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The Home Building Foundation (HBF), the nonprofit arm of the Home Building Association, drew attention from government leaders with its collaborative shelter-building projects. At the grand opening of HBF’s latest initiative, Executive Director Regan Schutz spoke about the Foundation’s efforts to address homelessness in Oregon. The project transformed a church parking lot and basement into housing for those in need.
In partnership with the nonprofit organization WeShine, HBF and HBA volunteers worked from late 2024 to early 2025 to complete the site. The initiative included the renovation of bathrooms and kitchens to support a village of ten “sleeping pods.”
Governor Tina Kotek attended the March grand opening, emphasizing the importance of collaborative efforts: “The way we make progress is when I see other people doing really great things together.” She highlighted the project as a model for transformational work addressing Oregon’s housing shortage.
Additionally, newly elected Multnomah County Commissioner Meghan Moyer toured the site and engaged in discussions with HBA and HBF staff. These events underscore the powerful impact of partnerships between HBA’s government affairs and our Foundation, creating more awareness of our collective work and establishing credibility for our policy agendas.