Oregon Housing and Community Services

Emergency Messages as of 9:51 PM, Tue. Jul 29

No information currently posted.

Subscribe to receive FlashAlert messages from Oregon Housing and Community Services.

Manage my existing Subscription

News Release

Oregon Housing And Community Services And Neighborhood Partnerships Announce Over $6.5 Million In Funding For Individual Development Accounts -07/24/25

SALEM, Ore. — Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) and Neighborhood Partnerships (NP) award $6.62 million to help families and individuals save and build assets. The funding was granted to 11 organizations in support the Individual Development Account (IDA) Initiative. 

 

“The IDA program helps increase economic mobility and asset building and helps people improve their financial independence,” said OHCS Executive Director Andrea Bell. “One of the things we all have in common is that we want to take care of ourselves and our families. This initiative is one of the ways OHCS and partners help make this possible. Regardless of the different ways the IDA program is used across Oregon, it is anchored in making everyday life better for people on their own terms.”    

 

IDAs are an economic empowerment tool that support people in reaching financial goals by matching their savings up to 5-to-1 and connecting them with community-based education and support. A statewide network of more than 60 IDA providers reaches rural and urban communities. 

 

“The organizations that administer IDAs are doing amazing work across the state,” said Luke Bonham, IDA program manager at Neighborhood Partnerships. “They come alongside to support Oregonians as they make what is often the biggest financial decision of their lives.”  

 

IDAs combine financial education, matching cash with savings, and personalized support to achieve financial goals such as homeownership, small business development, and post-secondary education. These modest investments bring a host of benefits to Oregon households, including a safety net in the event of financial emergencies, confidence to plan for the future, and a pathway to economic mobility. 

 

“Access to resources can be extremely limited in rural Oregon—but the IDA program is a game-changer,” said Donna Lindsey of Klamath Housing Authority – HomePath Program. “It equips individuals with vital financial education, empowers them to build assets, and supports their journey toward financial independence and long-term stability." 

 

Since its launch 25 years ago, the Oregon IDA Initiative has reached more than 19,000 Oregon households across the state. 

 

"The IDA program has infused hope into our rural tribal community, and Warm Springs Community Action Team gets to help guide the community toward a resilient financial future,” said Gordon Scott, IDA Asset Building Program Manager at Warm Springs Community Action Team. 

 

Carl Thomas, executive director of Project Youth Plus in Grants Pass, added: "The Oregon IDA Initiative is an important aspect of how we offer our at-risk youth in our small communities a hand up." 

 

Support for the IDA Initiative comes through the Oregon IDA Tax Credit. Donors to the Oregon IDA Initiative can receive a majority of their donations back as an Oregon State Tax Credit and the remaining amount as a Federal Charitable Deduction. Learn more about the Oregon IDA Initiative.  

 

About Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) 

OHCS is Oregon's housing finance agency. The state agency provides financial and program support to create and preserve opportunities for quality, affordable housing for Oregonians of low and moderate income. OHCS administers programs that provide housing stabilization. OHCS delivers these programs primarily through grants, contracts, and loan agreements with local partners and community-based providers. For more information, please visit: oregon.gov/ohcs. 

 

About Neighborhood Partnerships 

Neighborhood Partnerships (NP), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that administers the Oregon IDA Initiative, and functions as the chassis of a statewide vehicle for change in Oregon. For 35 years, we've brought together diverse coalitions to work towards an equitable economy that meets everyone's basic needs. Rather than provide direct services, we convene key stakeholders—from grassroots organizers to state officials—to develop policy solutions that address inequity and injustice in our economic systems. Learn more at https://neighborhoodpartnerships.org/ 

Oregon Legislature Approves Major Housing Investments For 2025-27 Biennium (Photo) -07/17/25

OHCS-funded homes for seniors in Madras.

SALEM, Ore. — The 2025 Oregon Legislative Session concluded on June 27, delivering significant investments in the state’s housing and homelessness efforts. Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) is grateful for key legislation passed that will bring much-needed relief to families experiencing housing instability across Oregon.

“These investments are the result of collective effort, and each brings us closer to a future where every Oregonian has access to stable housing,” said OHCS Executive Director Andrea Bell. “While we acknowledge there’s more work ahead, we are energized by what’s been achieved and deeply grateful to our lawmakers, community partners, and advocates who made it possible.”

Highlights from the 2025-27 agency budget and key legislation include:

  • $204.9 million to sustain homeless and emergency shelters, helping communities across Oregon meet the immediate needs of people living unsheltered.
  • $100.9 million for the Local Innovation and Fast Track (LIFT) Homeownership program, which supports the development of affordable homes for families with low to moderate incomes.
  • $10 million to support the housing priorities of Oregon’s nine federally recognized Native American Tribes, affirming the state’s commitment to tribal partnership and housing justice.
  • $24 million for the Senior Housing Initiative through House Bill 3589, a targeted investment in preventing and reducing homelessness among Oregon’s aging population.
  • House Bill 2698, which establishes a statewide homeownership goal, providing a clear benchmark for increasing access to homeownership for all Oregonians.
  • House Bill 3792, which increases funding for low-income energy bill assistance by raising the cap from $20 million to $40 million, a move that will allow OHCS to serve more households in need of relief from rising utility costs.

The Housing Stability Council, OHCS’ advisory body that guides and advocates for the agency’s work, reflected on the investments approved by the Legislature: “At a time when housing needs are outpacing available resources, state-level leadership and investment are more critical than ever. Amid rising everyday costs, aging infrastructure, and increasing rates of people experiencing homelessness, the need to invest in shelter and housing for all—including seniors and Tribal communities—is urgent and undeniable. These housing investments reflect our shared commitment and responsibility to advancing access to safe, stable, and dignified housing for everyone in Oregon—regardless of age, background, or circumstances.”

As OHCS moves forward with program implementation, the agency will continue to work with the Housing Stability Council, legislative leaders, local partners, and community members to close remaining gaps and ensure every Oregonian has a place to call home.

For more information and a full list of OHCS’ legislatively approved bills and investments, visit the agency's website.

About Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS)

OHCS is Oregon's housing finance agency. The state agency provides financial and program support to create and preserve opportunities for quality, affordable housing for Oregonians of low and moderate income. OHCS administers programs that provide housing stabilization. OHCS delivers these programs primarily through grants, contracts, and loan agreements with local partners and community-based providers. For more information, please visit: oregon.gov/ohcs.

Attached Media Files: OHCS-funded homes for seniors in Madras.,

Almost 2,800 Affordable Homes Funded As Oregon Housing And Community Services Marks The First Year Of The Oregon Centralized Application Process (Photo) -07/15/25

ORCA adds more than 15,000 affordable homes in the pipeline since its roll out

SALEM, Ore. – Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) is one of the first housing finance agencies in the country to offer a non-competitive funding process after launching the Oregon Centralized Application (ORCA) a year ago. The affordable housing funding process is an always-open system that accepts applications on a rolling basis. This modern structure enables an ongoing evaluation of projects, allowing those that are ready to move forward without waiting for the next funding opportunity. 

 

Over the past year, 91 affordable housing projects submitted applications—with 42 receiving funding approvals from the Housing Stability Council, totaling 2,797 urgently needed homes.

One of the benefits of the ORCA it that it allows OHCS to track how many affordable housing developments are seeking funding. Currently, more than 15,000 rental homes are in the development pipeline across the state. These homes could potentially get funded and built if OHCS has available resources. 

 

“Being satisfied with the status quo is not enough to address Oregon’s housing needs. Rather than relying on outdated ways of doing business grounded in the past, partners and OHCS came together —under Governor Kotek’s leadership —to build something new and better on different terms,” said OHCS Executive Director Andrea Bell. “This new approach is not for the sake of innovation itself, but a means to deliver outcomes that make everyday life better for the people of Oregon.” 

 

The ORCA process was created to eliminate unnecessary barriers and support developers earlier. By finalizing funding after core due diligence is completed, OHCS ensures that projects are more resilient to setbacks and better positioned to break ground quickly. 

 

Developers like Jessy Ledesma of HomeWork Development and Anna Mackay of Sister City—the team behind Portland’s Shortstack Belmont project—say ORCA has made a real difference. The two women, who are developing apartments for moderate-income households, credit the ORCA process for helping them stay on track and access crucial LIFT funding. 

 

“As developers who’ve worked through years of OHCS funding cycles, we really appreciated the updated ORCA process,” Ledesma and Mackay shared. “It’s clear, flexible, and helped us stay on track. We appreciate how we can move projects forward more organically. OHCS staff were super helpful at every stage.” 

 

Matthew Vorderstrasse, executive director of the North Bend City/Coos-Curry Housing Authorities, also welcomed the roll out of the new funding process. "The ORCA process has been a game-changer for the South Coast. Through our collaboration with OHCS, we’ve advanced two much-needed developments—Phase I of North Bend Family Housing and Ellensburg Housing in Gold Beach. It has been decades since housing at this scale has been produced in our region, and we’re deeply grateful for the partnership and resources OHCS has brought to Coos and Curry Counties through ORCA.” 

 

OHCS is preparing to implement further updates to ORCA in the upcoming 2025–2027 biennium, including strategies to better serve rural communities, ensure a more predictable funding pipeline, and support readiness for new legislative investments.

About Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) 

OHCS is Oregon's housing finance agency. The state agency provides financial and program support to create and preserve opportunities for quality, affordable housing for Oregonians of low and moderate income. OHCS administers programs that provide housing stabilization. OHCS delivers these programs primarily through grants, contracts, and loan agreements with local partners and community-based providers. For more information, please visit: oregon.gov/ohcs. 

Attached Media Files: Shortstack Mississippi grand opening in Portland, Oregon, developed by Jessy Ledesma and Anna Mackay,