From The Director's Desk
Portland's "State of Housing" Report: A Call to Action
Last week the City of Portland published a report titled "State of Housing in Portland." For many of us living and working in the city, the report offered very few surprises. Instead, it provided hard evidence of realities and trends that we've known anecdotally for many years: A majority of families can't afford their housing costs; there are not enough affordable homes on the market to meet the need; wages have been stagnant as housing costs have skyrocketed; poverty has shifted east; and minority populations have been displaced from close-in city neighborhoods to the outskirts and suburbs. Market forces are not meeting the housing needs of the community, yet the city does not have the resources to keep up with the swelling demand. Now we have the facts to back up a reality we've witnessed developing for several years.
This picture is not unique to Portland. Eugene, Corvallis, Hood River, Bend, Roseburg, Medford and several Coastal communities can paint very similar pictures. Indeed, it does seem that the need is almost everywhere in the state. Many thanks to all of you who are working hard to reverse these trends. Your tireless dedication to solving this problem is invaluable. Throughout the state we have seen continued positive work despite these trends. When we have the resources, we can and do make a big difference in our communities. We just need more resources.
The good news is that some significant help may be on the way. In the capitol this session housing is on everyone's lips. The Governor has made "$100 million for housing" a priority. OHCS has emerged from its transformation process stronger than before, and ready for action. Lifting the ban on Inclusionary Zoning may actually happen! There are several housing related bills that are moving along with very little resistance. This is shaping up to be a very good session for housing but we still have a long way to go and will need your help to get there - watch for alerts and emails from us - and take action!
There is also a lot of work happening outside of Salem. Communities throughout the state are looking for affordable housing tools that would address their needs, and taking action to implement those tools. Oregon ON is about to work with many jurisdictions just outside of Portland to set strategies to meet their growing housing needs. It's refreshing to see that all around the state citizens and leaders are taking action.
Portland's "State of Housing" report may not have contained too many surprises, but it has served as a wake-up call to both the community and elected leaders. I'm optimistic that we will finally start to see needed significant investments in our affordable housing infrastructure throughout the state. As an industry we have the will and the skill to solve this problem. Together with our elected leaders we can create a less bleak picture - of the Oregon we all want to live in.
Thanks in advance for your continued help in this effort!
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