The Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors® (PMAR) is taking the lead on increasing homeownership rates in the region through their Regional Homeownership Opportunities Summit, held June 5th at the Ambridge Event Center, 300 NE Multnomah, from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Oregon is ranked only 44th in the nation in homeownership rates, with 65.7% of the population owning a home, according to a U.S. Census Bureau’s 2007 study. For many working families, owning their own piece of the American Dream seems out of reach as homeownership costs continue to outpace income levels.