THE PROBLEM
Oregon faces a housing crisis. Homelessness is high. Economic development is hindered. Families are suffering. Cities and other partners want to help, but lack capacity—and often aren’t sure where to start.
THE SOLUTION
Oregon needs project managers who can unite partners to get housing built more rapidly. Technical assistance providers who can bring together land owners, market rate builders, affordable housing providers, advocates and financing experts to achieve housing goals. That’s why we created Housing Production Partners.
THE VISION
Housing Production Partners is a resource for cities and other partners seeking to expedite housing production in Oregon. We apply our expertise in housing policy, project management and community engagement to help achieve Governor Kotek's goal of 360,000 new units in the next 10 years.
OUR TEAM
Principal:
Erin Foote Morgan
Erin builds, launches and manages projects that accelerate the timeline of community progress. She works with government, business and nonprofit leaders to define and achieve their goals by applying more than 25 years of experience in strategic planning, policy development, communications, civic engagement and project management.
She is passionate about bringing diverse stakeholders together around solutions to Oregon's greatest challenge: housing production. The creation of Housing Production Partners is the realization of a long-held dream to level the playing field for low-income families by supporting access to safe and affordable housing, while generating housing at every rung of the housing ladder to ensure the success of all.
Erin spent 10 years working as an investigative journalist in Central Oregon covering growth, land-use and infrastructure financing issues, giving her a deep understanding of our unique land-use and taxing frameworks, as well as a strong network of relationships across the state.
While serving as the executive director of a housing and transportation policy advocacy nonprofit in Bend, Erin supported coalitions to develop and implement solutions to Bend's housing crisis. Among these was the 2017 Bend Collaborative Housing Workgroup—a partnership with ECONorthwest and Cogan Owens Greene, which offered a slate of 12 broadly support recommendations to the City of Bend that helped provide momentum for the formation of the City's affordable housing committee. Today each of the solutions has been implemented and Bend is a leader in the state on innovative housing production strategies.
For the past seven years, Erin has worked in the private sector, leading projects for clients across the housing continuum. She has provided community engagement, strategic communications and government affairs counsel and support to large market rate builders in the Northwest, nonprofit builders and housing advocates, civic organizations and international companies in the fractional ownership market.
Through these client relationships, Erin has had a unique opportunity to understand and support policy recommendations of Governor Kotek's Housing Production Advisory Council. She also supported development of "Expedited UGB Expansion: A guide for cities," and is the author of many other publications and housing education resources. Through her work she has developed a useful behind-the-scenes perspective of the OHNA rule-making process, the creation of the Housing Accountability and Production Office, and the roll-out of Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities helping to make her a valuable resource for cities, large employers and housing production partners across the state.
She is also the owner of FM Civic, a public affairs and public relations firm.
Outreach Director:
Jason Carr
Jason Carr is a dynamic leader with more than 25 years of experience guiding rural communities through transformative development projects focused on sustainable outcomes.
Known for his collaborative and personable style, Jason has significantly influenced land-use planning and economic initiatives in the Northwest by hammering out solutions that work for all parties involved. He's put these skills to work in many settings, including in his former role as a city councilor of Prineville, a rural Central Oregon city.
His pivotal role at Cypress Creek Renewables involved leading the siting of utility-scale solar projects across ten states, aligning growth with community values, and demonstrating a commitment to environmental stewardship. At Cypress Creek, Jason not only balanced economic growth with conservation but also preserved rural landscapes while integrating large-scale solar initiatives. This transformative approach not only spurred economic development but also maintained the unique characteristics of each community, inspiring a new wave of sustainable development.
His work with the Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) enhanced regional economic vitality by attracting major investments and fostering business growth. His leadership was instrumental in securing initial data center investments from tech giants like Facebook and Apple, which have generated billions in economic activity and created numerous high-wage jobs, significantly boosting local tax revenues and sustained economic activity.
WIth a strong background in communications and civic engagement—he was a former television news broadcaster, director of communications for Crook County School District and now owns his own strategic communications firm—Jason also understands the role media and storytelling play in shaping public opinion and driving engagement.
It’s this unique combination of skills that makes Jason a valuable advisor to local government leaders and potential housing producers as they navigate land-use and housing production challenges, while remaining committed to building consensus among diverse stakeholders.
Project Management Specialist:
Jodelle Marx
Jodelle Marx is an experienced project manager, community outreach and engagement coordinator, marketing and strategic communications planner, and multimedia content designer.
Her borderline-obsessive organizational skills and crystal clear communication keep our teams and projects running at peak performance, but it's her sunshiny personality that makes being in a foxhole with Jodelle feel like a picnic in the park.
She got her early start in leadership as director of marketing for a popular literary event series at Pacific University, where she graduated in 2021 with a degree in English. Her career took her overseas as an international liaison with La Macina di San Cresci in Italy, where she marketed artist residency opportunities and mitigated conflicts around high-stakes art exhibitions. She has focused her own creative work on providing immigrants a platform to tell their stories and facilitating connection through spoken word poetry.
Jodelle's passion for the complex world of housing began in childhood. Growing up in rural St. Helens, Oregon, she grieved to see grassy farmland turned under to make way for large single-family homes purchased by wealthy buyers from Portland who could afford to outbid locals for increasingly needed homes. She believes strongly in the creation of housing that is available and affordable for Oregon’s working class families—right in their own hometowns.
wE EXPEDITE HOUSING PRODUCTION. HERE'S HOW.
WE EDUCATE
We provide housing policy education for leaders and partners that empowers bold decision-making. Our workshops, briefings and presentations on complex market factors and housing solutions help give leaders and community members confidence to take action.
WE BROKER PARTNERSHIPS
We identify and forge teams of land owners, developers, affordable and market rate builders, housing authorities, financing consultants and government agencies that have the power to bring complicated housing production strategies to life. We also build and serve coalitions seeking to create broadly supported housing solutions
WE MANAGE PROJECTS
Our project management expertise is the lynchpin of an efficient, successful housing production initiative. We create and hold the space for teams to produce a collective vision, roles, goals, metrics and timelines. And we're the constant pressure that keeps all parties accountable to forging a brilliant outcome.
WE PROVIDE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Housing production is the story of Oregonians working together to solve a crisis that's impacting every one of us. It's an epic. Telling this story—and inviting community members to shape how it ends—is an important part of winning support for bold strategies. Our decades of experience in communications and public engagement help ensure victory no matter the plot twists and challenges along the way.
CONTACT US
Explore a partnership with our team
Our process begins with a discovery consultation. We'll ask questions like:
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Has your community developed a housing production strategy?
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What land is available for development?
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Are any available parcels owned by the city, county or other close partners?
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Is your city eligible for expedited UGB expansion?
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Are there nonprofit, affordable and/or market rate builders in your area willing to partner?
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What financing resources have you already explored?
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Is your team and community ready to begin a housing production initiative?