What Do Metro Area Candidates Know About Public Housing? #3

Metro Area Candidates Public Housing Reality Show - Episodes 1 & 2 RECAP (see below)

Metro Area Candidates Public Housing Reality Show - Episode 3

By voting in favor of a 653 million dollar Public Housing bond on November 6, 2018 and a Public Housing income tax of $250 million on May 19, 2020, Metro Regional Government voters confirmed Public Housing as a REGIONAL POLICY matter. This is now an established indisputable fact, Public Housing is a regional issue. But what does that mean? It means that every Public Housing, which includes the homeless, policy and spending decision made by any Metro area public jurisdiction MUST be considered within the parameters of REGIONAL NEEDS. This will have a dramatic and profound effect on every elected official within the Metro jurisdictional catchment with regard to their Public Housing decision making, especially those actions that involve spending of taxpayer dollars and proposed locations for Public Housing, which includes the homeless.

Inherent within the Metro regionalizing of Public Housing policy is Parity of Public Housing Households among Clackamas (3%), Washington (5%), and Multnomah (11%) counties. Parity of Public Housing households among the Metro counties is the touchstone by which all related policy and spending decisions must be measured. All other policy arguments to the contrary are indefensible, meritless, NIMBY and economic segregationist.

So the question arises: Will you publicly acknowledge that Parity of Public Housing Households among Metro counties is the touchstone by which all related policy and spending decisions must be measured before the November general election on November 3, 2020?

Thomas Anderson, Metro 3

Gerritt Rosenthal, Metro 3

Mary Nolan, Metro 5

Chris Smith, Metro 5

Nafisa Fai, Washington 1

Jeffery Hindley, Washington 1

Ken Humberston, Clackamas 4

Mark Shull, Clackamas 4

Ted Wheeler, Portland Mayor

Sarah Iannarone, Portland Mayor

Chloe Eudaly, Portland 4

Mingus Mapps, Portland 4

Lasey Beaty, Beaverton Mayor

Denny Doyle, Beaverton Mayor

As expected, all of the above indicated their acceptance of the following position:

NO. I do not accept the Metro voters' decision to recognize Public Housing as a regional issue so Metro has no obligation to articulate or defend any regional Public Housing policy involving location, funding or spending. I support the status quo disproportionate distribution of Public Housing households within Metro based on NIMBY and economic segregationist values.

Dear Reader/Voter, are you impressed? You are encouraged to contact them. If their answers differ from what you read above then please let me know. Thank you.

Stay away from crowds especially indoors. Wear a mask. Practice social distancing. Stay safe. Keep others safe.

Richard Ellmyer

North Portland

Author of more stories on the politics, players and policies of Public Housing in Oregon over the last nineteen years than all other journalists and elected officials combined.

Author of The Ellmyer Report, a newsletter that informs, educates and influences on public policy. Occasionally distributed to more than a quarter of million readers in Oregon and beyond. Facebook, Portland Politics Plus . Opinion contributor to Patch.com news.

Metro Area Candidates Public Housing Reality Show Episode 2 RECAP

Are you taking immediate action to STOP and ABANDON the hard-walled homeless camp project on private property at 8005 N. Richmond Ave?

As expected, all of the above indicated their acceptance of the following position:

NO. I support the current status quo policy of Targeted, Unlimited Neighborhood Concentration of Public Housing which allows government to load the neighborhoods of its choosing with up to 100% Public Housing. I also support the current status quo policy of denying the establishment of goals which would aim public policy and funding toward of a minimum of 5% and a maximum of 15% Public Housing households per neighborhood in Portland and Multnomah county.

Metro Area Candidates Public Housing Reality Show Episode 1 RECAP

When you speak or write about households whose current access to housing involved meeting the following criteria i.e. Means Test (<=80%MFI) + Government Subsidy (any government any type) + Rental Agreement, what words do you use?

As expected, all of the above indicated their acceptance of the following position:

BLIC HOUSING with AFFORDABLE HOUSING. Since everyone supports the idea of Affordable Housing but there is considerable controversy over Public Housing it’s politically convenient to avoid defending the facts and obfuscate the truth.