Workshop | Fostering Equity in the City of Portland's Building and Zoning Permit Process

Learn about the hurdles of building equity in entrenched systems, operating a program with a minimal budget, finding opportunities for collaboration in other equity focused organizations.

This workshop will highlight the three core programs to Empowered Communities: Small Business Empowerment, Empowered Neighborhoods, and Arts & Culture Empowerment. We will cover the initial challenges and opportunities of starting the Empowered Communities Program, as well as the ongoing challenges the program faces.  We will discuss the creative problem-solving aspect of the work and operating with a minimal budget. Much of the success of the program can be attributed to connecting with other agencies, working across bureaus, and educational institutions. We will share how we forged these relationships and built a volunteer network to help meet our clients’ needs. We will also share how we have been able to attain successful outcomes for our clients and how we continue to build the program. 

The City of Portland’s Empowered Communities Program was created in 2019 to provide support to Black, Indigenous, people of color and persons (BIPOC) with disabilities through the City’s building permit process. The program was created with the recognition that there are systemic barriers in place that make it particularly difficult for people in these communities to successfully navigate the permit process.  The complexity of City Code and the compliance process can create undue burdens on the BIPOC and disabilities communities.  

The program is divided into three core programs: Arts & Culture Empowerment, Small Business Empowerment, and Empowered Neighborhoods. Each of these programs put an emphasis on connecting clients with resources, creating support teams, providing guidance through the permitting Process. This workshop will highlight the challenges, creative problem-solving, interagency opportunities, and collaboration with other institutions that have been discovered while building the Empowered Communities Program. We will also share how we have been able to attain successful outcomes for our clients and how we continue to build the program.