Street roots
7
A u g. 1, 2014
Metro renews focus on creating affordable housing
BY EMILY GREEN
to apply.”
STAFF W R IT E R
According to the Bureau of Housing and
he greater-Portland area is in the
Urban Development, in Multnomah County
midst of an affordable housing crisis.
alone, there are more than 35,000 renting
Not only does need drastically
households making less than $20,800 a year.
outweigh availability — with some waiting
These households can’t afford to spend
years to access housing within their
more than $520 a month on rent, but this
financial means — those who do obtain
year the county’s median rent for a two-
affordable homes often find themselves
bedroom apartment rose to $922 per
living in substandard neighborhoods amid
month.
high crime rates and underfunded schools.
Bobby Weinstock, a housing advocate
Because of this, Metro Councilor Sam
with Northwest Pilot Project, said that about
Chase said he’s making increased access to
70 percent of those households are paying
affordable housing one of his primary goals.
more than half their income in rent, putting
The recent passage of his budget
them one financial emergency away from
amendment on “Housing Choice” marks the
homelessness. He also noted that aging
first time in eight years that the
baby boomers are causing the percentage of
metropolitan area’s regional government has elderly in need of affordable housing to
put â strong focus on affordable housing.
rapidly increase.
And this time, Chase said, it’s' about making
In the tour-county metropolitan region,
policy changes a reality.
affordable units only account for 4.5 percent
If you were to look at a map of affordable
of the total housing. Compounding this
housing structures in the Portland metro
troublesome scenario, a forecast published
area, you would see that most are heavily
by Metro in June predicted that over the
concentrated in economically depressed
next two decades, 65 percent of all rental
neighborhoods. You might also notice they
need in this same region will come from
are virtually absent from more affluent
households earning an income of less than
communities such as West Linn and Lake
$35,000 a year.
Oswego — communities that boast low crime
In 1997, Metro adopted an abstract,
rates and healthier school districts. In
ongoing policy to increase housing choices «
addition to this disparity of location, the
in order to give everyone the opportunity to
number of affordable dwellings doesn’t come live in a decent neighborhood.
close to meeting the growing demand fueled
In 2006, Metro created a Housing Choice
by the recent recession, and rent and
Task Force Implementation Strategy which
property value increases.
put Metro in a positive to advance the
The problems of the market shortage
production of workforce housing in the
span the lowest income levels through to
region. But that strategy stalled when Metro
what’s known as workforce housing: families was denied $5 million in grant funding from
making 60 to 80 percent of the median
HUD.
family income for the region.
“When the funding didn’t come through,
Home Forward spokesperson Shelley
the strategy was never picked up again,”
Chase said, “Now it’s time for action.”
Marchesi estimates her agency has roughly
20.0Q(|..h,puseholds waiting to occupy the '
Chase said that touch of thé reason the
2,654 apartments owned by the public
housing imbalance prevails, despite the
housing authority — meaning that for every
guidelines that were put in place by Metro’s
framework plan, “has to do with the policies
one of Home Forward’s occupied
in place — or not in place,” Chase said.
apartments, there are about 7.5 households
“There are many misimpressions about
waiting to move in. More than a third of
people that live in affordable housing,”
those waiting are elderly, disabled or both.
Chase said. “It’s critical that leaders in local
Applicants are actually waiting to get on a
wait list — the wait time for the property has jurisdictions understand the value of having
subsidized housing in our economy. Part of
to be less than 18 months — and some of
Metro’s effort will be to help elected and
Home Forward’s apartment communities
neighborhood leaders understand that
have wait times pushing 10 years.
When an applicant makes it onto a waiting everyone benefits from having a range of
housing choices in their community.” ,
list, Marchesi said, “It gives them hope, but
West Linn Mayor John Kovash and
until it comes, they may be living in the
Councilor Jody Carson came out in support
same dire circumstances that caused them
■
of the amendment.
community and making recommendations,
“Studies show that the economy is
they’ll be working within the community,”
stronger when there are a range of housing
he said, adding that he is very excited that
choices available,” Chase said. From
Metro is pursuing this issue again.
decreasing stress on roadways to children
Chase said that in the past Metro has
learning from exposure to diversity, Chase
largely taken an advisory role, conducting
said there is a broad range of reasons why
research and establishing voluntary goals.
communities benefit from an array of
“It hasn’t been enough to move things
housing choices.
forward,” he said,
Metro plans to use
noting that Metro has
the $200,000 made
made some progress
available with this
in jurisdictions such
amendment to identify “ 11% c r itic a l th a t leaders la
as Tigard, where new
successful affordable
lo c a l jn r ls ilc llo a s
affordable housing
housing financial tools
understand the va lue of
polices were adopted.
and policies in use
Chase said Metro
h a v in g s n b s K Iie d honslng
locally and in other
plans to work closely
parts of the country,
la « « ©cnnonsy. F a rt e l
with community
and then share them
e ffo rt w ill be to help groups and local
with leaders across
decision makers who
the region. It will work elected and neighborhood
leaders understand th a t
are most familiar with
with local
affordable housing
governments to
everyone benefits Ira n i
issues in their
identify the tools that h a v in g a range of Showing
will work best in their
communities to
choices la th e ir com w.nnltf«“ identify best
jurisdictions. The
difference this time, is
practices.
that Metro will then '
Giving tax
physically guide them
exemptions to
through the process of adopting new council developers who build affordable housing is a
codes, finalizing policy strategies and
popular tactic among some local housing
implementing tools that will make it easier
advocates. “Tax exemptions could be
for nonprofits and for-profits alike to create^
adopted in urban renewal districts,” said
homes that are within the financial reach of
Weit. “It’s an important element to develop
people who need them.
if your goal is to keep rents as low as
Metro will also add a full-time staff
possible. It’s the best way to decrease debt
member who will focus exclusively on
in a project.”
affordable housing issues and work closely
Miller said that perhaps “linkage fees”
with some programs Metro already has in
should be considered. Many cities such as
place, such as Transit Oriented
San Diego, Boston and Seattle employ
Development.
linkage fees on commercialexpansion and
Some housing advocates agree that
market-rate apartment construction. The
Metro’s efforts in the past have been largely
money garnered goes into a fund to build
unsuccessful, with many local governments
affordable housing.
passing over its affordable housing
In some cases, a little creativity can lead
recommendations.
to
real solutions. Martha McLennan,
“It’s difficult for a regional government to
executive director of Northwest Housing
do regulatory work,” said Ramsay Weit,
Alternatives, said it will be important for
executive director of The Community
Metro to teach communities to look for
Housing Fund. Ramsay thinks it would be
unique opportunities in their areas, such as
more effective if people and organizations
a surplus of land or a developer that’s
within the community who work in
coming in.
affordable housing communicated directly
“Corvalis built affordable housing above a
with local governments.
new library, and in Wilsonville they had Fred
Oregon Opportunity Network Executive
Meyer build affordable housing when rt‘
Director John Miller agrees that a
came in to develop — they got it by asking,”
grassroots approach would be a good
she said.
strategy. “Instead of going into the
ŒNTRALCITY
concern
Ending homelessness and
achieving self-sufficiency -
now roasting and distributing,
craft coffee.
Available for purchase at:
Follow Street Roots
on Facebook
and
Twitter!
New Seasons Market
Green Zebra Grocery
Food Front Cooperative Grocery
Chuck's Produce
C a ll u s for office co ffee accounts}
5.03-7 84-9263
• www.centralcifyooricein.oig' ■
facebœfc.cœi/Geritrcâaty Coffee
Thank you fo r giving a hand up in Portland and
supporting your neighborhood vendor!'
This m an
works.
So does
Street Roots.