letters
old neighborhoods served by Eugene’s
historic streetcar system, which was
constructed in 1907, peaked in 1913 and
transitioned into bus service in 1927.
Eugene’s streetcar system existed de-
cades before the city’s first zoning code
and long before any local neighborhood
plans were implemented. Walking near
these lines you’ll find an eclectic mix of
housing types, including duplexes, four-
plexes, bungalow courts, two-story apart-
ment buildings and single-family homes
all nestled among tree-lined streets.
Planning for the streetcar system and
the growth resulting from it created the
Fairmount and College Hill neighbor-
hoods. Fairmount was the first streetcar
line in 1907, extensions along Blair Blvd.
and toward River Road were the last in
1912. In several places, traditional middle
housing types were built as natural com-
plements to this transit system. Though
the streetcar is gone, many of these
homes still exist. This is a testament
to how easily middle housing types can
adapt to change; they represent long-
term resilience at the residential scale.
Looking a century down the road, it’s
obvious that having diverse housing op-
tions, along with a robust, non-carbon-
fueled transportation network, will be
critical to Eugene’s success. Today, the
average local household spends nearly
60 percent of their income on housing
and transportation costs alone, accord-
ing to the Housing + Transportation Af-
fordability Index.
The only way for that metric to im-
prove is if we create more diverse and af-
fordable housing options near where we
work, shop and play. What is old is new
again; creating more walkable neighbor-
hoods with easy access to transit is a key
step in helping to alleviate our housing
crisis and would be a lasting contribu-
tion to our future.
Colin Dean, AIA
Eugene
CORRECTION: The Friends of the Library
Book Sale mentioned in a letter to EW
(10/14) will be 10 am to 4 pm Nov. 13,
not Nov. 12 as last week’s letter from the
Friends said.
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O C T O B E R
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VIEWPOINT BY TIMOTHY MORRIS AND REBECCA MURPHY
Time to Address
Systemic Inequity
EUGENE NEEDS TO ADDRESS RENTERS IN ITS REDISTRICTING PROCESS
R
edistricting is a cornerstone of democracy and
a core component of good governance. The
redistricting process requires those drawing
the maps to consider communities of interest
to ensure fair representation in elected offices.
When mapmakers identify an imbalance, they
must adjust.
Renters are a community of
interest that must be considered
in the Eugene redistricting process.
At the state level, legislators govern
landlord-tenant law, rules for
housing development, the eviction
process and state rent assistance.
At the county level, our Lane County
commissioners appoint the board
of the regional housing authority,
Homes for Good, which manages
federal rent assistance and public
housing resources.
At the city level, city councilors
develop the rental housing code,
which governs habitability and
security standards. Additionally,
city officials permit rental housing
construction, decide zoning
regulations and have significant
power over the local renter market.
Individuals who rent their
primary dwelling are under-
represented in our government. Additionally, Black, Indigenous
and other people of color are much more likely to rent their primary
dwelling than whites. Renters have very little representation
in government. Not a single Lane County legislator or county
commissioner rents their primary dwelling.
Among the Eugene and Springfield city councils, only Leonard
Stoehr and Matt Keating rent their primary dwelling. Why are
renters under-represented? Systemic inequity. Gone are the
days where only white male landowners could vote. However,
it is apparent that to serve in elected office in 2021, property
ownership is still virtually required.
Renters are under-represented in Eugene because the
current boundaries have evolved over the years to “crack”
the majority population of renters throughout the various
City Council wards. Cracking is when a community is divided
across several districts. Cracking dilutes the voting power of a
community of interest across many districts to minimize their
electoral strength.
Eugene’s current and future City Council wards are
cracked against renters and non-owner occupied housing.
This is not a nefarious plot by city
staff or council members from
years back. That said, Eugene’s
district boundaries have evolved
over the years to disadvantage
renters in city elections. In 2020,
an unprecedented seven renters
ran for Eugene City Council. One
of them was victorious. There are
many factors that go into winning
a district election, but no one
can deny that geography plays a
significant role.
The state of Oregon just passed
its redistricting plan in a special
legislative session at the end of
September. As we do every 10 years,
the city of Eugene is currently
drawing its new maps. The city
has presented two maps. Both
make minimal changes, and fall
within the state guidelines for
redistricting. Typically, the city
maps pass without notice.
This is all well and good, but instead, Eugene should consider
alternatives as a way to correct systemic inequity.
Eugene has an opportunity to be thoughtful about this process
and make real change that addresses systemic inequity and
gives a voice to under-represented communities. The current
process has been lightning fast, with little opportunity for
public input, and did not engage communities of interest that
are unrepresented.
We are presented with two choices, neither of which will
meaningfully allow for actual representation for this community
which constitutes the majority of Eugene. Eugene needs to slow
this process down, and engage with the renter community to
draw maps that allow equal representation.
Renters are under-
represented in Eugene
because the current
boundaries have evolved
over the years to “crack”
the majority population
of renters throughout the
various City Council wards.
Rebecca Murphy is president of AFSCME 3267 Homes for Good, and Timothy
Morris is the executive director of the Springfield Eugene Tenant Association.
E U G E N E W E E K LY . C O M