Remembering Wayne McIlhenny
October 9, 1949 – December 24, 2025
Northwest Pilot Project is deeply saddened by the loss of our longtime colleague and friend, Wayne McIlhenny, who passed away on December 24, 2025. Wayne would have celebrated his 20th anniversary with Northwest Pilot Project in June 2026, a milestone that reflects how deeply he was rooted in our organization.
Wayne brought warmth, kindness, humor, and a steady presence to NWPP every day. He had a remarkable ability to make people feel seen—staff, clients, and everyone in between—and showed up in ways that truly mattered. He was willing to do whatever was needed to support our work, fixed everything - often when replacement would have been easier - and was a strong champion of NWPP’s culture, reminding us to care for one another and preserve the human connections at the heart of our work.
Wayne’s impact is still felt throughout the agency, and he will be deeply missed. Whether offering a consoling wink, a hug, a listening ear, thoughtful advice, help with a car, or quietly stepping in when someone needed support, Wayne gave generously of himself. Outside of work, Wayne lived fully. A U.S. Air Force veteran, avid runner and cyclist, marathoner, and Hood to Coast participant, he brought that same dedication to his community and relationships. He was also a longtime singer with the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus, and active in faith communities over the years.
Wayne is survived by his husband, Doug Tallman; his children and grandchildren; extended family; and a wide circle of friends, coworkers, and community members who loved him. His absence is felt deeply, but his legacy will continue to shape our work.
We are grateful for the nearly two decades Wayne shared with us. He made NWPP a warmer, more human place, and he will always be part of who we are—and we think he would like that best.
UPDATE FROM OUR PROGRAMS
After several years of construction, and many months of planning, two new beautiful apartment buildings opened for extremely low-income older adults who have experienced homelessness. The Julia West House and Kafoury Court (see page 4-5) together provide housing for 129 of the most vulnerable members of our community. NWPP is thrilled to have met its commitment to place 69 seniors at Julia West and 27 at Kafoury Court. But our work doesn’t stop there! All the clients we serve at the buildings will have ongoing case management services to support their housing stability.
In addition to placing clients into housing, our housing program continues to focus on housing retention. We know that the best way to address homelessness is to prevent it in the first place.
CONTINUED ADVOCACY
Our Advocacy program has successfully partnered with Oregon Law Center to get a new bill introduced into the Oregon State Legislature that will provide nondigital options for rental housing applications, building access, payments, and even utilization of washers and dryers. While digital access is great for so many of us, not everyone is able to or comfortable with using online apps and electronic devices for critical access to housing and amenities.
HUD CONTINUUM OF CARE FUNDING UPDATE
As we shared with you last November, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development made drastic changes to their annual “Continuum of Care” funding. This funding is critical to low income people throughout the country, and to NWPP’s clients. Instead of honoring HUD’s previous, Congressionally-approved plan that prioritized permanent housing, the Trump administration flipped the funding in favor of shelter, and added requirements that require providers to align with new, stricter criteria for service, and disqualified programs that focus on racial equity or serve LGBTQ+ individuals. On Jan. 9, 2026, at the direction of a court order, HUD reinstated the original 2024 NOFO (Notice of Funding Opportunity). This means that - at least for now - the Trump Administration’s plan has been stopped! Unfortunately, the situation is not completely settled. While the application process is now open for the original, permanent housing-focused funding, we are all awaiting a final court decision. We are hopeful the decision will support what Congress mandated and what would be best for our community: permanent housing.
LOOKING AHEAD
2025 was a very tough year for NWPP and those we serve. SNAP cuts, threats to key housing funding, state level cuts to eviction prevention, and the impact of so many of the current federal administration’s policies and budget cuts have resulted in harder times for the older adults we serve. Looking ahead, NWPP will maintain its commitment to providing housing assistance to older adults. We will do this by continuing our work to focus on the true integration of health and housing, advocating for more funding for our clients and others in our community who live on extremely limited incomes, and being ready to pivot our response to the continuing housing and homeless crisis without compromising our values.
THANK YOU
We can continue to do this critical work thanks to our generous donors. Click the thumbnail to view a message of gratitute from Laura Golino de Lovato, NWPP Executive Director.
