Albina Vision Trust, a 2025 Impact Partner, welcomed Girlfriends and community partners for a rainy December walking tour of the Albina neighborhood. Participants learned about the area’s history and how Albina Vision Trust is advancing housing and stability after decades of urban renewal and displacement in Portland’s Black community. Working with architects and community partners, they are leading redevelopment of 94 acres of land near the Moda Center and Willamette River.

The tour included Albina One, a newly completed 94-unit affordable housing development offering culturally specific education, mentoring, workforce training, and family support for Black and other historically marginalized communities, as well as the former Portland Public Schools headquarters, now slated for a transformative restorative development. Plans call for more than 1,000 homes, mixed-use commercial space, an education hub, greenspace, and enrollment stabilization for three historically Black schools, with priority access for displaced community members. The tour concluded at the site where Albina Vision Trust plans to cap I-5, reconnecting Upper and Lower Albina and creating new housing, greenspace, and bike- and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure. Interested in a monthly tour? Sign up for one by emailing Beckie Lee.