Racial justice advocates want to dismantle long-established Oregon system for distributing housing assistance dollars
Updated 7:15 AM;
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Influential Black leaders are pushing Oregon to change which agencies it designates to distribute emergency housing assistance dollars so organizations that specialize in serving people of color and other underserved groups are included.
House Bill 2100 would invoke the first major change to the state’s housing assistance network in more than 30 years. Currently, federal and state funds are distributed to 18 designated nonprofits and government agencies with offices in all 36 Oregon counties. Those entities, known as community action agencies, directly provide help to low-income people and also pick local organizations to receive grants to help provide shelter, rent and utility assistance, child care and the like.