Street roots., February 20, 2015, Page 13, Image 13

Street Roots • February 20-26, 2015
Commentary
Page 13
Additional funding request could fuel new housing strategies
BY DAN SALTZMAN
our investments in housing development to
urban renewal areas, this flexibility would
allow us to move more quickly on
ur city lacks the tools and resources
opportunities to increase affordable housing,
to meet our various affordable
city-wide, beyond urban renewal boundaries.
housing goals. The shortage of
The
ability to quickly act on opportunities to
affordable housing coupled with
skyrocketing rents continue to strain our increase affordable housing options is
low- and middle-income families, leaving central to our efforts to end homelessness.
This funding would also allow us to take
some lower-income households on the verge
on new strategies to stem the tide of
of homelessness. For those seeking a
displacement in rapidly gentrifying
pathway out of homelessness, the low
neighborhoods. Part of this addition to the
vacancy rate offers few openings and
Housing Investment Fund would go to
steeper screening hurdles to overcome. Last
support land acquisition, a newer strategy
month, Portland was named the most
for the Housing Bureau. Land acquisition,
rapidly gentrifying city in America in this
or land banking, has been identified by
century — a phenomenon that is
several studies as a vital, long-term tool to
transforming the economic and racial profile
preserve the racial, ethnic, and economic
of our communities and forcing people of
diversity of neighborhoods. By acquiring
color, the elderly, and moderate-income
land for the purpose of developing
earners farther away from the opportunities affordable housing in the future, land
of the central city.
banking will allow us to control costs and
It is a crisis and, as Street Roots observed address displacement due to gentrification.
in a recent editorial, one that is harder to
We see immediate opportunities to
reverse with each passing year. There is
implement this in North and Northeast
already work underway at the city to identify Portland, where rising costs and
new tools to promote and encourage
gentrification have reduced the percentage
affordable housing development, but making of African Americans in the total population
Portland a more livable city for all of us
of the area by nearly half since 1990. What
remains a pressing resource question.
is perhaps most exciting about this
The city’s budget surplus projected for
opportunity is our ability to match, dollar-for-
the coming year presents us with an
dollar, city funds with bank and foundation
opportunity to get serious about our
private capital for the purpose of land
widening housing deficit, lasting solutions to acquisition.
homelessness, and the troubling trend of
The Bureau of Housing is also seeking
involuntary displacement. Last week, the , nearly $727,000 to support and strengthen
existing efforts to end homelessness in our
Housing Bureau requested more than
$7 million in additional funding from the city community. In January — together with
Mayor Charlie Hales and representatives
budget to address these issues. If approved,
from Multnomah County, the city of
most of that money would be dedicated to
Gresham, and Home Forward — I voted to
the Housing Investment Fund, a funding
approve an action plan to house all
source that offers more flexibility than tax
homeless veterans in our community by the
increment financing, our current primary
year’s end. It’s an ambitious plan, but one
funding for affordable housing. While the
we can achieve if we are willing to commit
rules governing tax increment dollars limit
C O N T R IB U T IN G C O L U M N IS T
■
Dan Saltzman is the
Portland city
commissioner in
charge o f the Portland
Housing Bureau
Better
health
adequate resources.
Another $1.6 million of the Housing
Bureau’s request would be dedicated to
helping a greater number of North and
Northeast Portland residents stay in their
current homes by expanding housing
retention programs to reach those who
need them the most. The Housing Bureau
has allocated $4 million in tax increment
financing over five years to home retention
programs like grants and loans for critical
By acgolrlag laad lo r Iho parpóse ©f ie w le p la g
affordable bowsing la the lata«? land baaklag
w ill allow as fio ooatrol costs and address dis-
plaeemeat dae to g eatrlfloalloa.
home repairs, but those funds are limited to
the Interstate Urban Renewal Area.
Neighbors who live just across the street
from those boundaries, and who may be in
equal need of loans or grants to repair
failing roofs and foundations cannot access
those resources. A new roof in the amount
of $8,500 for many of these residents,
particularly the elderly and disabled, can
mean the difference between staying in a
family home or being displaced. These
General Fund dollars, however, would allow
the City to expand these programs beyond
the URA boundaries to address the
demonstrated need throughout North and
Northeast Portland.
Some have called the size of this request
bold. I would argue that it doesn’t go far
enough. These trends demand bold action.
These are smart investments that maximize
one-time public funds with private
partnerships and long-term strategies.
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