Street Roots • July 24-30, 2015
Portland Business Alliance: We can do better
he Portland Business Alliance took out a full-
regulations that limit rental rates and increases is
page ad a recent Oregonian with the title, “We
banned under Oregon statute.
can do better than this.” The ad goes on to say,
Minimum wage: Local governments continue to be
“Our city is experiencing a crisis on our streets and prohibited from setting local minimum wages —
in our parks. Every day thousands of people sleep something
in
that continues to hurt social services and
our parks and open spaces and panhandle our
working people, especially with the high price of
sidewalks. Turning a blind eye to
housing
people living on the street is not a
So, how about a full-page ad asking the legislature
humane solution to Portland’s
to take on any one of these important issues, or
D IR E C T O R 'S homeless crisis. Portland is better recruiting landlords to help end veterans
than this. Sign our petition to tell
DESK
homelessness?
Mayor Hales and Portland City
Where was the Portland Business Alliance when it
By Israel Bayer
Council that the people of our city came to supporting inclusionary zoning in the recent
want and deserve a better
legislative session, or supporting efforts to open the
solution.”
doors to a real estate transfer fee? Why aren’t
The petition goes on to say,
developers being organized to help contribute to a
“Portland is better than this. It’s time to get serious
local housing trust fund? Why aren’t Oregon hospitals
about addressing this long-standing problem that
being compelled to invest real resources to help
affects every person — residents, visitors, those in
house people currently homeless as a known
need of services — in the city. We need to provide
extension of health care? After all, aren’t most
more emergency and
hospitals seeing record
temporary shelters, an
profits?
area where the city
My open question to
ranks as one of the
the
business community
lowest compared to
is: Why do we continue to
other major metro areas.
blame City Hall and people
We need more humane
experiencing
solutions for people who
homelessness, when
want help because no
nothing will change unless
Portlander should have
we start working together
to sleep on the street.”
to tackle the problem
On it’s face, the
holistically?
campaign seems like a
Don’t get me wrong — I
practical call for housing
want City Hall to act too.
arid resources W - t
Street Roots would like to
something we can all
see the city commit to
agree on. In some ways,
giving a majority of next
Street Roots doesn’t
disagree. It’s time for
year’s budget surplus to
bold action on housing
housing, while also
and homelessness in our
supporting a public
city. There’s simply no
initiative to support
place left to turn.
housing and homeless
Saying that, buying a
services. Saying that,
full-page ad in The
simply blaming City Hall
Oregonian and
doesn’t really get us
orchestrating a Change,
anywhere longterm.
org petition seems like a
Believe us, we know.
sensational attempt to
We’ve been down that road
force the mayor into
before.
responding to the issue.
■' Targeting people
Here’s the thing.
experiencing homelessness in city parks and on
When it comes to having tools at our disposal to
sidewalks doesn’t really get us anywhere, either.
combat our housing and homeless crisis we are
Sweeping vulnerable people from public spaces isn’t
hurting badly. Here is a short-list of tools used in
the answer. Sweep people to where? The Westside?
other states that are prohibited at a local or state
The Eastside? Into the neighborhoods? It doesn’t
level.
■ Construction Excise Tax: Local governments are work. It’s inhumane and not even practical. Can we
move on?
barred from imposing excise taxes on construction
My point is, the Portland Business Alliance has a
projects.
real opportunity to help solve the problem of
■ Document Recording Fee: A constitutional ban
individual homelessness. Imagine business leaders
is in place on any new state and local taxes, fees or
helping negotiate ways to create more affordable
assessments at a time of sale or transfer of interest
housing units with developers or helping facilitate
in real property.
conversations with the homebuilders and the real-
■ Inclusionary Zoning: This option would let local
estate industry to find long-term solutions. Let’s all
governments adopt land use regulations that effect
work together to increase the minimum wage to
establishing unit, building, or parcel pricing. It is
support workers in Portland to maintain a healthy
prohibited under state law.
middle-class. Let’s find a way to make housing our
■ Real Estate Transfer Tax: The real estate
community’s number one priority. When that day
industry successfully imposed a constitutional ban
comes, the Portland Business Alliance won’t need to
against any new state or local taxes, fees or
buy an ad in The Oregonian - it will already be front
assessments at time of sale.
■ Rent control: The option to impose rent
page news.
■
Israel Bayer is the
executive director o f
Street Roots. You can
reach him a t
israel@streetroots. org
or follow him on
Twitter @israelbayer.
Page 3
Editorial
Write in
. If you would like
tohave
.
/
\
something
. thatyou’ve
written published
\
>
. iri our pages, or would
like to get involved as a
member of our reporting staff,
contact Managing Editor Joanne Zuhi at
503-228-5657, joanne^streetroots .org,
We ask that ail submissions include the
author’s name and contact information,
if available.
Street Roots
. 211 NW Davis S t
Portland, OR 97209
503-228-5657
Fax:503-227-3117
www.streetroots.org
www.news.streetroots.org
Hours: 7:30 a,m.-3 p.m. MorvFrL, 7:30
a.m.-2 p.m., Sat. and 7:30-11 a.m. Sun.
Advertising
Interested In advertising in Street Hoots?
Contact Israel Bayer at israeltstreetrcots.org
Staff
Executive Director Israel Bayer
israetoeetrocfc.org
Managing Editor Joanne Zuh!
joanne@streetroots.org
Vénder Coordinator Cole Merkel
cofe@streetroots.org
Operations Director Sarah Beecroft
Program Assistant Grace Badik, Jesuit
Volunteer, grace@streetroots.org
Development Director Sarah Cloud
Development Assistant Ann-Derrick
Galliot
Reporters Emily Green, Sue Zaiokar,
Ann-Derrick Galliot, Sarah Hansell, Lenora
Ko,.Sam Bouman, Jared Paben
Photographers Diego Diaz, Joe Glode
Canvasser Desmond Hardison
Board of Directors
Chairman Bruce Anderson
Vice-Chairman Brad Taylor
Treasurer Heather Stadick
Secretary Amber Bielman
Directors Rich Rodgers, Michael Anderson,
Leo Rhodes, Nora Coon, Darren Alexander,
Eddie Barbosa, Rachel Langford
Volunteers
Jan Bayer, John Barker, Stacey Heath, Brian
Ritchie, Anders Frederickson, Stephanie
Holum, Anjaii Rathore, Sam Bouman, Joanna
Chase, Zoe Klingmann, Haven Herrin, Eliese
Baker, Dan Jones, Rob Shyrock, Tom Ray,
Doug Spangle, Susannah Kamala, Jessica
Pollard, Christine Menges, Lee Ko, James Yu,
Siri Carlson, Diana Richardson, Sarah Wise
If you are interested in volunteering with
Street Roots, please submit a volunteer
application at streetroots.org/volunteer. Or.
call Volunteer Coordinator Grace Badik for
more information at 503-228-5657.