initiative
Historic Resources Code Project
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Resources for Oregon
Implementation of the Metro Housing Bond and Homeless Services Measure
Transit Oriented Development
Metro-wide COVID-19 recovery issues
Advocating for housing resources and policy on behalf of our members and as part of Portland-centric coalitions, including the Welcome Home Coalition, Here Together, and Anti-Displacement PDX.
In regard to participating with the Oregon Delegation to Washington, DC, at the NCRC Conference, and advocating in the Capitol.
“The visit made a significant impact on me, both professionally and personally, and it will certainly influence the way I approach my work in the future.”
-Ramon Martinez, FHDC
