What ORCA outcomes mean
ORCA has allowed Oregon to build a stronger affordable housing pipeline, including $4B in total funding requests representing ~20,000 affordable homes.
Benefits of ORCA over the previous funding system
Prior to ORCA, the agency used Notice of Funding Availability (NOFAs). It's the previous funding system that was inefficient and didn’t match development timelines. Drawbacks included:
- Fixed deadlines
- Long delays
- Rigid process
Through ORCA, developers can submit project applications whenever they’re ready, providing more flexibility and allowing the state to move faster when funding is available. Faster funding means families get homes sooner. ORCA’s streamlined process helps communities respond to housing needs without waiting for months, or years, for funding cycles. Benefits include:
- Rolling applications
- Faster awards
- Development flexibility
What OHCS' partners say
Matthew Vorderstrasse
Executive director of the North Bend City/Coos-Curry Housing Authorities
"The ORCA process has been a game-changer for the South Coast. Through our collaboration with OHCS, we’ve advanced two much-needed developments—Phase I of North Bend Family Housing and Ellensburg Housing in Gold Beach. It has been decades since housing at this scale has been produced in our region, and we’re deeply grateful for the partnership and resources OHCS has brought to Coos and Curry Counties through ORCA."
North Bend/Coos-Curry Housing
Jessy Ledesma and Anna Mackay
Ledesma (HomeWork Development) and Mackay (Sister City), developers of Portland’s Shortstack Belmont
"As developers who’ve worked through years of OHCS funding cycles, we really appreciated the updated ORCA process. It’s clear, flexible, and helped us stay on track. We appreciate how we can move projects forward more organically. OHCS staff were super helpful at every stage."
Shortstack Belmont
ORCA accelerates Oregon’s investment in affordable housing
ORCA reflects Oregon’s commitment to a more efficient, responsive government that prioritizes impact over processes. Before ORCA, OHCS was still introducing fund offering concepts to Housing Stability Council (HSC) in September after the legislative session. This was months before making final funding decisions. As of September 2025, OHCS has already committed most of the state’s new housing investments to projects in the ORCA pipeline! By prioritizing truly ready projects in the pipeline, ORCA has sped up the time projects spend underwriting and projects are breaking ground quicker.