Read that headline carefully. There’s a tendency to misread anything that suggests strategies could deliver something that seems so unachievable in Vancouver.
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The rush is on to build affordable housing
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Community activists have been complaining about the lack of affordable housing for years, saying that the shortage is contributing to homelessness and the displacement of low-income minorities from the gentrifying parts of Portland.
But within the past few months, the complaints have turned into a scramble to support a wave of affordable housing initiatives at the local, regional and state level. New programs are being implemented or considered by the city of Portland, Multnomah County, Metro and the 2015 Oregon Legislature. Although the activists don’t claim the initiatives will solve all of the housing problems, they are amazed by the increased focus on the issue. …
The larger number of Democrats in the Oregon Legislature as a result of the 2014 elections also is playing a role, she says.
“Affordable housing issues are getting more traction in Salem,” Adkins says.
As discussed by the activists, “affordable housing” is a broad term that means many things, from free housing for the homeless to housing with payments structured for those earning a certain percentage of the state’s median income. It also has come to mean programs that directly subsidize housing costs, such as rent supplements. Here are some of the current affordable housing initiatives:
