Humboldt Neighborhood

Humboldt Target Area Update

Apr 08, 2001

Our Target Area Project is on target! The explosion of development anticipated by PCC, Tri-Met, Williams-Vancouver and Urban Renewal promises...no guarantees that Humboldt will change dramatically in the next few years. Humboldt's 5-year grant from Portland's Bureau of Housing and Community Development gave us the resources to direct community effort towards revitalization. Then -- seemingly overnight -- Light Rail was rekindled, a new Urban Renewal District was created, neighbors on Williams and Vancouver got busy, and the community passed PCC's bond measure. And, Humboldt already knew what it wanted to see happen -- commercial revitalization, meaningful participation by young people, and home ownership.

Central to those objectives is the question on everybody's lips: How to we continue to transform a neighborhood and insulate our more vulnerable neighbors from displacement? That question is the focus of Humboldt's Anti-Displacement Project --"Just Like A Tree." We will work with Humboldt-area faith communities to identify those at risk and those who have already been displaced. We will also organize a "think tank" made up of Humboldt neighbors from the real estate industry that share our concerns about displacement. They'll advise us on strategies and tactics to combat displacement. Finally, we'll be asking many of you what factors most impact your ability to stay in this neighborhood. Humboldt is committed to building a stronger neighborhood for all of us -- newcomer and long-term resident, homeowner, business owner and renter. This is our neighborhood and we want to stay!

Related to the Anti-Displacement Project is the Small Home Repair Project that was just funded. In collaboration with the Boise Neighborhood/Mississippi Historic District Target Area Project, we will have some funds available to do small repair jobs on homes owned by low income, senior and disabled neighbors. You'll be hearing more on this later.

The quality of our neighborhood is directly proportionate to the extent to which we get informed, become engaged and stay involved! If we all do a little, nobody has to get burned out! We need you to do your fair share.