PORTLAND, Ore. – July 1, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Damien Hall, a land use and real estate attorney with a background in urban planning, has been appointed to the board of commissioners. He holds a City of Portland seat on the nine-member citizen commission.
photo of Damien HallHall is an attorney at Ball Janik LLP, where he helps both property owners and local governments navigate land use laws and work collaboratively to achieve development goals. His practice also involves assisting clients with real estate transactions and municipal law. His civic involvement is extensive and includes serving on Portland Development Commission’s Central City Budget Advisory Committee and the board of non-profit Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives, Inc. Previously, he chaired PDC’s advisory committee for the Oregon Convention Center urban renewal area and participated in the development agency’s advisory committee for economic development in North/Northeast Portland.
Hall said his professional and volunteer experiences have taught him the importance of affordable housing. “Having a quality, stable and affordable home is essential to breaking the cycle of poverty. That’s where it starts; it’s the foundation that allows someone to pursue educational opportunities and other avenues that will help them move forward. As the largest provider of affordable housing in our community, Home Forward has a wide range of tools to help people. I’m looking forward to assisting those efforts,” he said.
“Home Forward’s mission encompasses the roles of developer, property owner, and public agency. Damien’s experience and expertise will be invaluable to us as we help guide the agency in those spheres. It’s also clear he has a passion for the potential people have when they receive our assistance, which is very important to our work,” said David Widmark, board chair.
Hall received his law degree from Lewis and Clark College and a bachelor’s in public policy, planning and management from the University of Southern California. He is a member of the National Black Lawyers Top 100.
