Racial and class dynamics have had a powerful impact on the development of housing in Eugene. Federal, State, and City policies often excluded people of color or pushed them out of their homes to make space for white communities and amenities. Exclusion laws originally banned Black people from living in Oregon at all.

The few Indigenous and Black families that did settle in early Eugene had to live in flood prone areas outside the city limits. In the late 1940s, people in the makeshift neighborhood near the river were pushed out to build the Ferry Street Bridge. Many of the displaced families had a hard time finding housing, but the League of Women Voters stepped up to try to help their neighbors find new homes.

A handful of Black families moved to the base of Skinner Butte and formed a tight knit community. In the early 1960s, the City evicted these families  again to build a public housing project, Park View Terrace, breaking up the community and spreading families across the city.

Learn more about race and it’s influence in Eugene by visiting Racing To Change.