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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 2016)
144TH YEAR, NO. 82 ONE DOLLAR DailyAstorian.com // MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2016 THE HOUSING CRUNCH A PERVASIVE PROBLEM WITH NO EASY SOLUTIONS Lack of housing could limit economic growth in county C By ERICK BENGEL The Daily Astorian latsop County has a housing crunch that touches all income levels, from low-wage workers to six-fi gure executives, from renters just starting out to would-be homeowners looking to plant roots. The shortage has no easy solu- tions, in part because it arose from a perfect storm of trends. Production of new homes and apartments stagnated during the Great Recession. As industry recov- ered and job creation picked up, con- sumers had more money to spend on housing. But pent-up demand ran headlong into static supply. The result is a low vacancy rate and few properties on the market. “We need more housing units. There’s no question about that at this point,” said Kent Easom, who serves on the Astoria Planning Commission and owns Easom Property Manage- ment. “It is an odd situation, because we went for many, many years with a higher vacancy rate and taking longer to rent things. And then, in the last two years, something exploded.” See HOUSING CRUNCH, Page 4A ABOUT THIS SERIES The housing crunch is everywhere in Clatsop County and impacts all walks of life. This week, The FIVE-PART SERIES Daily Astorian will examine the housing crunch through the eyes of elected officials, economic experts, real-estate professionals, developers, homeowners and renters. The series will explore the forces driving the issue, along with what is — and is not — possible for the North Coast to achieve. And, the coverage does not end this week, as the Astorian tracks the challenges and solutions going forward. Coming Tuesday • Astoria’s response to housing has lacked urgency • Emerald Heights is one of few affordable options Wednesday • Warrenton open to housing growth Thursday • Shortage in Seaside divides homeowners, labor force “WE NEED MORE HOUSING UNITS. THERE’S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT AT THIS POINT.” Kent Easom, owner of Easom Property Management who also serves on the Astoria Planning Commission • In Gearhart, vacation rentals and lack of infrastructure • Cannon Beach prioritizes workforce housing Friday: • County sees barriers to housing solutions Read the series and track the issue in the future at DailyAstorian.com/da/ housing-crunch Photos by Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian Joyce Senior, a Warrenton resident and employee at Oregon State University extension program, had some initial difficulty finding a rental in the area moving from the east coast. She is photographed here outside her place in Warrenton . Extension agent feels lucky to get a spot, knows others cannot Clatsop County needs balance between newbies and locals P reparing to move across the country from Clemson, South Carolina, to Clatsop County, Joyce Senior Googled and perused all the usual rental sites — Apart- ments.com, ApartmentFinder.com, Zillow.com — look- ing from Seaside to Hammond. She would fi nd a place she liked, then it would be gone in a week. Senior came close to putting a deposit down on a more economical apartment complex in Ham- mond, she said, before new co-workers came to her aid. See SENIOR, Page 5A The city of Astoria as seen from the air in July. Clatsop County’s housing shortage has no easy solutions with a lack of buildable space and community opposition to changing the character of the towns and cities. Prosecution rests case against State trooper Dyer accused killer Randy Roden hangs up his uniform Defense case to begin today dead. Her two brothers, 2 and 7 years old at the time, were taken into protective custody. An autopsy found Evangelina By EDWARD STRATTON Wing had died of battered child The Daily Astorian syndrome and blunt force trauma to the head. Her two brothers, 2 The prosecution rested its and 7 years old at the time, were case against accused killer Randy found badly abused, taken into Roden Friday after calling Dr. Car- custody and placed with foster ole Jenny, a pediatrician and child and eventually adoptive parents in Randy Roden abuse expert, to support the argu- California. ment that abuse caused the death of 2-year- Prosecutors have called the case of the old Evangelina Wing nearly two years ago. worst instances of child abuse in Clat- The toddler was found unresponsive sop County’s history. They charged Roden by her mother, Dorothy Wing, and Wing’s with aggravated murder, for which he live-in boyfriend, Roden Dec. 20, 2014. See RODEN, Page 9A After a call to 911, the girl was pronounced Aspiring offi cers should know realities of the job By ERICK BENGEL The Daily Astorian WARRENTON — In 32 years with the Ore- gon State Police, Tom Dyer, who retired this month, has seen things few people will ever see Tom Dyer — and, he said, no one should have to see. A Warrenton city commissioner running unopposed for his second term, Dyer served with the state agency in Beaverton for about six years, followed by more than 25 at the Asto- ria Area Command, which now operates in Warrenton. He spent his entire career as a patrol offi cer. See DYER, Page 5A