Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) and the state Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) announced a new partnership to address the need for quality early education facilities and affordable housing in the state.
This partnership, known as Build Up Oregon, aims to create or preserve 600 Early Care and Education (ECE) slots by supporting their co-location with affordable housing developments. Increased ECE slots will help low-income families access early education, provide economic development opportunities, and strengthen community.
Build Up Oregon is partially supported by a $10 million investment, allocated by House Bill 5011.
“As Oregonians, we all have a story,” said Andrea Bell, OHCS executive director. “Beyond our seen and unseen differences, we are anchored in shared values and common basic needs. With many Oregon families and communities struggling to make ends meet to afford housing and quality child care, we knew it was necessary for OHCS to take historic action to leverage our resources in a new way.”
Build Up Oregon will use the expertise of Craft3, a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) in the Pacific Northwest, and three other CDFIs—Low Income Investment Fund, Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon, and Network for Oregon Affordable Housing—to leverage existing best practices and develop and test new models to address the challenge of supporting both ECE and affordable housing.
The CDFIs are beginning a six- to nine-month planning phase to develop program specifics and determine how best to support ECE providers in Oregon.
Once the planning phase is done, Build Up Oregon plans to provide technical assistance to ECE operators and affordable housing developers, help broker relationships, and offer financial support to developments.
To stay informed and receive updates on this transformative initiative, visit the OHCS website or the DELC website.
