Impact

From 2020 to 2023, Taking Ownership PDX performed repairs & improvements on

106 homes

The homes repaired & improved by Taking Ownership PDX are in neighborhoods throughout the greater Portland area and concentrated in neighborhoods that have experienced gentrification in recent decades.

In this map, the shade of the color in each zip code shows the value of all repairs and improvements performed in that zip code.

The value is determined by adding the amount paid to contractors, the value of work completed by volunteers, and the value of any labor and materials donated by contractors and suppliers.

2023 Annual Report

2023 Income & Expenses

TO Team: these figures still aren’t ready to use. I (Lily) still need to check my numbers with what Emily has and we need to resolve some of the unknown/mystery numbers.

While variations in income for Taking Ownership have resulted in proportional changes in expenditures on home repairs and small business grants, expenditures in other areas have remained relatively consistent.

Homeowners

Homeowner income data was not collected for all homeowners, but for the 60 homes for which this information is available, the distribution of annual gross income for all adults in the home reveals that the majority of homes repaired or improved have combined incomes between $10,000 and $50,000 per year.

In 2024, a survey will be launched to gather more information about the homeowners served by Taking Ownership, PDX, and their experience with the services provided.

Homes

The total value of repairs and improvements performed in 2023 was $121,990. Of that amount, $30,151 was contributed by volunteers as in-kind donations of labor and as discounts or fee reductions from contractors.

The total value of repairs and improvements decreased significantly from 2022, as a direct result of a decrease in income. While the total value of home repairs was the lowest in all four years of operation, the volunteer program continued to contribute at near the same level as 2022, and the number of homes repaired or improved was 30 homes, twice the number of homes repaired or improved in 2020 and 2021.

Of course, with a smaller budget, this meant that the average value of work performed per house decreased significantly in 2023 compared with previous years.

Consistent with previous years, the highest concentration of homes repaired or improved in 2023 was in the 97211 zip code, with 12 homes and a combined value of $139,063. The 97203 zip code had the next highest value of work performed ($40,872 for 2 homes).

Contractors

One of the goals of Taking Ownership PDX is to strengthen opportunities for generational wealth in the Black community through engaging Black-owned, other BIPoC-owned, women-owned, and LGBTQIA+-owned businesses.

In 2022, 56% of amounts paid to contractors for home and small business repairs and improvements was paid to Black-owned (32%) and other BIPoC-owned businesses (24%). While this decreased in 2023 to 41% (21% Black-owned, 20% other BIPoC-owned), this is similar to the portion in 2021 (40%), and a significant improvement over 2020 (12%)

Similarly, while 21% of all contract dollars spent by Taking Ownership in 2022 were earned by woman-owned businesses, this decreased to 12% in 2023, the same portion as occurred in 2021, and very close to the portion in 2022 (9%). While Black woman-owned and other BIPoC woman-owned businesses earned the majority of those dollars in 2021 and 2022, white woman-owned businesses represented the majority of woman-owned contracts in 2023 and 2020.

While Taking Ownership PDX has begun the process of collecting LGBTQIA+ demographic information for contractors, we hope that this data will be reportable in future years.

Small Business Assistance

Taking Ownership's mission to deter the gentrification process doesn't stop with helping Black homeowners.  We know predatory real estate practices had displaced Black small business owners from the communities their establishments once thrived in, causing many to shut down or move to a location not as accessible to the customers they serve.  We provide financial assistance up to $10k to Black-owned small businesses who need a hand in starting up their business, paying overhead costs to help them stay in their place of business, and/or purchasing supplies, services, and/or materials that will increase their capacity.

The total value of small business assistance distributed in 2023 was $14,276. As with home repairs, this represents a significant decrease from the $78,071 distributed in 2022, as a direct result of a decrease in income for Taking Ownership PDX. The number of businesses receiving assistance was also reduced to six businesses, resulting in an average assistance per small business of $2,379 in 2023.

The small business assistance funds distributed by Taking Ownership PDX have been distributed to businesses in neighborhoods throughout the greater Portland area and are concentrated in neighborhoods that have experienced gentrification in recent decades.

In this map, the shade of the color in each zip code shows the value of all small business assistance funds distributed in that zip code.

The value is determined by adding the amount of assistance provided directly to small businesses, the value of work completed by volunteers, and the value of any labor and materials donated by contractors and suppliers.

Definitions

Operating Expenses

  • Payroll & Benefits

  • Fiscal Sponsor Fees

  • Fundraising & Marketing

  • Business Expenses

Volunteer Labor Value

  • Volunteer labor value is calculated as: number of volunteer hours x average hourly wage for that job (Oregon Department of Labor and Industries) x .75 (adjustment for volunteer rate)

Home Repair

  • Payments to Contractors

  • In-Kind Donations of Labor & Materials

    • Value of Volunteer Labor

    • Contract Discounts

    • Donated Materials

Small Business Grants

  • Capital and Operational Expenses for Small Businesses

  • Value of Volunteer Labor