The Rural City-County Resource Network (RCRN) strengthens rural local governments by providing no-cost support to plan, fund, and deliver critical infrastructure and economic development projects. It connects cities and counties with technical assistance, funding partners, and practical tools to move local priorities forward. The Network builds staff capacity where it’s most limited and helps Oregon’s rural communities access the resources they need to move projects from concept to completion.

The iSector is working with Oregon State University, the University of Oregon and Washington State University who have applied for funding from the Economic Development Administration for a Tech Hub in the Pacific Northwest that would help support the Mass Timber Sector. The Tech Hub has contracted with iSector to identify public, private, and civic sector investments and policy changes needed to advance the Mass Timber sector in the Pacific Northwest.

The iSector is working with R-3, a rural revitalization organization who received state funds for rural assistance, to provide technical assistance to rural jurisdictions and assist them in developing local partnerships to address their housing needs.

Over the past few years, the efforts of the HIP have come to fruition. Innovative policy and investment vehicles that the HIP created aimed at increasing housing production in Oregon have been adopted by the legislature through a series of investments including: Modular Factory Funding ($20 million); Workforce and Affordable Housing Loan Guarantee Fund ($20 million); Local Government Capacity Building ($5 million); State Revolving Loan Fund ($75 million); Modular Housing Pilot Program ($20 million). All together these investments add up to $140 million.

Working with government agencies and a number of sponsoring organizations from Oregon and Washington, iSector convened leaders from across the region in a series of Strategy Summits to explore solutions to rural funding and infrastructure challenges and to develop systems that support rural communities with the capacity they need to access investments and execute projects.

The iSector worked with Metro’s President and Council Members in establishing a social innovation partnership program. We advised and assisted Metro in setting up this program to bring people together from across sectors to work on projects that will make a positive impact on issues needing wider community investment to benefit the greater Portland area.

In 2020, the need for readily available housing became critical when Oregon came face-to-face with COVID, disastrous wildfires, and the crisis of homelessness. Oregon iSector Board Members responded by initiating Project Turnkey. Leaders from the League of Oregon Cities, Association of Oregon Counties, Oregon Community Foundation, and Hacienda CDC joined with other partners from the public, private, and civic sectors and formed the Turnkey Partnership. The partners determined the best way to provide housing quickly was to acquire existing hotels and motels and called on the Legislature to respond, and respond they did with a total of $125M in state funds. The Oregon Community Foundation stepped forward and led the administration of the program. Through rounds 1.0 and 2.0, Project Turnkey added 1,382 shelter beds/units in 32 properties across 27 cities for Oregonians experiencing homelessness, resulting in a 30% increase in the state’s supply of emergency year-round shelter beds. Learn more in a July 2021 report from the National Alliance to End Homlessness here.