Neighborhood Partnerships

Oregon individual development account initiative: Neighborhood Partnerships is the non-profit administrator for the state of Oregon's individual development account (ida) initiative, and manager of contributions for the Oregon ida initiative. Oregon's individual development account (ida) initiative was established in 1999. Idas are a state investment in building financial assets, supporting people living on low incomes and with no or very low assets to build hope, financial stability and the assets needed to thrive. The ida initiative provides matched savings opportunities, information about financial systems, and coaching that meets people where they are, and supports their financial goals.through matched savings accounts combined with financial education and coaching, idas help individuals and families to save to purchase or renovate a home, further their education, start or expand a micro-enterprise, or other specified asset goal determined by the saver.participants work with local, nonprofit organizations who provide idas to define their goals and begin saving. Once the participant's goal is reached every dollar saved by the participant is matched by the initiative. Typically, every dollar a participant saves is matched with up to five donor dollars.oregon currently has over 2,800 active participants and is the largest ida initiative in the country. Funded through contributions by individuals and businesses to the Oregon ida tax credit, the ida initiative has provided more than $60.7 million in matching funds since 2008 to over 11,000 successful 'graduates,' who have saved over $25.4 million.

Economic justice and financial inclusion: np serves as a convener of partners focused on economic justice, consumer justice, household financial resilience, and wealth building. Np provides resources, information, and technical support to partners who are creating new pathways to provide all oregonians access to resources and opportunity that will increase their household financial stability. In 2020, np helped create and now co-convenes the Oregon economic justice roundtable (oejr). The oejr was formed to co-create a shared table of advocates, non-profits and funders to advance collective, sustained action for racial and economic justice. Np believes racial justice requires new approaches toward the creation, transfer and redistribution of wealth, power, and intentional wealth generation. Np also co-convenes the Oregon stop the debt trap alliance (sdta), a coalition of organizations representing diverse constituents across Oregon to promote laws and business practices that equitably serve the interests of all consumers, particularly communities of color and those with the lowest incomes. The stda stands up for oregonians challenged by economic injustices and provides a voice for consumers in salem and in local governments where policy decisions are being made. Lastly, np hosts the biennial re:conference, which brings a variety of partners together to learn, collaborate, and act on advancing racial equity, housing, and economic justice in Oregon.

Policy, advocacy, and organizing: np strives toward equitable, liberating, human-centered systems and structures that are simple, transparent, and work for people. We shift away from systems and structures that are needlessly complex, create barriers, and perpetuate harm. Through the organization's policy, advocacy and organizing efforts, np works to center communities and individuals most harmed by housing and economic injustice to identify the solutions best for them, and to develop the strongest strategies for change. From this base, np builds ongoing relationships with decision makers and inspires them to act and meaningfully address our communities' most pressing housing and economic needs. The organization supports those most impacted by economic and housing instability to both inform and create policy solutions and speak directly to decision makers. Neighborhood Partnerships acts as a convener for the statewide housing alliance, which acts to educate policy makers and advocate for affordable housing needs across Oregon. Because of np's work to bring diverse parties together, the organization has seen a remarkable shift in attention to housing needs and a new commitment to providing critical funding streams for communities. Np is also working with partners to elevate the need for more public and private investment in building assets and financial resilience across Oregon especially in communities of color. Np's program management of the ida fuels this policy work, and helps the organization center the voices of those most impacted to develop, test, and promote solutions that work for communities across the state.as the convener for the statewide housing alliance, Neighborhood Partnerships supports a broad coalition to advocate for affordable housing needs across Oregon. Because of np's work to bring diverse parties together, the organization has seen a remarkable shift in attention to and investment in housing needs and a new commitment to providing critical funding streams to communities. In 2019, the organization began working with residents of affordable housing to organize and build power with them. Residents have worked together to form the network residents organizing for change, or roc, which is led by people by people with lived experience with housing instability.