June 10, 2021 | On the Brink: Oregon’s Looming Crisis of Housing & Support for Older Adults

May 18, 2021June 14, 2021 Oregon Health Forum

Oregon’s growing population of older adults, many of whom have little or no retirement savings, will soon require increased support for daily living as well as new, affordable and suitable housing options—all in the midst of the worst housing crisis in a generation. Rural areas will be particularly challenged to meet these emerging needs. Join our expert speakers in this urgent call to action for investment in the solutions and resources needed to help older adults thrive in the face of broader social, economic and policy challenges to their health and wellbeing. We’ll also consider how Oregon’s recent, substantial investments in affordable housing may be deployed to support housing for older adults. This is the second of a three-part series, focused on a new vision for successful and equitable aging for all Oregonians.

Moderator:

Stephanie J. Hooper is President of AGE+ and JFRF and has over 25 years of experience working in private and nonprofit sectors, with a passion for growing community and nonprofit capacity through training, program development, advocacy and fundraising. Her nonprofit career began in at the American Red Cross, where she held numerous program development and leadership roles. As ARC State Director of Health & Safety Services, she revamped and expanded the delivery of life-saving skills training and products across Oregon which became a model for other Red Cross chapters nationally. Prior to joining the AGE+ and JFRF, she also held the positions of Director of Marketing and Fund Development for DePaul Treatment Centers and AVP Nonprofit Relationship Manager at Pacific Continental Bank (now Columbia Bank). Stephanie is a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum of Oregon and a member of their Board of Directors. She has been actively engaged as a volunteer and board member for organizations focused on education, social justice, LGBTQ communities, youth leadership development and services to older adults.

Contact Stephanie Hooper at shooper@ageplus.org.

Speakers:

Dr. Keren Brown Wilson’s career spans a broad range of academic and professional activities in aging and long-term care, including teaching, research, program design and implementation. Her work encompasses service at the community, state, national, and international levels. She is widely known as the architect of the ‘Oregon Model’ of assisted living in her work with affordable housing and services. She has collaborated with numerous governmental and advocacy organizations to develop standards and training materials. Dr. Wilson serves as CEO of the Jessie F. Richardson Foundation (JFRF) and its Oregon-based nonprofit AGE+. Both organizations focus on underserved older adults in resource-constrained communities using asset-based community development techniques. Dr. Wilson has published professionally and received numerous awards for her work in the field of aging, including the Maxwell Pollack Award of the Gerontological Society of America in 2005, Purpose Prize Fellow in 2012, Simon Benson Award for Philanthropy in 2016, and election as a gerontological fellow of the Gerontological Society in 2016. She is currently Chair-elect of the PSU Foundation Board and sits on the boards of numerous other nonprofit groups.

Contact Keren Wilson at kwilson@jfrfoundation.org.

Julie Cody is the Director of Affordable Rental Housing within the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department, a post she has held since March 2012. Prior to joining state government, Ms. Cody was the Portland Development Commission’s Chief Financial Officer, and also served five years as the Senior Vice President/West Regional President of US Bancorp Community Development Corporation, US Bank’s tax credit investment arm. Her career includes several years in banking, including Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) acquisition and underwriting, special assets, and commercial real estate lending. Ms. Cody holds a bachelor’s degree from Oregon State University, and has completed an executive program at Notre Dame’s Stayer Center for Executive Education in partnership with the National Council of State Housing Agencies.

Contact Julie Cody at julie.cody@oregon.gov.

Avery Davis is the Community Administrator for Whispering Pines Senior Village, a Volunteers of America Oregon affordable senior housing community in Estacada, OR. Avery is a native Oregonian who came to Whispering Pines in 2011 as an Administrative Assistant, stepping into the role of Community Administrator in 2015. Avery has always held a special fondness in her heart for seniors. Ever since tagging along with her mother to her job at a nursing home, Avery’s passion for working with seniors continues to grow stronger each year. Avery is a dedicated, service-focused administrator who has a spirit to serve the aging population and provide quality care to the seniors in her community.

Contact Avery Davis at adavis@voaor.org.

Laura Golino de Lovato is the Executive Director of Northwest Pilot Project (NWPP), a nonprofit providing housing assistance, transportation, and advocacy to very low- income seniors in Multnomah County. She has over 30 years of fundraising and nonprofit management experience, the last 14 in the Portland area. Laura holds a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from Simmons College, Boston. She serves as a Commissioner on the City of Portland’s Rental Services Commission, and has served on the boards of SCRAP, OPAL Environmental Justice, and Portland Festival Symphony. Laura is currently the board president of PDX Jazz/Portland Jazz Festival.

Contact Laura Golino de Lovato at laurag@nwpilotproject.org.