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Street Roots • August 11-17, 2017
Commentary
Time to move forward with an action plan for affordable housing
A liso n M cIntosh is
the deputy director
with Neighborhood
Partnerships, a
Portland-based
nonprofit that
advocates fo r housing
stability and
fin a n c ia l security fo r
Oregonians.
BY ALISON MCINTOSH
C O N T R IB U T IN G C O L U M N I S T
T ust a short month ago, the Oregon
J Legislature adjourned the 2017 session.
The Legislature had the chance to act
during the Legislative session to take a bold
step forward to address our state’s housing
crisis for the 4 in 10 people who rent their
homes in Oregon, and they failed.
Our housing crisis is complex, and
requires many approaches and solutions.
While the Legislature did act on many fronts
to address our housing crisis, one solution
in particular would have provided basic
protections for people who rent their
homes. House Bill 2004 would have given
people who rent their homes in Oregon
more stability and security than they do
today. Oregon’s Senate, a group of people
elected to solve problems and represent the
people of our state, failed to even consider,
much less pass HB 2004.
Tenants across Oregon are struggling
with no cause evictions and rent increases
they cannot pay. In southern Oregon towns
like Medford and Ashland, vacancy rates
hover near one percent. In Central Oregon,
places like Bend, Redmond, LaPine, and
Prineville, tenants all compete for the same
few apartments that come available each
month. In Hood River and at the coast, an
increasing number of vacation rentals mean
fewer and fewer apartments for families to
raise their kids. In the Portland metro area,
particularly in east county, rents go up a
staggering amount each year while wages
aren’t keeping pace.
We all need a safe, stable place to call
home regardless of whether we rent our
homes, own our homes, or are searching for
a home. And yet far too many of our
neighbors are sleeping in tents, cars,
shelters, under bridges or on a family
member’s couch.
Oregon’s laws allow tenants to be evicted
at any time, for no reason at all. Even
worse, because landlords can simply give
evictions “without a cause,” these evictions
can be given for discriminatory reasons or
to retaliate against a tenant who has
asserted their rights or asked for a repair.
In addition, Oregon’s laws allow landlords to
raise the rent as much as they want,
however many times they want, in a given
year.
While some cities, notably the city of
Portland, have enacted temporary
protections for renters, far too many
Oregonians live with the instability and
insecurity of knowing they can be asked to
leave at any time, for any reason.
The Legislature did make substantial
investments in preserving existing and
building new affordable housing, as well as
emergency rent assistance. These
investments will provide many thousands of
Oregonians with a safe and affordable place
to call home, and they are critical.
These investments are not enough. In
addition to these investments, we need
more from our Legislature. We need our
elected leaders to act boldly. We need our
elected leaders to pass policies to provide
basic protections to people who rent their
homes and we need our elected leaders to
allow cities across Oregon to be able to
prevent displacement through important
policies like rent stabilization.
We know we can solve the problems faced
by our communities.
Solving the housing crisis should be the
top priority of the Legislature. When every
child in Oregon has a safe and stable home,
kids will do better in school and graduation
rates will improve. When every senior and
family has a safe and stable home, our
community’s health will be stronger. When
parents have safe and stable housing, their
productivity at work increases. Housing
provides the foundation for all of our lives,
and when everyone has the safety and
stability of a home, so many other things fall
into place.
So what next?
Our elected leaders need to hear from
you - their constituents - to help them
understand that solving our housing crisis
should be one of their top priorities. The
Legislature needs to hear from you that
their work fell short.
So how are you going to act? Will you
attend one of your Legislators’ monthly
coffee sessions or town hall meetings? Will
you set up a meeting with other concerned
neighbors to ask them to act to address the ' ’
housing crisis? Will your congregation join
other faith groups across the state to solve
this problem? Let us know how we can
support you, and please make an action plan
today.
Our housing crisis impacts all of us. Our
community is better and stronger when we
all have a place to call home. We can solve
this problem. We’re counting on you.
At Health Share, we
believe good health is
more than what happens
inside your doctors office.
Good health starts in your
community and includes
staying active, eating
healthy food and getting
regular check-ups.
homeless?
Share your healthy habits
with family and friends. We
can all have better health
when we share it together.
Transition
Projects
Please call 855.425.5544
or visit 650 NW Irving Street
Better health
together.
www.heaUhshareoregon.org