Albina Vision Trust Aims to 'Reroot' Black Portlanders

After generations of displacement, the nonprofit plans large-scale restorative development in the Lower Albina neighborhood.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 8:06am by Ben Kaplan

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A high-contrast, silkscreen-style illustration of a classic mid-century storefront sign in bold, neon colors, repeated in a grid pattern to capture the iconic visual identity of the Albina neighborhood.The Albina Vision Trust's ambitious plans to 'reroot' Black Portlanders in their historic neighborhood aim to transform the area into a vibrant, community-driven hub.Portland Today

The Albina Vision Trust, a community-driven nonprofit, is leading a major effort to redevelop the 94-acre Lower Albina district in Portland, Oregon. The project aims to 'reroot' Black Portlanders who were displaced from the historically Black Albina neighborhood over the past decades due to urban renewal, gentrification, and disinvestment. The nonprofit has secured over $850 million in direct investment and plans to build an entire ecosystem of housing, infrastructure, retail, healthcare, education, and recreation to support the returning community.

Why it matters

Albina was once home to around 80% of Portland's Black population, but decades of discriminatory policies and urban renewal projects like the construction of Interstate 5 led to the displacement of over 11,000 Black residents between 1990 and 2010. The Albina Vision Trust's redevelopment efforts represent an unprecedented attempt to repair this historical harm and rebuild a thriving, Black-centered community in the heart of Portland.

The details

The Albina Vision Trust was formed in 2017 to steward the redevelopment project, which is expected to take 50 to 100 years to fully realize. The nonprofit has already opened its first major project, the 94-unit Albina One apartment complex, which is helping some displaced residents return to the neighborhood for the first time in decades. The trust also plans to transform the 10.5-acre Portland Public Schools headquarters into a mixed-use neighborhood with over 1,000 homes for working-class Portlanders, as well as an education hub in partnership with Lewis & Clark College.

  • In 1966, the completion of Interstate 5 cut through the heart of Albina and established Portland's largest urban renewal area.
  • Between 1960 and 1970, the city displaced around half of the 3,000 residents in Albina's Eliot neighborhood.
  • By 2023, only about 10% of Portland's Black population of nearly 52,000 lived in Albina.
  • In 2025, the Albina One apartment complex opened as the Albina Vision Trust's first major project.
  • In April 2026, the nonprofit will start an 18-month process to plan the redevelopment of the 10.5-acre PPS headquarters site.

The players

Albina Vision Trust

A community-driven nonprofit leading the effort to redevelop the 94-acre Lower Albina district in Portland.

Emmanuel Henreid

A fourth-generation Portlander and opera singer who recently moved into the Albina One apartment complex, one of the first residents to return to the neighborhood after decades of displacement.

Winta Yohannes

The executive director of the Albina Vision Trust, who described the organization's work as the fulfillment of a 'generational promise' to 'reimagine what it means to be a Portlander.'

JT Flowers

A senior advisor to the Albina Vision Trust who said the organization is working to 'reroot' Black Portlanders in Albina by building an entire ecosystem of housing, infrastructure, and community resources.

Keith Wilson

The mayor of Portland, whose office has expressed support for the Albina Vision Trust's efforts to restore the historically Black neighborhood and repair decades of harm.

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What they’re saying

“This part of the city has both reflected the worst of how we've treated each other, and the highest promise for a better way of living together.”

— Winta Yohannes, Executive Director, Albina Vision Trust

“We've been taught to trust what is whiteness, which is separate from white people, and it's unfortunately come to our demise.”

— Emmanuel Henreid, Resident, Albina One

“When I was born, those five digits were a predictor of adverse outcomes for folks who look like us. The promise of this work is making those five digits a predictor of prosperity and upward mobility that every child born in Albina can claim to.”

— JT Flowers, Senior Advisor, Albina Vision Trust

“Trust the initiative. They're doing just what they said, and I am a product of this beautiful development.”

— Emmanuel Henreid, Resident, Albina One

“In a relatively short amount of time, this work has moved from being inconceivable to now it's inevitable.”

— Winta Yohannes, Executive Director, Albina Vision Trust

What’s next

The Albina Vision Trust will start an 18-month, city-mandated process in April 2026 to plan the redevelopment of the 10.5-acre Portland Public Schools headquarters site into a mixed-use neighborhood with over 1,000 homes for working-class Portlanders.

The takeaway

The Albina Vision Trust's ambitious redevelopment project represents a groundbreaking effort to repair the historical harm done to Portland's Black community through decades of discriminatory policies and urban renewal. By rebuilding an entire ecosystem of housing, infrastructure, and community resources, the nonprofit aims to 'reroot' displaced Black Portlanders and create a model for how other gentrified neighborhoods can empower their own residents to shape their future.