2023 ANNUAL REPORT
DevNW’s mission is to create thriving, inclusive and healthy communities through affordable housing, financial/economic opportunity, small business development and policy change.
Building Strength in Community
7,969 Program Participants
66 Staff
4 Offices: Salem, Corvallis, Springfield, Oregon City
7 Counties: Lane, Linn, Benton, Lincoln, Marion, Polk, Clackamas
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Cynthia Campobasso-LeDoux, Chair
Daniela Abrams, Vice-Chair
Chrystal Shearer, Secretary
Albert Kong, Member
Christina Tran, Member
Duane Walrod, Member
Staci Larson, Member
Steve Ochs, Member
Jin Plummer, Member and CLW Chair
From Our CEO
In many ways, 2023 felt like the first year, post-COVID, that DevNW was able to revisit – and begin to realize – the original goals of our late 2019 merger. We’re especially excited to share big increases in our affordable housing development across our full region. Yet, as we look forward to what we can accomplish as a more multi-faceted organization, we also seek to continue investing in the partnerships forged during the pandemic. We have long known that we can achieve more collectively than we can as individuals. When we unite with a common purpose, our combined efforts can overcome barriers that would be insurmountable alone.
The results of partnerships are evident throughout our programming. Be it through the unexpected collaboration of DevNW and a school district career program (pg. 3); the referral relationships between DevNW and six new culturally specific agencies to increase access to matched savings for underserved members of our communities (pg. 5); a partnership with a local community devasted by fire coming together to rebuild the area’s affordable housing and economic vitality (pg. 10); or the multiple ways our staff and clients work together day-in and day-out to
understand and overcome the barriers that stand in the way of success.
The cooperative efforts of many stakeholders, including residents, businesses, nonprofits, local government, and our supporters underscores the reality that none of us can do this alone. Ultimately, our strength is found in community; in coming together to share resources, break down silos and work toward shared prosperity through access to opportunity for all members of our community. Together, we amplify impact and create outcomes that cultivate individual and community well-being.
Thank you!
Emily Reiman, CEO
$4,923,681
Funding and Political Focus
DevNW Community Investments = $ 17,761,428
$7,471,697
$5,366,050
Investments in affordable housing
Financial assistance: youth housing assistance, rent/utility assistance, matched savings, home repairs, downpayment assistance, pass thru grants
Delivery of all programming services
*Funds raised for affordable housing development grew by nearly 600% since 2022, reflecting DevNW’s focus to address the affordable housing crisis in our state and our ability to amplify the governor’s historic investments in housing.
Advocacy
DevNW advocates at the local, state and federal level to ensure a future in which our public policies no longer reinforce inequality in wealth, housing, small business development, health, and access to resources. In 2023, we set a policy agenda to build on Governor Kotek‘s Executive Orders for housing production and homelessness. Together with our allies at the Oregon Housing Alliance, we took action to address Oregon’s affordable
housing shortage, support youth experiencing homelessness, increase homeownership for underrepresented Oregonians, and support survivors of natural disasters to rebuild their homes and lives. The result was a historic investment by the Oregon Legislature of more than $600 million in funding to increase the development of affordable housing, both rental and homes for ownership, across the state.
Audited financials can be requested by contacting our finance department at 541-345-7106 ext. 2015.
Financial Wellbeing
Local Partnerships Build Homes and Dreams
The Maya Vasquez family’s goal of homeownership became a reality in 2023. This family of five worked for years to become first-time homeowners, including two with DevNW. After completing classes in both personal finance (Fundaciones Financieras) and homebuying (Fundaciones de Comprar Vivienda), Margarita and Heron worked closely with our HUD-certified homebuyer counselors to create a personalized plan.
In addition to being first-time homebuyers, the Maya Vasquez family is also first-generation homeowners. Their home is the first house built by high school juniors and seniors in the “Future Build” career technical education program now offered by Eugene’s 4J School District. The twenty-five student builders gained construction and trade skills through hands-on learning under the supervision of teachers and industry professionals.
DevNW collaborated with Unitus Community Credit Union to provide a mortgage that helped the Maya Vasquez family achieve their homeownership dream.
The Maya Vasquez family in front of their new CLT home, built by students in Eugene’s 4J School District.
Preserving Housing Stability
“We often talk about homeownership and helping people build assets, but it is equally important for community members to KEEP the assets they’ve worked so hard to build.”
– Amy Hamilton, Director of Program Operations
Home Repair Program
DevNW’s Home Repair team closed more loans in 2023 than ever before in a one-year period. Access to low-barrier loans for homeowners in Linn, Benton, and Lincoln Counties address health, accessibility, and safety for those with low and/or fixed incomes.
Rental and Mortgage Assistance
DevNW partnered with both the City of Woodburn and Benton County to help residents apply for financial assistance for their rent, utilities, or mortgage. We also assisted 525 households to access over $12M in Homeowner Assistance Funds through the State of Oregon. Such programs were invaluable to renters and homeowners to avoid eviction or foreclosure through the lingering economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Funds distributed ...................................................... $952,521
Homeowners served ............................................................. 50 Projects completed ............................................................... 27
After losing his business due to the pandemic, Debessai E. worked with a DevNW housing counselor to apply to the Homeowner Assistance Fund for mortgage support.
FINANCIAL WELLBEING HIGHLIGHTS
Financial education courses ........ 497 adult graduates
.................................................................. 139 youth graduates
Youth workshops and events .............. 468 participants
Financial education workshops........... 123 participants
Financial wellbeing counseling ............. 158 individuals
WRAP funds distributed ....... $223,384 / 93 households Benton County rental funds distributed ...................... $357,445 / 142 households
Homebuyer education courses ............. 288 individuals
Homeownership counseling .................. 321 individuals
Eviction prevention counseling ............... 43 individuals
Foreclosure counseling............................. 229 individuals
First-time homebuyers............................... 49 households
…When everything was dark, and I didn’t know where to go, [DevNW] gave me hope and told me there is an alternative. Through our darkest moments, they were always there to give advice and encouragement, mediate during resolution conferences, assist with forms for the loss mitigation review and applications.
— Debessai E., DevNW client
Access to Funds
Individual Development Accounts (IDAs)
DevNW has been part of the Oregon IDA Initiative since 2013, providing a powerful asset-building tool that leverages client savings with a 5:1 match. Recently we have focused on building referral partnerships with culturally specific organizations to provide relevant services and resources to members of communities that face disproportionate barriers to asset building. Work with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde expanded, and we welcomed six new referral partners in 2023:
• APANO
• Taking Ownership PDX
• Elderberry Wisdom Farms
• Micronesian Islander Community of Oregon (MIC Oregon)
• Portland Housing Solidarity Project
• Unite Oregon
DevNW understands that communities of color have been disadvantaged, overlooked, and underrepresented in traditional wealth-building systems. Their commitment to empowering individuals and families aligns with our Tribe’s visions for creating self-sufficient individuals and a thriving community.
— Caitlin Zimbrick,
Community Programs
Manager
at the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
As
has become essential to making homeownership accessible for Oregonians to build wealth for themselves and future generations.
After taking the Homebuying Foundations class and participating in three counseling sessions to make savings, credit management, and post-purchase financing plans, Maurice’s offer on a town home was accepted and he qualified for downpayment assistance. To make the deal even better, his realtor was able to negotiate a seller credit to help pay closing costs. Maurice is very happy with his town home, saying, “It’s something I can call my own!”
Community LendingWorks
Accessible Loans for the Community
CLW is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) working to strengthen Oregon’s communities by providing personal and micro/small business loans, as well as financing to develop affordable housing. CLW is an affiliate of DevNW and provides critical capital in support of our joint mission to develop thriving communities.
CLW was founded on the premise that individuals, businesses, and communities need accessible, affordable capital to reach their financial goals and create greater economic opportunity. The resources we provide are affordable loans. The impacts we create are far greater: business loans can create jobs and spur neighborhood revitalization, and auto loans lead to reliable transportation and a stable income.
Primary service area with statewide lending: Lane, Linn, Marion, Clackamas, Multnomah, Douglas, Coos Counties.
CLW BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jin Plummer, Chair
Spencer McCoy, Vice Chair
Carrie Copeland, Secretary
Troy Reichenberger, Treasurer
David Hill, Member
Larry Abel, Member
Small Business Loans
Small business loans help entrepreneurs start local businesses, buy equipment, and finance operations. 2023 saw an 80% increase in CLW’s business lending in just a single year, reflecting the strong demand for affordable and accessible capital post-COVID. With rising interest rates, stricter credit policies, and reduced risk tolerance among traditional banking institutions, CLW offers entrepreneurs from newer, rural, low-income, and historically underserved communities a much-needed alternative to the predatory capital often available to them.
Luis and Esperanza started the Luis Noriega Gardening business in Rickreall after years of working separate jobs. With a small business loan from CLW they were able to purchase a company truck to grow their business without depleting all their savings.
We are very grateful to Community LendingWorks for the credit they gave us to grow our own business. With the support you gave us, we were able to grow our business and become self-employed. We now have more quality time with family and friends. Our life improved and we want to continue growing to support more people in our Latin community in the U.S.A. Thank you very much!
Luis and Esperanza with their company truck (below). Luis working at his gardening business (left).
— Luis N., CLW client
Working with Community LendingWorks has been a great experience. From the application process to the funding everyone has been so attentive and responsive. They helped me every step of the way and we closed on time and with no issues at all. I appreciate CLW and the way they treat small businesses with respect and attention no matter the situation or loan amount.
— Bryan H., Silk Espresso owner and CLW client
Credit Builder Loans
Credit builder loans help clients establish credit for the first time or reestablish after financial difficulties, without the need to pay predatory add-on fees for utilities, car insurance, and other basic services.
Doing business with Community LendingWorks felt like I was doing business with the neighborhood banker. This must have been the experience 60 years ago or more, when you did business with neighbors instead of large corporations.
DevNW doesn’t only offer financial solutions to restore credit and personal loans, but they also stand out for their commitment to the Latine community in Corvallis. Their ethical approach, fair interest rates, and personal attention makes DevNW a great option for those looking for financial stability with a human touch and cultural sensitivity.
– Iris C., CLW client
– Brian R., owner of Rose Gem Shop in Springfield and CLW client
Dollars Deployed to Underserved Borrowers = $ 2,176,149 (61% of total loans deployed)
Consumer and Auto Loans
Consumer and auto loans assist individuals to make important purchases to advance their quality of life and economic stability.
After their arrival in the U.S., Yeimi and Carlos had difficulty establishing credit. By starting with a CLW Credit Builder Loan at an affordable rate, they qualified for an auto loan to buy their first car.
My experience with CLW was really good, from the beginning I got an introduction and someone who gave me all the information about resources and how CLW works. When I had doubts and asked for assistance while filling out forms, our CLW agent was always there to help; guiding us perfectly, in a friendly manner, with respect and professionalism. Based on my experience, I continue to recommend CLW to my friends and family who I know might need economic assistance, or might need to build their credit.
– Carlos N., CLW client
Total amount deployed by loan product.
Carlos with his first car, after building his personal credit score.
Wildfire Recovery
Wildfire Recovery Program Transitions to Rebuilding
Since Oregon’s historic 2020 Labor Day Fires, survivors have faced staggering challenges toward recovery: navigating complex systems of government funding, document recovery, and lengthy insurance claims processes.
During the past three years, DevNW’s Wildfire Recovery Program has served more than 190 households on their journey to recovery, dispersing $1,496,962 to support the rebuilding of homes and businesses, and more than $500,000 in direct flexible assistance for survivors to purchase anything they considered necessary for their recovery. With the help of the DevNW Finance team, more than 250 transactions were processed by check, ACH, wire, or credit card to support survivors.
Everywhere we turned, we were getting nowhere fast in our fire recovery for almost two years. Every door of possibility seemed to slam shut in our face, and our savings were almost gone from paying twice the rent on campus, buying a trailer to live in, and finding a good vehicle to pull it up river. One day I had just had it and called DevNW’s disaster recovery team. Within minutes they were on the phone getting us immediate help and made it possible for us to return to the McKenzie River Valley where we belonged. DevNW went above and beyond anything we had ever encountered before. Today we are proud to be graduates from several of DevNW’s fine programs. Thanks to their Emergency Savings IDA, we are back on our feet and looking forward to a brighter future. There is no one I would recommend above DevNW.
DevNW’s Wildfire Recovery case management ended in 2023, but the work to rebuild continues. In October, our partnership with the McKenzie Community Land Trust was announced, with plans to build six new affordable homes – Rose Street Cottages - for working class residents in Blue River, Oregon.
Visit testimonials from wildfire survivors and recovery staff at DevNW.org.
– Holiday Farm Wildfire Survivor and DevNW Emergency IDA graduate
Community partners table at Blue River Rebuilding Tour. From left to right: Lane Tompkins, Superintendent/ Principal McKenzie School District; Josh Shafer, Senior Project Manager DevNW; Braden Ravenscraft, Program Associate MCLT; Brandi Crawford Ferguson, Board Member MCLT.
Affordable Homes
Major Developments in 2023
DevNW works throughout our service area to build affordable homes to reduce barriers to housing for low- and moderate-income families and neighbors. We are creating solutions to Oregon’s housing crisis, developing multi-family housing, affordable rentals and homes for ownership including Community Land Trust homes, which create accessible homeownership with long-term affordability and equity upon resale.
Community Land Trust development in Milwaukie work site started. After completion there will be ten 3-bedroom, efficient, and affordable homes at this site.
The Evergreen Apartments in Salem construction began, where 17 units of affordable housing for Veterans will include nine permanent supportive housing units.
CONSTRUCTION HIGHLIGHTS
Projects completed in 2023:
Eugene: Polk Street expansion... 12 rental homes
Projects under construction in 2023:
Eugene: Nelson Place Phase I .......... 9 townhomes ....................................................... 3 CLT homes
Corvallis: Southtown Phase I ............11 CLT homes
Salem: Evergreen Apartments.... 17 rental homes
Milwaukie, Clackamas CLT .................10 CLT homes
Projects securing funding in 2023:
Blue River Rose Street Cottages (for MCLT) ........................................... 6 CLT homes
The Macleay subdivision in Salem will include 24 new homes: nine 2-bedroom townhomes, four 2-bedroom single family dwellings, and eleven 3-bedroom single family dwellings. Site work started in December 2023.
Infrastructure work completed for 11-unit CLT subdivision in Corvallis.
The Polk Street Apartments expansion in Eugene was completed in July 2023.
Partnership with the McKenzie Community Land Trust to build six CLT homes for working class residents in Blue River announced in October 2023.
Learn more about our Affordable Homes projects at DevNW.org/affordable-homes/homeownership/
The Power of Transitional Housing
Safe, affordable housing for at-risk youth helps establish the foundational tools of a stable adulthood and strengthens DevNW’s Young Adult Programs. In July 2023, DevNW completed a construction project that doubles the size of our Polk Street Apartment complex, where we have
served youth aged 16-24 who have aged out of foster care or are at risk of homelessness in Lane County since 2015. The new building includes 12 additional units for youth residents, a communal kitchen, and a community room that can be used for gatherings, classes, and onsite services.
Polk Street Apartments expansion completed in July 2023.
Healthy Communities
Young Adult Programs in Lane and Clackamas Counties
In response to the growing number of young adults at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness in the state, DevNW is strengthening and expanding services through our Youth Housing Initiative. In addition to the completed Polk Street Apartments expansion, our Young Adult Programs grew in 2023 to increased support across the board with the new Landlord Liaison position. The team now includes an Assistant Director of young adult services, four Youth Housing and Health Navigators, a Landlord Liaison, and a Youth Asset Building Specialist working in Lane and Clackamas Counties. The team centers their work around the needs of individual young adults as they stabilize in housing, supporting them to overcome barriers that get in the way of success, and achieve selfidentified goals.
Lane and Clackamas Counties
Youth housed
78 households
individuals Rental and utility assistance
$460,794 Youth on Centralized Waitlist as of May 2024: Lane County
109 individuals Clackamas County ...................... 185 individuals
“One of the participants has been working hard to attain self-sufficiency despite the systemic barriers they have to overcome. They are 16 years old, which made housing an accomplishment. Private landlords are not fond of renting to young people without credit and rental history. After finding housing through the program, they found a job on their own. I helped them navigate the Oregon Health Plan and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to access benefits and build greater support. They have been saving money to contribute towards their rent and they continue to work hard by being a great employee and renter. One goal they have for themselves as they stabilize is to become a bigger part of their child’s life. I can see the steps they are taking each day that make this possible.”
–
Alejandro Salas Hernandez
Lane County Youth Housing and Health Navigator
“Our new Landlord Liaison position plays an essential role as we work to house homeless youth quickly by proactively engaging with landlords, building solid partnerships, and promoting the benefits of providing stable housing to young adults.”
– Luisa Palacios
Clackamas County Youth Housing and Health Navigator
Lane County Young Adult Program staff delivering community kitchen supplies to the recently completed Polk Street Apartments expansion.
Resident Services in Linn and Benton Counties
DevNW’s Community Health Workers work with residents to coordinate critical support services that help maintain affordable housing and wellbeing. CHWs organize and host on-site vaccination clinics and dental screenings to lower the barriers to health services by bringing them directly to the residents, many of whom are senior residents and residents with disabilities. They also connect residents to DevNW services like financial education, counseling, and asset building tools such as IDAs.
“Our program aims to promote healthy living, stable housing, and connected communities, so we were excited to promote more social engagement in 2023. We kicked off monthly potluck socials at our Julian Hotel property, along with movie nights and holiday potlucks at Seavey Meadows, and community craft nights at Lancaster Bridge. We had great turnouts for the social events throughout the year.”
— Arianna Pennington Lead Community Health Worker
Linn and Benton Counties
With help from DevNW, I was able to buy a vehicle. It was a pleasure to work with everyone at DevNW, and the IDA is a BIG plus in making our goals more obtainable.
— Mari, DevNW resident
The Neighborhood Clean-Up at the Leonard Street Community Gardens resulted in beautified public space by residents and neighborhood volunteers (before, left, and after, right).
We want to thank everyone who participated in and supported the work of DevNW and Community LendingWorks in 2023. Our communities are stronger thanks to what we accomplished together.
Stay connected – we need each other. Learn more at www.DevNW.org
DevNW and CLW staff, July 2023