Land & Housing Circle
Everyone Deserves a Place to call home
You don’t have to look far to see the impact of homelessness in Portland. Over 5,000 people are unhoused in the city of Portland and 56,000 Portlanders lack a stable and safe place to call home.
Simply put, there aren’t enough units of housing for every family and individual who needs a place to live. To address the housing crisis, our city needs more housing.
Those who have much are called to support those who lack basic resources to live in dignity and wholeness. At FUMC, our faithful legacy of seeking social justice and housing the unhoused has, time and time again, led us to ask: “How can we ensure our neighbors have safe, reliable housing?”
Join us as we seek the answer
The foundation of our work toward housing justice rests in relationships and being in community with one another. We hope you’ll join us on the journey.
Land and Housing Circle Regular Meetings
Third Monday of the month @ 6:30 pm (online with periodic in-person)
To attend a meeting, join an upcoming event, or simply stay apprised of our work, please fill out the contact form on this page
Donate
The Land and Housing Circle is exploring what we and our property can do to reduce suffering caused by Portland’s housing crisis. The Land and Housing Circle is currently raising funds to support the following efforts:
- Provide robust educational programming at FUMC during the 2023-2024 church season
- Support other local churches actively pursuing affordable housing projects (via the Leaven Land and Housing Coalition)
- Advocate for equitable housing policies at the local and state level
To continue this important work, the Circle is raising $6,500.
Online
You can donate using a debit or credit card, or electronic bank transfer securely online. You can set recurring or one-time payments.
Check/Cash
To donate by check or cash write to “First United Methodist Church”, with ” “Land & Housing Fundraiser” in the memo line, or offering envelope and drop it in the offering plate or mail to:
1838 SW Jefferson St
Portland OR, 97201
Text Via Smart Phone
Text “$ housing” on your Smart Phone, with the amount you wish to give after the “$” sign (for example: $10 housing) to: 84321
You will receive a link by text to complete the transaction
Frequently Asked Questions
These questions offer an update on what’s happening at FUMC.
At FUMC, the work to provide our neighbors with safe reliable housing is shepherded by the Land and Housing Circle (LHC). LHC formed in 2020 as part of Church & Society and became an officially recognized group of the church in 2022.
The Land and Housing Circle exists to engage FUMC’s full congregational body in conversation and action toward a horizon of housing and wholeness. Living up to our faith and historic values, FUMC is working to end the housing crisis and help heal our communities.
Currently, LHC is exploring how our church can offer more housing options to our neighbors. We are moving through this exploration with the support of our partners at Leaven Community’s Land and Housing Coalition.
The Land and Housing Circle has been seeking to answer the question: “How can we provide our neighbors safe, reliable housing?” In community with FUMC’s Board of Trustees, Parish Conference, and general congregation, we’ve explored this question through the following activities:
- May + June 2021: over 50 members came to 7 house meetings where we acknowledged FUMC’s legacy of community care; identified concerns about land, housing, and marginalized people; and identified possible directions we might consider as a congregation toward this work.
- February 2023: FUMC was awarded a grant from the Columbia District Church Extension Society to fund a feasibility study exploring if affordable housing is possible on our property. LHC selected Second Stories to conduct the feasibility study.
- April 2023: LHC hosted listening sessions with the Board of Trustees, Parish Conference, and the general congregation to identify the values, perspectives, and questions that should guide our exploration of building affordable housing on our property.
- June 2023: received the final feasibility study from Second Stories and the Design Research Office. View the study here >
- June 2023 to June 2024: Many additional questions and concerns must be addressed before FUMC can determine what next steps are right for our congregation. We’ll be inviting guest speakers, hosting classes, and gathering more insights to assist our congregation on this journey.
To be clear, no specific plans have been laid and no path is set. Receiving the feasibility study in June 2023 did not commit FUMC or its members to any action. Rather, it is one more step in our journey to consider our role in ending Portland’s housing crisis.
If you feel called to join us in this exploration of how FUMC is being called to live out our values and mission, join the Land and Housing Circle on the third Monday of the month at 6:30pm. For more information, please fill out our Contact Form.
Yes! Thank you to everyone who offered perspectives at our April listening sessions. Both enthusiasm and concern surfaced as we explored how we might use our land to provide critically needed housing. Our partners at Second Stories and the Design Research Office have completed their feasibility study to answer some of our questions.
Read the feasibility study
Watch a video walkthrough of the study (Coming Soon!)
Understanding the housing crisis
These questions offer an update on what’s happening with housing in our area.
People from all walks of life may find themselves homeless or housing insecure. The major causes of homelessness are:
- The number one cause of homelessness is lack of affordable housing. Rents continue to rise – outpacing wages and retirement income.
- While unemployment contributes to homelessness, about 50% of those living in shelters and 40% of unhoused people work. Read: Employment alone isn’t enough to solve homelessness, study suggests.
- Black, indigenous, and people of color are disproportionately impacted by the lack of affordable housing. This is the result of a history of legal and social discrimination against these groups.
- The fastest growing homeless population is over 65 years. Read The Graying of America’s Homeless: An Alarming Trend.
- A disproportionate number of people with mental illness and substance abuse disorders are homeless. But, in communities where housing is affordable and support systems are in place, people with these disorders are staying housed.
- Over 75% of homeless people in Multnomah had one or more disabilities. Read 2019 Point-in-Time: Count of Homelessness in Portland/Gresham/Multnomah County, Oregon.
- Housing issues are complex. For decades, federal, state, and local policies and investments haven’t kept up with the need. A fraction of people who qualify for housing assistance receive it.
- Rental housing is increasingly unaffordable, particularly for low-wage workers. The average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment in Portland is $1,800/month. A wage of $35.37/hour is required to make this apartment affordable. For minimum wage earners, this requires 2.5 full-time jobs. Read Out of Reach 2023: The High Cost of Housing.
- Wages and retirement income have not kept up with rising rents. Loss of a job, unexpected expenses (e.g. medical crisis, car repair) or increased rents may result in eviction.
- Housing policies favor the rich. About 75% of the over $200,000 billion spent each year by the federal government on housing, goes to tax breaks and loan guarantees for households earning over $100,000/year. Less than one-quarter goes to housing support for those making less than $40,000 per year. Read An investment in opportunity: A bold new vision for housing policy in the U.S.
Many nonprofit community development organizations are stepping up to address the problem. These organizations are mission-driven, accountable to residents, and are equipped with expertise.
Many faith communities are working together to share knowledge, expertise, and resources to build housing with services for our neighbors. We are working toward more vibrant and healthful neighborhoods where everyone can thrive.
- Out of Reach 2023: The High Cost of Housing, National Low Income Housing Coalition
- The 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress, The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development.
- Oregon Statewide Homelessness Estimates 2021. Portland State University Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative.
- An investment in opportunity: A bold new vision for housing policy in the U.S.
- 2019 Point-in-Time: Count of Homelessness in Portland/Gresham/Multnomah County, Oregon.
- Employment alone isn’t enough to solve homelessness, study suggests.
- The Graying of America’s Homeless: An Alarming Trend.
Join us in this work
Latest Updates
contact Us
If you want to join us in our work, or would like to receive updates by email, please fill and submit the form below and we will reach out to you, and add you to our mailing list!