Portland's Jade District
Housing Equity in Portland, Oregon
In 2011, the City of Portland selected the Jade District, one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city, as one of eight Neighborhood Prosperity districts meant to strengthen business districts through community actions and projects. Located in southeast Portland, it is one of the main cultural, commercial, and population centers for Portland’s Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Approximately 25% of Portland’s 50,000+ AAPI population lives in or directly around the Jade District, and approximately 71% of the Asian population is foreign-born; 47% of the households have limited English proficiency.
Working to address housing quality and housing instability in a rapidly gentrifying city, the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO) became the lead community-based agency for the Jade District. APANO is committed to achieving social justice for Asians and Pacific Islanders in Oregon, using their constituents’ collective strength to advance equity through empowering, organizing, and advocating for AAPI communities.
Acknowledging the link between housing and health in the Jade District, APANO works with organizations such as the ROSE Community Development Corporation to develop affordable housing. APANO also organizes tenants within specific buildings and is an advocate for affordable housing projects. This work is done from a culturally informed perspective, including addressing language barriers and helping people navigate unfamiliar systems.
The Jade District Visioning Plan focuses on improving a ten-block area around the SE 82nd Avenue and SE Division Street in southeast Portland. The District is a diverse community with culturally specific businesses and historic underinvestment.
Throughout the summer of 2014, the Jade District and APANO held community-led meetings in Cantonese, Vietnamese, Russian, Spanish, and English with 200 participants to talk about the future. The process focused on the built environment, but also touched on health, education, and transportation. It identified opportunities for improvements at 82nd & Division; traffic and safety improvements; and a community and green spaces. Many of the projects identified in this process have been launched.
White (Russian Speaking) Community Design
White (Non-Russian Speaking) Community Design
Vietnamese Community Design
Chinese Community Design
Latino Community Design
Proposed Community Plans for Portland's Jade District
Courtesy of APANO
The ROSE Community Development Project
Standing at the heart of the Jade District is Orchards of 82nd, a 48-unit affordable housing community developed by ROSE Community Development Corporation in collaboration with APANO. The Division Transit Project, Trimet’s first high-capacity bus line, provides transit services with a nearby station. The Orchards is also home to APANO’s offices and a 5,000 square-foot community space.
Orchards of 82nd was named to honor the legacy of the orchards owned by Japanese families in East Portland in the first half of the 20th century. During World War II, many of these families lost their land and assets because of U.S. incarceration of people of Japanese descent.
Nearly half of the families at Orchards of 82nd have children. These families were offered housing as part of the ROSE CDC’s Baby Booster initiative to address child disparities. Child-friendly playgrounds and community rooms are among The Orchards’ amenities.
APANO continues to collaborate with non-profit developers and the City of Portland to build additional affordable housing and other community projects.
Jade District Neighbors
Jade District Neighbors
Jade District Neighbors
Jade District Neighbors
Jade District Neighbors
Our Voices of Change
These portraits were completed in 2016 in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. APANO worked with local artist Alex Chiu to highlight the faces and stories of APANO members who are helping build a more just and equitable world.
The APANO members selected represent “Voices of Change.” Each member was deeply engaged in one of APANO’s core program areas at the time: Policy and Civic Engagement, Leadership Development, Cultural Work, and Organizing.