KYMBERLY HORNER

Organization: The Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives Inc. (PCRI), was established in 1992 and has grown to become one of the largest Black owned and led nonprofit development organizations in Oregon. Their real estate portfolio consists of over $500 million dollars worth of property assets, primarily residential. Their ongoing mission is to promote housing justice through advocacy and education. PCRI was formed much to the credit of Attorney Ernest Warren who clawed back 350 single family homes, mostly Black occupied, that were being unjustly foreclosed on by a predatory lender in the early 1990s. The value of those homes at the time were about $32,000, three decades later they are worth about $450,000.

Leadership: Kymberly Horner is the Executive Director of PCRI. Hired in July 2019, she is only the second person to serve in this position since PCRI’s formation. Her predecessor and community icon, Maxine Fitzpatrick, held the title for 25 years before retiring in 2019. Both women are a testament to the grit needed to lead a complex organization that requires a deep knowledge in, and commitment to, both human and real estate habilitation.

“When I come to work every day, I sit in my car in the parking lot and meditate, reflecting on the people we are serving,” shared Horner. “Most of them are lowincome, Black families. I say a prayer that I am making the right decisions for them and the portfolio we manage. I show up for the staff doing this work alongside me, I can’t do it without them, or without a good strong Board of Directors. We are all in it together and very rooted to the mission of making sure that people who have been systematically disenfranchised and left out of opportunity for growth and development have our representation.”

Horner, attributes her parents and grandparents for instilling in her strong leadership values. Her father served 16 ½ years on Thousand Oaks City Council and was the City’s first and only Black Mayor serving 4 non-consecutive terms.

Staff: Their staff is 35 strong, consisting of a diverse, culturally responsive team who specialize in communicating and serving thousands of vulnerable families. They offer a suite of services focused on stability, self-sufficiency, and wealth creation. Their property management and maintenance team are tasked with keeping the “brick & mortar” of their portfolio in safe and healthy working order. Some of their properties date back as far as the late 1800s, so upkeep is critical. Other staff focus on programs and residential services, including robust homeownership education classes.

“We look at the holistic spectrum of a person getting into housing, staying in housing and moving into homeownership opportunities,” shares Horner. “We hold your hand through the process from start to finish.”PCRI’s development team analyzes ways to redevelop existing properties or expand into new ones as part of the response to Portland’s housing crisis and need for more affordable inventory. “The Governor has set a lofty goal to create 36,000 units of affordable housing. It will take all of us willing to step up to the challenge,” states Horner.

Getting Big Wins

PCRI has amassed significant victories for the organization and the people they serve including 1) The creation of the Pathway 1000 Displacement Mitigation Plan. This will bring 1000 displaced African Americans back into N/NE Portland through affordable housing and homeownership over a span of 10 years. 2) They shaped what is now Portland’s groundbreaking “preference policy” giving first rights to return to occupy newly constructed housing units in N/NE Portland to Black Oregonians unethically displaced. 3) Awarded the affordable housing development contract for the Williams & Russell Project honoring Portland’s Black community.

Philanthropy: Building Black Better

Looking to the future, Horner is focused on the continued implementation of Pathway 1000, knowing that building these homes would pump about $460 million into the local economy over a 10-year time span. With inflation on the rise, this type of cash infusion is just what vulnerable communities need. She would also like to see PCRI take the Pathway 1000 strategic plan and launch it nation-wide.

“The vision I have for the organization is to become that beacon as to how homeownership opportunities for lower income communities, specifically Black communities, can be a form of reparations,” states Horner. “Building these homes and providing generational wealth opportunities for those who have had it either stripped away, or never taught the true value of home ownership to begin with, then that is building the Black community better,” Horner concludes.