Portland's North/Northeast (N/NE) Preference Policy the first in the nation to recreate housing access in a historical community of color to those displaced by urban renewal and gentrification. The policy builds new affordable rental housing with placement priority for families with inter-generational ties to the area. This study provides a critical opportunity to evaluate the question: what are the intended and unintended consequences of the Preference Policy on returning resident's well-being? The research team will:
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Identify the range of resident motivations to seek housing in the N/NE neighborhood;
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Assess residents’ self-reported well-being over time, and;
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Identify opportunities to strengthen returning residents' well-being.
Building from seed data collected in 2019, this study assesses changes to well-being up to three years into residence in new housing, with attention to equity and social, cultural, and civic dimensions of health. Evaluating outcomes for residents who return to a neighborhood with high opportunity and new economic conditions can provide actionable evidence to inform equitable urban planning and the use of community preference policies to benefit low-income residents of color and create healthy, integrated neighborhoods.