Portland Housing Bureau works toward the vision that all Portlanders can find affordable homes and have equitable access to housing. To this end, PHB is tasked with developing citywide housing policy, increasing affordable housing, promoting stable homeownership, and managing resources.
Location
421 SW 6th Avenue
Suite 500
Portland, OR 97204
Who We Are
The mission of the Portland Housing Bureau (PHB) is to solve the unmet housing needs of the people of Portland. PHB is responsible for leading housing policy for the City of Portland and administering programs to produce affordable rental housing, increase and stabilize homeowners, prevent and end homelessness, and regulate and assist landlords and tenants in the rental housing market. We are guided in our work by a vision that all Portlanders should have equitable access to affordable housing and to the opportunities that a safe, stable home can deliver.
What We Do
To achieve the City’s housing goals, PHB implements programs and policies in four key areas:
Production and Preservation: PHB finances the construction and preservation of affordable housing— through both direct financing as well as indirect subsidies, such as tax exemptions and fee waivers. PHB-funded housing is required to remain affordable at targeted incomes for up to 99 years. PHB currently regulates a portfolio of nearly 15,000 units of affordable housing throughout the city.
- Homeownership: PHB funds programs to increase homeownership for vulnerable and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, including down-payment assistance loans and homebuyer education.
- Preventing Displacement: PHB uses a variety of strategies to stabilize vulnerable renters and homeowners, especially in North/Northeast and East Portland. Strategies include supporting and implementing new tenant protections, funding legal services, and providing home repair grants and loans to help low and moderate-income homeowners retain their homes.
- Ending Homelessness: Through the Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS), PHB invests in services and programs that assist individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. These include short-term rent assistance, Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), transitional housing, and winter and emergency shelter. Together with our partners, PHB is working to achieve Portland City Council’s goal of creating 2,000 new supportive housing units by 2028.
