Southeast Neighborhood Development (SEND)

Southeast Neighborhood Development (SEND)
Name	Southeast Neighborhood Development (SEND)
Type	Nonprofit organization
Founded	1984
Headquarters	Southeast Portland
Region served	Southeast Portland, Multnomah County
Leader title	Executive Director

Southeast Neighborhood Development (SEND) is a community-based nonprofit active in urban revitalization, affordable housing, small business support, and youth services in Southeast Portland. Founded in 1984 amid neighborhood advocacy movements and urban renewal debates, SEND works with civic institutions, neighborhood associations, philanthropic foundations, and faith-based organizations to deliver place-based programs. The organization operates at the intersection of housing policy, transit-oriented development, community health, and workforce training.

History

SEND was established during the 1980s wave of neighborhood activism that followed initiatives such as the Community Development Block Grant expansions and debates around urban renewal projects in Portland. Early collaborators included the Portland Development Commission, local neighborhood associations, and regional planning bodies. In the 1990s SEND partnered with affordable housing developers that had ties to Habitat for Humanity and the National Low Income Housing Coalition to convert vacant lots into mixed-income residences. During the 2000s the organization engaged with transit projects like the MAX Light Rail extensions and coordinated with the TriMet agency on transit-oriented development. SEND’s timeline intersects with municipal policies from the City of Portland, philanthropic contributions from the Meyer Memorial Trust, and federal programs administered through the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Mission and Organization

SEND’s mission centers on neighborhood stabilization, affordable housing preservation, small business incubation, and youth opportunity programs. Organizational governance includes a board composed of leaders from local community colleges, faith congregations, neighborhood coalitions, and civic institutions. Executive directors historically have worked alongside policy advocates connected to groups such as the Urban League of Portland and the National Community Reinvestment Coalition. SEND’s staffing model blends community organizers, case managers, and program directors who liaise with agencies like the Multnomah County Health Department and regional workforce entities such as Worksystems, Inc..

Programs and Services

SEND operates multiple programs: affordable housing development and tenant counseling linked to Low-Income Housing Tax Credit projects; small business technical assistance that partners with Small Business Administration initiatives and local chambers like the Portland Business Alliance; youth workforce and mentorship programs connected to regional school districts such as the Portland Public Schools system and nonprofit partners like the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Additional services include eviction prevention in coordination with legal providers affiliated with the Legal Aid Services of Oregon and health navigation services working with clinics tied to Oregon Health & Science University. SEND has run community planning workshops informed by practices from the American Planning Association and has piloted community land trust models similar to ones promoted by the Grounded Solutions Network.

Funding and Partnerships

SEND’s funding portfolio combines government grants, philanthropic awards, fee-for-service contracts, and donor contributions. Major public funders have included grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, contracts with the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, and partnerships with Multnomah County. Philanthropic partners have included the Ford Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, and the Meyer Memorial Trust. SEND’s housing projects have leveraged financing through the Oregon Housing and Community Services agency and syndicated credits from investors involved with the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program. Corporate and institutional partners have included Providence Health & Services, Nike, Inc. community giving programs, and local financial institutions participating in Community Reinvestment Act commitments.

Impact and Evaluation

Evaluations of SEND’s work have appeared in reports commissioned by regional entities such as the Portland State University Community Engagement Center and policy analyses by think tanks like the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute. Metrics cited include units of affordable housing preserved, small businesses assisted, and youth placed in apprenticeships with employers including construction firms affiliated with Associated General Contractors of America chapters. Independent audits have used indicators common to the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership and have compared neighborhood-level outcomes to benchmarks from Multnomah County datasets. Academic studies drawing on SEND data have been cited in publications from Portland State University and the University of Oregon.

Controversies and Criticisms

SEND has faced criticism over gentrification impacts linked to redevelopment projects, with detractors citing displacement concerns voiced by coalitions like the Right to the City movement and tenant advocacy groups linked to the National Housing Law Project. Some critics argue that mixed-income developments associated with SEND accelerated rent increases in nearby corridors referenced by local journalists at the Portland Tribune and the Oregonian. Concerns have also been raised regarding transparency in public contracting and procurement processes involving the City of Portland, leading to public meetings attended by representatives from neighborhood associations and civic oversight groups such as the Government Accountability Office-style local audit committees. SEND has responded by convening stakeholder advisory councils, commissioning third-party evaluations from firms with ties to the Urban Institute and implementing tenant protection policies developed in consultation with organizations like Legal Aid Services of Oregon.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Oregon