OVERVIEW
Ezra Hammer is a results-oriented associate attorney in our land use practice. Ezra is passionate about housing, construction, and development and their nexus to local land use regulatory systems, leveraging over a decade of experience in land use, development, and housing sectors. He has a deep knowledge of local and state government policies pertaining to land use development and long-range planning coupled with an outstanding knowledge of municipal laws and procedures. Originally hailing from California, he moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2019.
Prior to joining Jordan Ramis, Ezra served as an executive team member at a national homebuilder, where he oversaw day-to-day operations across multiple departments including acquisitions, development, construction, sales, and home warranty. Previously, he ran the government affairs department for the regional chapter of the Home Builders Association, a preeminent trade organization for the homebuilding and construction industries.
With a special focus on residential and mixed-use projects, Ezra advises his real estate clients, ranging from property owners and developers to lenders, on matters that span the entire spectrum of complex real estate projects, including acquisition, land use approvals, development, and construction. He emphasizes risk mitigation throughout the life of a project and works to ensure that his clients can keep critical timelines and achieve key benchmarks.
Ezra is committed to philanthropy and civic engagement. He currently serves as a board member for Community Partners for Affordable Housing, a non-profit affordable housing developer that specializes in new construction and rehabilitation of existing buildings. He is also a member of the City or Portland Adjustment Committee, which reviews appeals to land use adjustment requests. Ezra also volunteers with the Legal Aid Society of Oregon Expungement Clinic, where he helps low-income Oregonians obtain criminal record expungements and gain access to critical employment and housing opportunities.
When not assisting clients, Ezra can be found hiking the local trails, riding his bike around Portland, and playing pick-up roller hockey.
Education
- Juris Doctorate, University of California, Hastings College of Law, 2012
- Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, minor in Public Policy, University of California Los Angeles, 2009
Admissions
- State of Oregon
- State of California
Membership and Activities
- Community Partners for Affordable Housing, Board of Directors (2020-Present)
- City of Portland Adjustment Committee (2020-Present)
- Legal Aid Society of Oregon, Expungement Clinic (2020-Present)
RESOURCES
Adaptive Reuse: A Powerful Tool to Reimagine Downtown Portland
August 28, 2023
An analysis of 2023 Oregon HB 2984 As we discussed in our roundup of housing-related legislation from the 2023 session, the state legislature took action to promote the conversion of underutilized commercial buildings to residential dwelling units. While a number…
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Will the 2023 Washington legislative action help solve the state housing deficit?
August 18, 2023
Washington State urban centers, like most growing communities in the United States, are facing a significant housing crisis. Recent polling shows that housing costs and homelessness are the two most important issues on Washingtonians’ minds. Governor Jay Inslee speaks regularly…
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