Portland’s housing and homelessness crisis is not limited to downtown. It’s on every block in East Portland, yet City Hall focuses most of their attention in the downtown core. We are where most people go when they are priced out or swept out of other parts of the city. Instead of more empty promises, now is the time to take action. There is a path forward and we know what works: keeping people in their homes, offering a range of shelter options that meet different needs, and getting people housed quickly with supportive resources that will keep them stable. What we need most is a leader who can rally Portlanders together around proven solutions. I’m ready to step up to the plate.
Homeownership is increasingly out of reach for more and more Portlanders, especially people of color and East Portland residents. We need to build all models of homeownership, from regulated affordable ownership homes, to shared equity models like community land trusts, to efficiently built market-rate homes. We need to replicate successful programs from other places. And we need to support these efforts with new funding sources at the local, state, and federal level, building on decades of advocacy by experts.
Reports show that more than 30% of families in Multnomah County are struggling to meet their basic needs. As our city continues to grow and develop we need to ensure strong anti-displacement policies are in place. I would direct the City to fully fund rental assistance and continue to ensure renters have safeguards like eviction protection and relocation assistance. In addition, both renters and landlords benefit when educated on rental laws and protections. We must fully fund the Rental Services Office to publicize landlord-tenant laws and to provide resources and guidance to both landlords and tenants.
We need safe, affordable and accessible housing to end our region’s housing crisis. The City must invest in permanently affordable housing options, especially for chronically underfunded East Portland. This involves growing our construction workforce with apprenticeships and job training programs, and assessing our policies to make sure housing is truly affordable to East Portlanders. It also involves preserving the affordable homes we already have. We need to work with our partners and ensure these neighbors remain in their homes and we don’t lose precious affordable housing for the long term.
We must invest in the full spectrum of housing opportunities, from shelter options that are proven to work in Portland, to permanent supportive housing, affordable housing, a variety of homes to meet different people’s needs, and homeownership. In addition, we need to invest in real and effective ways to end homelessness for the people experiencing it, from mental health and addiction resources, to job training and placement, to housing vouchers, to funding living wages for social service workers who are the backbone of solving this crisis.
The City of Portland maintains a registry of all the rental housing units in Portland. Currently, the only information available is the address, how long it’s been rented, and if it is regulated affordable housing. Disability justice advocates have been asking the City for years to track accessible units. We need to track accessible units in our registry so that people with disabilities can be better able to find housing that meets their needs.
The reality is that we will not be able to build a home for everyone who needs it overnight, but in the meantime, we must treat every neighbor in our community with the dignity and respect they deserve. We cannot continue to spend our limited resources on inhumane and costly sweeps that only push vulnerable people out of sight and into areas like East Portland. I would direct investments in basic sanitation, water, and trash services to ensure our community is healthy and safe for every member. We must also fully fund and protect Portland Street Response so that people in crisis receive the professional, trained care they need.