Help Portland build more affordable housing

The Portland Housing Bureau is moving ahead to acquire properties across the city and transform them into affordable homes.

In October, we released a Request for Interest (RFI) encouraging property owners, their representatives, and developers to propose opportunities for the City to acquire vacant land or residential buildings with 20 or more units. The land and buildings would then become affordable housing for Portlanders who need it most.

We’re seeking both traditional and nontraditional opportunities—with an emphasis on proposals that best serve the public good. Rather than soliciting competitive bids, we’ll be selecting proposals on a rolling basis and prioritizing those that best fit the goals of Portland’s Housing Bond.

Those goals include serving communities of color, families, and households experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of becoming homeless. Location matters, too: goals also include creating housing in neighborhoods at high risk for gentrification or with good access to education, food, transportation, health services, economic opportunities, and greenspaces. These and other goals are outlined in a policy framework developed by community stakeholders and informed by input from nearly 1,000 Portlanders.