Housing with heart: Valencia’s journey from homeownership counselor to homeowner
Valencia was 15 years old when her father bought their family’s first home. That moment has shaped her entire life. “When it happened, it really created hope in me that I could possibly buy a house one day,” she says. Today, breaking down barriers to homeownership is her mission. Valencia is a homeownership counselor with Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) and […]
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Finding light in community: Ambassador Council member Sophia Dehen on hope
“It feels really good to be able to look at your day and do something hands-on and know that you’re helping, especially in these tumultuous times.” For volunteer Sophia Dehen, that feeling keeps her coming back to her work with Habitat. Over the past three years, Sophia has been giving back to the community as a member of […]
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Honoring the Carters’ legacy: carrying the torch for affordable housing
President Jimmy Carter’s legacy lives on through every home built and every family who partners with Habitat. Habitat for Humanity Portland Region joins communities around the world in honoring the lives and lasting impact of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. Two volunteers recently traveled from Oregon to Texas, joining the Carter Work Project in Austin. It […]
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Rachael’s dream come true in King City
Rachael has always loved fairy tales. She even named her three daughters — Anastasia, 13, Aurora, 12, and Evangeline, 10 — after Disney characters. When she moved her family into their new Habitat home this August, it felt like her own magic moment. Growing up, Rachael always noticed the ‘King City’ sign on the drive to […]
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Breaking ground and records: 2025 construction progress
2025 is winding down, but construction is still heating up. We had a record year, with the most developments simultaneously under construction in Habitat Portland Region’s history. Before we move into another busy year, take a look at the progress our amazing crews, volunteers, and supporters made across our build sites! West Lake Grove Habitat’s 23-home Lake Oswego community is shaping […]
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How a Habitat volunteer became Santa Claus
“Never pass up a chocolate chip cookie,” Leon Taylor laughs. Sporting a white beard and wearing a red fleece with jeans, he looks like a modern Santa Claus (despite pairing his cookie with tea instead of milk). For the past three Decembers, Leon has embraced the role of Santa. It started when his church needed […]
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Hampton Lumber frames the future at Habitat’s Lake Oswego site
On a hot August day, volunteers from Hampton Lumber joined Habitat for Humanity in Lake Oswego to help build affordable homes at the West Lake Grove community. As the title sponsor of Habitat’s Frame a Future campaign, Hampton Lumber’s support has helped advance the construction of these Lake Oswego homes where local families and individuals will soon achieve the stability and opportunity that […]
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Building a future on her own terms
Sawdust fills the air and nail guns echo off the walls of the newest homes under construction at West Lake Grove on a bright afternoon in Lake Oswego. Eight Habitat homebuyers took part in a community build in October, as a way to meet their neighbors and learn new skills. From photos, it may be […]
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Building together: Developer partnerships expand Habitat’s impact across Portland region
Across the Portland metro area, Habitat for Humanity’s partnerships with local developers are helping to bring more affordable homes within reach for families and individuals who need them most. Two of Habitat’s newest collaborators — West Coast Home Solutions and DBS Group — are not only building high-quality homes but also investing deeply in the […]
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Advocacy ABCs: Y for YIMBY
Across Portland and beyond, communities are grappling with how to make room for more neighbors. As housing costs soar and available homes remain scarce, a growing movement is calling for change: YIMBY, short for “Yes In My Backyard.” YIMBY began as a grassroots response to restrictive zoning and development barriers that limit housing supply. Supporters […]
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