Congratulations to all who volunteered across the state to ensure the passage of both Measures 102 and 26-199, making it much easier for local communities to create more affordable housing throughout the state, and in the Portland metro region, investing roughly $653 million to build 3,900 homes housing up to 12,000 people. A big shout out to Beckie Lee, Yes for Affordable Housing campaign manager, and her amazing team that ran a strong and effective campaign. I want to recognize the tireless extra effort Kari Lyons-Eubanks, with the Welcome Home Coalition, and Alison McIntosh, with the Housing Alliance, put in helping out with numerous door-to-door canvases and phone banks.
Now the challenge moves to implementation, which was a topic of conversation at today’s Portland Metro Policy Council, with 30 Portland area affordable housing leaders meeting with Shannon Callahan, Director of the Portland Housing Bureau, as well as receiving an update from Metro’s Jes Larson on their implementation framework and timeline.
At the same time this month, multiple Housing Alliance workgroups are wrapping up developing their recommendations for legislative priorities for the 2019 session. Housing Oregon is working with the Oregon Center for Public Policy and Housing Alliance to revitalize the Mortgage Interest Deduction Coalition with our legislative champion Rep. Alissa Keny-Guyer. The MID is the state’s biggest housing subsidy benefitting those who least need help owning a home – Oregonians at the top of the income ladder. House Bill 2006, introduced in 2017, was a first step towards raising awareness about a strategy that could potentially raise hundreds of millions targeted towards addressing Oregon’s affordable housing crisis.
So, take a deep breath – the elections are over. I look forward to engaging our Housing Oregon members and working with ally organizations to finalize and advance our collective affordable housing agenda for 2019.
In partnership,
Brian Hoop, Housing Oregon Director