Housing Affordability, Housing Livability, Housing First
- “A healthy housing industry is the critical component to building a strong community. Local governments acknowledge that they need the HBA of Portland as a critical stakeholder to build their communities.”
- Jamie Howsley, Jordan Ramis PC
HBA directly represents members across six counties and over forty local jurisdictions, advocating on issues that affect housing affordability and livability. The six counties the HBA represents are Clackamas County, Columbia County, Hood River County, Multnomah County, Washington County, and Yamhill County.
With housing affordability remaining one of the greatest challenges facing the greater Portland area, our advocacy team is focused on building meaningful relationships with policymakers and community stakeholders to advance pro-housing solutions. Our goal is to serve as a proactive agent of change, facilitating housing affordability, availability, and choice for all who reside in the greater Portland area.
To get involved in HBA’s advocacy and learn more, join the Government Affairs Committee, the Portland Building and Urban Development Council, or contribute to our political action committee, Oregonians for Affordable Housing.
MEet your government affairs team
Ben Hemson, Director of Policy and Government Affairs
Click here to email Ben
Ben Hemson joined the HBA of Greater Portland in July 2025. He leads the HBA’s Government Affairs Department, representing and engaging HBA members with local governments on issues relating to new home construction, including available land supply, permitting timelines, and cost of development.
Ben brings nearly a decade of experience from the City of Bend, where he oversaw business relations and served as manager of the Economic Development Division. His work included advancing local policy, managing economic development tools, participating in growth plan efforts, and navigating land use and permitting processes. Before joining the City of Bend, he worked with energy industry associations on policy and communications efforts in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and British Columbia.
A Portland-area native and Wilsonville High grad, Ben holds a B.S. from OSU and a master’s in Political Science–Public Affairs from the University of Florida.
Timothy Shumaker, Deputy Director of Government Affairs
Click here to email Tim
Timothy Shumaker serves as Deputy Director of Government Affairs with the Home Building Association of Greater Portland, where he works on public policy, regulatory, and legislative issues affecting homebuilders, developers, and the broader housing industry in the Portland Metropolitan Region. His work focuses on building productive relationships with government, industry, and community stakeholders and helping to advance practical solutions to the region’s housing challenges.
Tim brings two decades of experience in program leadership, government relations, economic development, and workforce development in the United States and internationally. He has led complex U.S government-funded initiatives aimed at improving the business climate and promoting job creation by working closely with national and local governments, businesses, industry associations, educational institutions, and community organizations.
Throughout his career, Tim has focused on issues where public policy and economic opportunity intersect. His experience includes workforce and skills development, regulatory and institutional reform, private-sector engagement, infrastructure, and programs designed to expand access to employment and economic opportunity. He has managed multidisciplinary teams and significant public investments while helping organizations translate policy objectives into practical implementation.
Based in Portland, Tim brings to the Association both a local perspective and experience working across diverse political, economic, and institutional environments. In his role with the Home Building Association, he looks forward to representing the industry effectively with elected officials and policymakers throughout the Metro Region.