renterstateofemergency-blog

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“Ideas like land trusts, density bonuses, tenant protections, and building code changes are explored and detailed like a menu of options local and state governments can put into place. And Metro soon will pilot a grant program to help cities around our region implement the changes they would like to see in their communities. 

Unfortunately, no single policy tool will solve the problem of housing affordability. And no single city in our region should have to bear the burden of addressing this issue alone.  “

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“the renter protections are inferior to those already in place in Portland, and the inclusionary zoning provision is relatively weak—the “affordable” units need only to be attainable for families making 80 percent of the area median income.

Housing advocates such as CAT executive director Justin Buri mourn the compromises they had to make to get these bills passed. “It is disappointing that tenants are not prioritized in the way other constituencies are,” he says. Still, the year’s organizing efforts had big wins, too: changing the conversation about tenants and winning new allies in the environment and labor movements.”

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“If Portland is trying to be this model of sustainable, livable, walkable, 20-minute cities, and it’s not racially diverse and it’s not class diverse, we’ve got big problems about what that means for anywhere else,” says Lisa Bates, a professor of urban planning at Portland State University. “Is it only viable to use public resources to create a favorable environment if you get rid of all the undesirable people?”

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“ Saturday, she got a notice that her rent was going up 62 percent, forcing the 87-year-old on a fixed income to move.“

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According to Governor Brown, 1 out of every 3 Oregonians spends more than 50% of their paycheck on housing.

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“ “What are you supposed to do? 43 percent increase. Just out of the blue.”

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Oregon Opportunity Network, The Community Alliance of Tenants, JOIN: connecting the street to a home and Street Roots are sponsoring this candidates forum focused on housing, renters protections and homelessness.

When:  Friday, April 8 at  3 PM -  5 PM

Where: First Unitarian Portland,1211 SW Main St, Portland, Oregon 97205

Please join us for an opportunity to hear candidates speak to their plans to address Portland's housing crisis. The forum will be moderated by Shannon Singleton, JOIN's Executive Director. The forum will be held at the Eliot Chapel of the First Unitarian Church. This event is free and open to the public. (Note: all current mayoral candidates will be invited to participate.)

[renterstateofemergency-blog]

Come One, Come All.  We'll take a look back at lessons and wins from the Oregon Short Legislative Session and the #RenterStateOfEmergency Campaign.  

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“For three years in a row, Oregon has been the number one moving destination in the US, according to a study by United Van Lines, further exhausting already tapped housing.

Landlords, too, are feasting on a favorable market, with no cap on yearly rent increases, and no obligation to provide a reason for evicting a tenant.

“The market conditions have given the landlords a chance to really spike the rents and take advantage, even if they’re not upgrading the unit at all,” said Justin Buri, executive director of the Community Alliance of Tenants (CAT), Oregon’s only statewide tenant-rights organization”