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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 6, 2019)
March 6, 2019 Page 5 Rent Control Law Signed by Governor C ontinueD from p age 2 who control the Legislature say the state’s housing crisis justified passing the bill as an emergency measure. In hearings for the bill passed, tenants testified that they have struggled to keep up with sky- rocketing rents, with many said they’ve been forced from their homes. Kori Sparks, a resident of the fast-growing city of Bend, said she relies on disability and has “to deal with the stress of losing an accessible home on short notice.” She said rent control will pro- tect vulnerable people from “a predatory system where profit comes before people and denies them of a basic human right.” Builders in Oregon have not been able to construct enough houses and apartments to meet the demands of the thousands of people moving to the state for jobs and in some cases, for a lower cost of living. Many people move to the state from California. A state report estimated that a renter would need to work 77 hours a week at minimum wage to afford a 2-bedroom apartment. One in three renters in Oregon pay more than 50 percent of their income on rent, far higher than the Congres- sional-set definition of housing af- fordability, which suggests setting aside 30 percent toward rent. In the Portland metropolitan Oregon Gov. Kate Brown holds a ceremony Thursday to sign a rent control law at the State Capitol in Salem. The bill ismeant to address a housing crisis that has touched every corner of the state. (AP photo) area, the average rental unit costs about $1,400 a month, according to data released by the city. Ore- gon is also suffering from a lack of affordable housing and has one of the highest rates of homelessness in the country. Landlords and developers ar- gued that rent control would make the housing crisis worse, saying investors will now be less willing to build or maintain properties. “History has shown that rent control exacerbates shortages, makes it harder for apartment owners to make upgrades and disproportionately benefits high- The Annual Balm In Gilead HIV/AIDS And Health Initiative EVENTS • Balm In Gilead Breakfast & Health Forum at the Lorenzen Auditorium at Legacy Emanuel Hospital 2801 N Gantenbein Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97227 When: Saturday, March 09, 2019 at 10:00 A.M. • Balm In Gilead HIV/AIDS And Health: Healing and Prayer worship service at Maranatha Church, 4222 NE 12th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97211 When: Sunday, March 10, 2019 at 3:30 P.M. Sponsored By: Albina Ministerial Alliance (AMA) er-income households,” said Doug Bibby, president of the National Multifamily Housing Council, a national association representing apartment building owners. The governor acknowledged that rent control alone isn’t enough, and that the state needs an “all hands on deck” solution. Brown has proposed a $400 mil- lion investment in affordable housing solutions in her two-year budget proposal. “It will take much more to ensure that every Oregonian, in communities large and small, has access to housing choices that allow them and their families to thrive,” she said. --Associated Press
