Open all day
Willamette Foyer

Willamette Ballroom C/D 

Join us as we kick off RE:Conference 2024! We begin our conversation using music, spoken word, and stories of positive change.  

Performance: Neighborhood Partnerships’ randy corradine (he/him) and our event DJ Jelani Greenidge (he/him) 

Keynote: Jillene Joseph (she/her), Executive Director, Native Wellness Institute 

We live in a society where we have Native people who are homeless in their own homelands. How does that happen? What is being done? In our opening keynote, you will hear the creation story of Barbie's Village and how modern-day warriors came together and created positive change that will last generations into the future for Native families in the Portland area.  

Welcoming remarks: Roberta Phillip-Robbins (she/her), Organizational Director, Neighborhood Partnerships 

Resilience Matched Savings Program – Importance of Increasing Equitable Opportunity 

Willamette Ballroom C/D 

This session focuses on economic justice and asset building through NeighborWorks Umpqua's Resilience Matched Savings Program. Designed to empower disadvantaged individuals, particularly Latinx and Tribal populations in rural areas, the program uses financial education, skill building, and matched contributions to help families create a safety net for emergencies. Through discussion and an interactive activity simulating the experience of a non-primary English speaker navigating services, participants will gain a deeper understanding of language barriers and develop strategies for inclusive outreach and engagement. We will also invite participants to share best practices for promoting financial inclusion and equity in their own communities.  

Speakers:

• Sami Francis, IDA Program Manager and Financial Coach, Neighborworks Umpqua 

• Adriana Morales Ramirez, Economic Equity Investment Program Manager, Neighborworks Umpqua 

The Unlock Homeownership Coalition and Our Legislative Goals for 2025 

Willamette A 

Homeownership is the key to building generational wealth and strong communities, yet it remains out of reach for far too many Oregonians.  

Our state faces a severe shortage of affordable homes, locking many hardworking families out of the stability and wealth-building power of homeownership. This crisis disproportionately impacts communities of color, with a 15-point homeownership gap between white and BIPOC households.  

To address these challenges, a broad coalition of partners have begun to form the “Unlocking Homeownership Coalition”, advocating for critical investments and policy changes to make the dream of homeownership a reality for more Oregon families.  

Together, we can open the doors of homeownership to thousands of Oregon families, help to close the racial homeownership gap, and build a more equitable future for our state. 

Speakers: 

• Shannon Vilhauer, Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity of Oregon 

• Ginny Carlson (she/her), Habitat for Humanity of Oregon Homeowner Advisory Council 

Leveraging the Tax Code to Deliver Cash and Fight Poverty 

Willamette B 

Oregon’s tax code collects and distributes billions of dollars to millions of people every year, forming a key opportunity to improve economic and racial justice in Oregon. This session will provide foundational information and data on how Oregon’s tax system impacts economic prosperity. Then, the discussion will turn to how we’ve recently succeeded in making it easier for Oregonians to access tax supports through a simple Direct File Oregon tool and increased investment in volunteer tax assistance programs, as well as the creation of the Oregon Kids’ Credit. Finally, we’ll talk about what’s possible in the next year to double down on these successful investments to enhance the Earned Income Tax Credit and boost investment in tax supports.  

Speakers: 

• Alejandro Queral, Executive Director, Oregon Center for Public Policy  

• Jennifer Parrish Taylor, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy, Urban League of Portland 

• Christopher McMorran (he/him), Chief of Staff, Office of State Representative Lisa Reynolds 

How Fair Housing Advocacy and Enforcement are Advancing Housing Justice in Oregon – at Both the Individual and Systemic Levels 

Croisan Creek 

“Fair Housing” is a legal framework to ensure all people can choose and live in a home free from discrimination – and a rallying cry for advocacy, to demand equitable access to housing for people of color, low-income people, and people with disabilities. This session discusses two facets of Fair Housing work happening in Oregon today: 

At the micro level: Striving to eliminate individual cases of housing discrimination, through community outreach, investigation and enforcement of fair housing laws. 

At the macro level: Dismantling unjust policies – especially zoning and other land use laws – that have created and continue to entrench exclusionary, segregated neighborhoods. 

Speakers: 

• Samuel Goldberg, Fair Housing Council of Oregon 

• Michael Sterner, Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries 

• Ibrahim Coulibaly, Senior Civil Rights Investigator, Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries

Willamette Ballroom C/D

Video: Generational Wealth-Building with the Oregon IDA Initiative , 12:00 pm

Presenter:  

• Jo Davis (she/her), Director of Nonprofit Banking & Community Development, OnPoint Community Credit Union

Presented by Jo Davis, Director of Nonprofit Banking & Community Development, OnPoint Community Credit Union 

(Re)claiming Community Control of Land & Home, 12:15 pm 

Through colonization, racist policy, market forces and climate disasters, communities across Oregon have been displaced from their land, their neighborhoods and their homes. But that isn’t the end of the story. By staying organized and staying true to a vision for collective self-determination and community ownership, the groups featured in this lunchtime session are controlling their own destiny – and leading us all toward a future where housing is a human right, rather than a commodity. 

Facilitator:  

• Akasha Lawrence Spence (she/her), CEO, Fifth Element Community Development + Consulting, and Neighborhood Partnerships Board Chair 

Panel:  

• Celinés Garcia, Community Wealth Building Organizer, Coalición Fortaleza 

• Winta Yohannes, Executive Director, Albina Vision Trust 

• Jillene Joseph (she/her), Executive Director, Native Wellness Institute

Breaking Down Barriers to Homeownership for Immigrant and Refugee Oregonians 

Willamette Ballroom C/D 

Oregonians who have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number  (ITIN) are members of our community who live, work and pay taxes in Oregon but don’t have the same access to the benefits of homeownership. Affordable homeownership programs are inaccessible and market loan products available to ITIN borrowers have inequitable terms such as higher down payment requirements, higher interest rates, inconsistent credit requirements, and lack of transparency on immigration documents required. This session will not only focus on the current barriers but also the solutions and changes that are being brought forward in Oregon. 

Speakers: 

• Tess Spellacy, Homeownership Program Manager, RootedHomes 

• Joanne Mina, Commissioner, Oregon Commission on Hispanic Affairs  

Rethinking our Ideas about Healthy Communities 

Willamette A 

More and more people are seeing and naming the system we swim and drown in, racial capitalism. Anecdotally, there are countless posts on social media of how the prevailing economic system is not working for most people but instead benefiting corporations and rich people. Objectively, we have seen the continuing trend of income and wealth inequality, how the gap is only growing wider. In this session we will explore potential alternatives to capitalism, dig into what economies based on justice, sustainability, and solidarity look like, and have conversations about the movements that are working towards these alternatives. 

Facilitator:

• Lisa Hubbard (she/they), facilitatorOrganizer, Oregon New Economy Project 

Speakers: 

• Nicthé Verdugo (ella/she/her), Worker Leadership Coordinator, Northwest Workers’ Justice Project 

• Nicthé Verdugo (ella/she/her), Worker Leadership Coordinator, Northwest Workers’ Justice Project 

• Darrell Wade, Founder/Director, Black Men’s Wellness  

• Joel Iboa, Executive Director, Oregon Just Transition Alliance 

Community Listening Session - Direct Cash In Oregon  

Willamette B 

Join us for a community conversation led by our partners with the Oregon Center for Public Policy and the Oregon Economic Justice Roundtable.  Learn more about all types of direct cash, for shared visioning on what our communities would look like if everyone had their basic needs met, learn more about basic income programs, and help shape direct cash efforts in Oregon! 

Facilitator:

• Ethan Livermore (he/him), Economic Justice Organizer, Neighborhood Partnerships 

Centering Resident Voices in Policy, Advocacy, And Leadership 

Croisan Creek 

Residents are the heart of every affordable housing community, and centering their voices and experiences can be transformative. By actively engaging residents, affordable housing providers can foster trust and collaboration that is essential for creating thriving, resilient communities. This panel discussion will spotlight the invaluable role of resident advocacy and leadership. Through meaningful dialogue and shared experience, this panel will explore how collaborating with residents can lead to more inclusive, responsive, and effective policies, operational practices, and strategies. 

Speakers: 

• Alesicia Blakley, Program Manager, Community Services, Home Forward 

• Christina Dirks (she/her), Director, Policy and Planning, Home Forward 

• Biljana Jesic, Director, Community Services, Home Forward 

Let's Talk About Race & Equity: Practical Applications for Community Agreements and Creating Brave Spaces  

Willamette Ballroom C/D 

In this workshop, participants will engage deeply in practical strategies for fostering race equity within their communities and organizations. The session will emphasize the importance of establishing community agreements and creating brave spaces as foundational practices for meaningful dialogue and action towards racial justice.  

The workshop will be facilitated in a participatory and inclusive manner, encouraging open dialogue, sharing of experiences, and collaborative learning among participants. 

Speaker: 

• randy c. corradine (he/him), IDA Program & Training Coordinator, Neighborhood Partnerships 

The Housing Crisis for People with Disabilities 

Willamette A 

Exclusion of people with disabilities from decision-making about housing has led to a situation in which community-based housing is often prohibitively expensive and trying to locate appropriate accessibility features is like taking a shot in the dark. Builders are not abiding by requirements to create accessible housing, and state and local officials have limited knowledge of applicable regulations and ways to reduce noncompliance. The consequences of the lack of affordable and accessible housing are dire, creating more insecurity, less capacity to live independently and age in place, and overall worse outcomes for people with disabilities and older adults.  

The presentation will review the findings of "Access Denied: An Overview of the Housing Crisis for People with Disabilities." This report, from Community Vision, calls for swift action and collaboration among government agencies to address the consequences of limited housing options for the disability community. 

Speakers: 

• Allen Hines, Housing Access Director, Community Vision 

Advancing New Narratives for an Economically Just Oregon 

Willamette B 

How do we shift mindsets to advance a bold vision for economic justice? The Oregon Economic Justice Roundtable developed a vision to: nourish a sense of belonging, respect, and dignity among communities and people and create an environment and systems of abundance by Black, Latine, Asian and Tribal communities so that all Oregonians can live into the freedom to actualize dreams. Join this conversation to learn how economic justice narratives developed and tested over the last 18 months by communities will inform shared strategies to achieve this vision. Learn how strong narratives help us advance our vision, what mindsets we need to shift, and how to apply these new narratives from your personal and professional perspective. Your participation in this session is power building which we can take beyond the RE:Conference to continue supporting the movement for economic justice. 

Speakers: 

• Andres Lopez, Ph.D. (he/el/they), Research Director, Coalition of Communities of Color 

• Iden Campbell (he/him), Founder, Twelve6 Strategies Inc 

• Maria Vargas (she/her), Director of Economic Justice, Latino Network  

Children's Institute Addressing Oregon Families’ Big Costs: Housing and Child Care 

Croisan Creek 

The cost of living in Oregon continues to climb, especially surrounding housing and child care. These are typically families’ two largest expenses, and they’re inherently connected to each other - you need a job to afford housing, and you need child care in order to work. Inability to find and afford child care can lead to job loss, which can quickly result in eviction/ loss of housing.   

There is a strong social and economic tie between housing and child care that has not yet been addressed on a statewide basis. We need policies that can alleviate these stressors for Oregon families so that parents can support their family while children are supported in their development.  

This session will include a deep-dive into the intersection of the housing and child care crises in Oregon, opportunity for advocacy on state policy and time spent workshopping measurable goals for Oregon's future.

Speakers: 

• Delina Biniam (she/her), Advocacy Director, Family Forward 

• Dana Hepper (she/her), Policy and Advocacy Director for the Children’s Institute  

• Natalie Kiyah (she/her), Digital Engagement and Analytic Specialist for Oregon Food Bank, parent and ERDC recipient 

Willamette Foyer 

A RE:Conference highlight! Browse the wares of Oregon IDA Initiative business owners from across the state, network with your colleagues, and enjoy refreshments at the IDA Marketplace and Reception. Enjoy meeting vendors, buying their unique products, and learning more about the Oregon IDA Initiative from people who have used the program to launch or expand their entrepreneurial dreams. 

Tuesday attendees will receive a $5 voucher for the IDA Marketplace on a first-come-first served-basis! We hope this creates even more opportunity for attendees and vendors to connect. A few important things to note: only one voucher per attendee (if you have an extra voucher or can’t use yours, please just return it to an NP staff member), only one voucher per purchase, and vendors will not give change if the full value of the voucher isn’t applied. Enjoy! 

See vendor list