United Way of the Columbia-Willamette

Community Investment Housing Stability: In 2021, United Way of the Columbia-Willamette granted Oregon Law Center $200,000 to expand their capacity to provide legal help to families facing eviction. The grant allowed Oregon Law Center to recruit lawyers who reflect the communities they serve while also providing families of color access to multilingual eviction prevent support. (See Schedule O for more information)The support paved the way for Oregon Law Center, Portland Housing Bureau's Rental Services Office, and Portland Community College's CLEAR Clinic to launch the Eviction Legal Defense Program with $3 million provided by the Portland Housing Bureau. United Way of the Columbia-Willamette serves as an administrative hub and pays the costs to remedy evictions which may also include rent arrears for participants in the program. This collaboration serves those in our community receiving 30% to 60% of area median income, and many of the clients we have referred to the program are facing arrears of more than $6,000, the average eviction rate for Multnomah County. To date, we have helped prevent 165 households from becoming houseless through lawyer assistance and rent arrears. After years of pandemic disruption, the need for this support will only grow, and we look forward to expanding this important eviction prevention program alongside our partners.Donor Choice - United Way offers donor the opportunity to designate their gift directly to 501 (3) organizations of their choice. Donations given through United Way provide support to a wide variety of nonprofits and help keep fundraising cost low for these organizations as well as increasing philanthropy within the community. This allows donors to support multiple organizations with one contribution, all while supporting the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette's mission of engaging the community to improve lives.