Habitat for Humanity’s vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Unfortunately, a structure of intentional and systemic racial discrimination in the U.S. has created barriers to homeownership for many Black families and individuals.
In response to these inequities, we are launching Habitat’s Advancing Black Homeownership Initiative in Portland.
To learn more about your experiences with Habitat and homeownership, we will be hosting listening sessions with Black homeowners and prospective homeowners in the fall of 2024. Our goal is to learn from these insights and improve our efforts to support Black homeownership in our community.
Who may participate?
- Portlanders who identify as Black / African American
- Habitat Homeowners
- Homeowners who purchased with another affordable
homeownership program (i.e. Proud Ground, DevNW, etc.) - Homeowners who purchased on the traditional market
- Renters considering homeownership
- Renters not currently considering homeownership
How to participate
- In-person Listening Sessions — sign up using the link below!
- Structured group conversations facilitated by TryXcellence, scheduled for September and October 2024. Participants will be compensated $100 for their time.
- Online survey — sign up using the link below!
- Online survey will be emailed out to those who express interest. Participants will be compensated $25 for their time.
- Please note that the Listening Session and Survey registration link are the same. Both options will be offered to all those who qualify. Thank you!
Why Advancing Black Homeownership?
Habitat’s Advancing Black Homeownership (AHB) initiative is Habitat’s commitment to closing the Black Homeownership gap. The ABH initiative aims to address structural and deep-seated inequality in the U.S. housing market, caused by decades of intentional and systemic racial discrimination. Discriminatory housing policies in the U.S. have been a prime engine of social and economic inequality among communities of color for generations. While many people experience these barriers, aspiring Black homeowners are most hindered by a system of discriminatory policies and practices that limit access to affordable housing.
Throughout our 42-year history, Habitat for Humanity Portland Region has consistently worked with Black families to achieve first-time homeownership. While our work on this issue is not new, Habitat’s ABH initiative makes our commitment to Black homeowners explicit and provides a strategy to deepen efforts in the ongoing work of Habitat locally and at the national level.
Quick Links
Advancing Black Homeownership Initiative
Staring Down the Homeownership Gap
Five policy solutions to advance racial equity in housing
Race and Housing Part 1: The Early History of Portland’s Racist Housing Strategies
Race and Housing Part II, Exodus, Disaster and Exploitation
Race and Housing Part III: Under the Guise of Renewal
Race and Housing Part IV: The Great Recession and the Racial Homeownership Gap
Meet TryXcellence, Habitat’s partner
TryXcellence is a management consulting firm leading the way in the restoration of human dignity and its crucial role in the development of a healthy and balanced society. TryXcellence provides equitable, innovative solutions that evaluate and establish new support systems and approaches which remove historic barriers to privilege and power.
Meet Ericka Warren, TryXcellence Partner and Project Facilitator
Ericka is a third generation Portlander and change advocate. Ericka serves as a strategic advisor for equity and community engagement to University of Oregon, Oregon Department of Transportation I5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project and other local and regional private entities. She was also named one of the 2021 Daily Journal of CommerceOregon Women of Vision.
Meet Dr. Steven Holt, TryXcellence Principal and Project Oversight
Dr. Steven Holt, a third generation Portlander is a leading voice in culture
change and equitable engagement. He was instrumental in the establishment of a national affordable housing model for giving preference to historically marginalized and displaced people groups. He has provided strategic counsel, leadership development and facilitation for government agencies, for profit and non-profit organizations, and many others.
We’d love to talk with you.
If you’re interested in joining the conversation, either in the listening sessions or by taking the survey, sign up here to be emailed when more information becomes available