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 advocate for building more homes of all types — from duplexes to apartments to affordable condos — especially in neighborhoods close to schools, parks, and public transit. Their message is simple: when every community says yes to new neighbors, we all thrive. 

Saying “Yes” to an Inner Eastside for All

Here in Portland, we recently joined the local chapter Portland: Neighbors Welcome (P:NW) at a rally outside City Hall on September 25. The event urged City Council to allow more homes and greater housing diversity in Portland’s Inner Eastside. 

Sarah Radcliffe, Government Relations Director of Habitat Portland Region, spoke at the rally and the city council meeting.

“At Habitat, we see firsthand the need for affordable family-sized homes throughout Portland. We receive hundreds of applications for every dozen homes we build, and we recognize that nonprofit housing developers cannot address Portland’s housing shortage alone,” Sarah testified before the City’s Climate, Resilience, and Land Use Committee. (Click here to watch Sarah speak after P:NW’s Heidi Hart.)

Habitat’s vision for affordable homeownership opportunities in every neighborhood includes innovative options like stacked condos—similar to our Kenton Commons community in North Portland. Affordable homes in the Inner Eastside could take many forms, including partnerships through inclusionary zoning in privately developed buildings. 

Learning from a national movement

YIMBYtown is the largest pro-housing advocacy conference in the United States. Held in New Haven, Connecticut, this year’s event brought together over 1,000 builders, policymakers, economists, and advocates. 

“Thanks to a scholarship, I had the chance to attend YIMBYtown,” Sarah said. “The energy was incredible — so many passionate people working to make housing more attainable.” 

She was particularly struck by remarks from Daryl Fairweather, Chief Economist of Redfin. He shared findings from a recent report on the stagnation of homeownership rates for young people.

“Only 24% of homebuyers in 2024 were first-time buyers, a record low,” Sarah recalled. “Homebuyers are now, on average, 38 years old, a record high. Meanwhile, people are moving in droves to some of the riskiest areas for climate impacts — mostly because that’s where it’s still affordable to build. It really underscored how urgent it is to create climate-resilient, affordable housing in safe, sustainable communities.” 

Other sessions explored the growing challenges of the insurance market, the impact of climate risk, and how cities can balance growth with sustainability. One theme stood out: communities must build more homes — and smarter homes—to meet both environmental and human needs. 

Building more homes — and hope

At Habitat for Humanity Portland Region, our advocacy efforts focus on policies that increase the supply of affordable, climate-resilient homes and expand access to homeownership. We believe that everyone deserves a safe, stable place to call home—and that reaching that vision requires every community to say yes to new housing opportunities. 

Together with partners like Portland: Neighbors Welcome and pro-housing advocates across the state, we are working toward a future where Portland’s neighborhoods welcome more families, more diversity, and more opportunity.

Learn more about how Habitat for Humanity Portland Region advocates at the local, state, and federal levels to protect and expand policies and resources for affordable homeownership and thriving communities on our Advocacy page.

More resources to explore:
Pew Charitable Trusts: https://www.pew.org/en/projects/housing-policy-initiative
Sightline Institute: https://www.sightline.org/
YIMBYtown: https://yimby.town/about/
Our local YIMBY chapter: https://portlandneighborswelcome.org/