Sam Galbreath, An Appreciation

Last week I learned of the passing of Sam Galbreath, the former Housing Director for the Portland Development Commission.  His obituary is pasted below.

I am sure Sam played a role in many accomplishments while at PDC; three of those accomplishments, as I remember them:

1. His work to get HUD, for the first time in the country, to approve the use of rent vouchers for SIngle Room Occupancy units in downtown Portland.  (In fact I met Sam for the first time at a Sunday 1980 KATU town hall broadcast at  downtown SRO, The Governor Hotel.  That has long been converted to what is now the Sentinel Hotel).
2. His work to get the state legislature to adopt a distressed housing tax deduction that allowed 10 year property tax reductions for new and rehab homeownership units in North and Northeast Portland.
3. His work to get HUD to approve a 1989 application for the Nehemiah housing program that provided $15,000 HUD up front grant funds and ultimately resulted in the development of more than 150+ single-family new construction and rehab homes in Northeast Portland by a Black lead nonprofit group, NECDC. (Much more about the Portland Nehemiah program, including how much property values have changed, can be found in my blog post HERE. )

I hope others who may be able to add additional details about Sam feel free to do so in the comment section below.

I will miss Sam and his enthusiasm for all things housing. 

Portland is a better place because of his long years of public service.

Originally created and posted on the Oregon Housing Blog.