North and Northeast Portland's signature anti-displacement housing program is mapping a new funding path as the Tax Increment Financing district that bankrolled much of the work approaches expiration.
The Portland Housing Bureau laid out the transition in its Summer 2026 newsletter, published Thursday, July 23.
The Interstate Corridor TIF district, which helped fuel $135 million in housing investments since the strategy launched in 2014, will eventually expire.
New TIF districts, including Cully, are picking up the funding. In Cully, roughly half of homeownership dollars will go toward permanent affordability and half toward down payment assistance in the first five years, according to Leslie Goodlow, PHB's Equity and Business Operations Manager.
"We're going to have three other districts in East Portland that will also have home ownership, and my hope is that we continue to contract with Arrive to do those services," Goodlow said in the newsletter.
Revenue from construction excise taxes and short-term rental income will also help fill the gap, Goodlow said.
2025 by the numbers
The N/NE Oversight Committee, chaired by Dr. Steven Holt, presented the strategy's 2025 annual report to the City Council's Housing & Permitting Committee on Tuesday, July 8, according to PHB. The results:
- 134 new homeowners
- 723 affordable rental units completed
- 222 rental units in development
- 78 affordable homeownership units in development
- More than $560,000 in home repair investments delivered by Unlimited Choices Inc., Community Energy Project, and REACH Community Development
PHB Interim Director Quisha Light and Councilor Elana Pirtle-Guiney, who represents the district encompassing the N/NE strategy area, attended the presentation.
New construction moving
Three affordable homeownership projects have broken ground: Alberta Alive Condominiums (8 units, Humboldt), True North (50 units, University Park), and Williams & Russell Townhomes (20 units, Eliot).
The 75-unit Strong Building at N. Alberta Street and N. Williams Avenue in Humboldt has opened, with 54 of its apartments offering two or more bedrooms for households earning 30% to 60% of area median income.
Portland Housing Center becomes "Arrive!"
Alongside the funding shift, the Portland Housing Center formally rebranded as "Arrive!" on Wednesday, July 1, after more than three decades of guiding families toward homeownership.
Executive Director Dana Shephard said the name change took more than a year of deliberation involving the founder, longtime employees, board members, and full staff.
Founded after a 1990 Oregonian investigation exposed mortgage redlining in North and Northeast Portland, the organization has helped more than 10,000 Oregonians navigate the homebuying process. In 2025, it expanded lending services statewide.
Christy Gifford, Arrive's Preference Policy Program Manager, said the rebrand reflects growth. The organization still serves the N/NE Preference Policy waitlist, which prioritizes applicants with historic ties to the area and has helped more than 120 households purchase homes.
Residents on the N/NE Preference Policy waitlist who want to learn about new homeownership opportunities can contact PHB at [email protected] or 503-823-4147.
