Housing Connections is a web-based community service that is intended to better connect providers of housing and housing services to renters who are looking for these types of housing opportunities. Our goal is to provide access to up-to-date housing information with user-friendly tools. These tools are customized for each of our user groups: renters, landlords and property managers, and housing agency staff that help people find and keep housing.

As a housing information and business center, Housing Connections is a virtual location where all players in the housing industry can connect and do business. Housing Connections offers a number of tools and services:

• The Housing Locator: Landlords can list, and renters can search for, affordable, accessible or special needs housing.

• The Housing Calculator: A tool that renters can use to determine their affordable monthly rent payment and their median family income (necessary for eligibility for some rentals).

• The Housing Services Locator (coming soon): Anyone can search for services provided by local agencies that address a variety of housing barriers and issues.

• The Waitlist Management Tool (coming soon): This tool will allow renters to apply for multiple property waitlists online through one form, and keep their contact information up-to-date with one tool. This same tool will allow to property managers to manage property waitlists electronically.

• The Online Rental Application (coming soon): Renters can apply to multiple properties with one electronic application.

Housing Connections is sponsored by the City of Portland Bureau of Housing and Community Development. Ensuring that our citizens have access to appropriate housing is a primary goal of the Bureau and Housing Connections helps us achieve that goal. The site is being developed with the City of Portland Bureau of Information Technology, Corporate GIS Division, as well as a number of housing agencies and property management companies.

Housing Connections was made possible in part by grants from the Technology Opportunities Program, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, US Department of Commerce; Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory Commission through funds provided by AT&T; and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Housing Connections serves Portland Metropolitan Area including Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas Counties in Oregon and Clark County in Washington. The following local governmental jurisdictions participate in Housing Connections:

• The City of Portland
• The City of Gresham
• Multnomah County
• The City of Beaverton
• Washington County
• Clackamas County
• The Housing Authority of Portland
• Vancouver Housing Authority
• Housing Authority of Clackamas County
• Washington County Housing Authority

Is there more information about the planning and design process for Housing Connections? Yes. Click here to reach the project information web site, which has a wide variety of information about the planning and design of Housing Connections.

Housing Connections staff is available to answer additional questions you may have about the site. We can be contacted at staff@housingconnections.org or (503) 823-4141.