What Do Metro Area Candidates Know About Public Housing? #6

Metro Area Candidates Public Housing Reality Show - Episodes 1 - 5 RECAP (see below)

Metro Area Candidates Public Housing Reality Show - Episode 6

There are 110 neighborhoods in Multnomah county. Thirty of them have >0 & <5% Public Housing households. Thirty-five neighborhoods have 0% Public Housing. That means that 40% of Multnomah county neighborhoods are carrying the responsibility for almost 100% of the Public Housing. Seem like a fair and defensible public policy to you? Or do you sense a covert nimbyism and economic segregation?

One way to mitigate this inequity is to support a graduated surtax on property within a neighborhood with 0 to 5% Public Housing households where those taxes would be dedicated to establishing Public Housing in neighborhoods with less than 5% Public Housing households.

So the question arises: Do you support a graduated surtax on property within a neighborhood with 0 to 5% Public Housing households where those taxes would be dedicated to creating Public Housing in neighborhoods with less than 5% Public Housing households?

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 support a graduated surtax on property within a neighborhood with 0 to 5% Public Housing households where those taxes would be dedicated to establishing Public Housing in neighborhoods with less than 5% Public Housing households. I am not inclined to face the wrath of voters in those privileged neighborhoods.

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 5 RECAP

Do you support a rebate of all new property taxes to households that quality for Public Housing i.e. <=80% MFI?

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

NO. I do NOT support a rebate of all new property taxes to households that quality for Public Housing i.e. <=80% MFI. It is unfortunate but unavoidable that every time property taxes are increased some, if not many, of those renters and homeowners who are on fixed or low-income are forced to move or become homeless.

Metro Area Candidates Public Housing Reality Show Episode 4 RECAP

Have you demonstrated your support for SAFMR by telling the Public Housing Authorities of Multnomah, Washington and/or Clackamas counties that you support SAFMR and you would like their opinion on how SAFMR would enhance Equitable Distribution of Public Housing?

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

NO. I do NOT support the SAFMR program NOR Equitable Distribution of Public Housing in Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties. My policy preference has been and continues to be 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.

Metro Area Candidates Public Housing Reality Show Episode 3 RECAP

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?

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.

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:

or me to take is to support the status quo which conflates the mutually exclusive definitions of PUBLIC 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.