CCC Announces New Director Of Public Policy (Photo) - 12/07/22

Yoni Kahn brings deep bench strength in health care and housing  

December 7, 2022, Portland, OR – Central City Concern (CCC) is excited to announce its new Director of Public Policy, Yoni Kahn. Yoni will assume his new role on January 3, 2023.   

Kahn comes to CCC most recently from Health Share of Oregon where he served as the Director of Public Policy and Communications. Health Share of Oregon serves 400,000+ Oregon Health Plan (OHP) members in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties and is the state’s largest Coordinated Care Organization. In this role, Kahn led Health Share’s health equity efforts to reduce racial disparities on behalf of Health Share’s members; expanded the ability of the OHP to cover homelessness prevention in supportive housing; and partnered with policymakers, health systems, providers and community members on several key issues confronting OHP members during the pandemic, including wildfire evacuation, housing insecurity, tenant protections and access to behavioral health services. He also brings a deep background in legislative policy work, having focused on eviction prevention, working with individuals aging out of foster care and those transitioning from the criminal justice system.  

As an attorney with the Fair Housing Council of Oregon, Kahn provided counsel to clients in the area of Landlord-Tenant and Fair Housing Law throughout the state. Additionally, he brings a deep background from the Oregon legislature and the United States House of Representatives, having served as Congressional Advisor to U.S. Congressman Eliot L. Engel (New York, District 16 113^th – 116^th) where he developed solutions to local issues pertaining to Section 8 Housing benefits and worked to preserve Medicaid funding to New York City hospitals as the Affordable Care Act was being developed and implemented.  

“Joining CCC is a dream come true,” says CCC’s new Director of Public Policy Yoni Kahn. “I am excited to be part of such an amazing organization, which has a robust history of elevating the voices of clients with lived experience alongside the incredible staff who serve our communities in many wonderful ways. It is an honor to work with the talented CCC team to promote equitable system transformation in health, housing and employment while prioritizing the needs of the human beings we serve."  

“We’re thrilled to have Yoni join the CCC team.” says Sean Hubert, CCC’s Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer. "We’re facing a public health crisis in terms of the homeless situation in Portland and in Oregon. Our region is navigating the same long-term versus temporary solutions debate that’s dominant up and down many west coast cities. Yoni’s depth and breadth of experience is exactly what we need to support our policymakers in making the right choices for our communities.”  

About CCC     

Located in Portland, Oregon, Central City Concern (CCC) provides a comprehensive continuum of affordable housing options integrated with direct social services including health care, recovery and employment. Founded in 1979, CCC has a staff of over 1,000 and an annual operating budget of $100 million. CCC serves more than 13,000 individuals annually. Up to 12,000 people across the tri-county region are affected annually by homelessness.