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JESSE TISE

The Metro Council has voted to place a $652.8 million regional affordable housing bond on the November ballot. The measure is expected to construct new low-income homes for up to 12,000 people around the Portland metro region within seven years. That's about 3,900 homes.

Up to 50 percent of that housing would be specifically created for people making 30 percent of the region’s median family income, and no more than 10 percent of homes would be offered to people making 60 to 80 percent of the median family income. Half of the new homes will be be large enough for families to comfortably move into, with at least two bedrooms.

For voters in Metro's tri-county region (spanning Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas counties), a yes vote means handing over an annual $60 per household to fund housing construction. The housing won't be split equally: an estimated 45 percent of the homes will be built in Multnomah County, 34 percent in Washington County and 21 percent in Clackamas County.

"I consider this moment historic," said Martha Bennett, Metro COO, at today's council meeting. This is the first time Metro, known best for managing the zoo, a number of expansive regional parks, and (most importantly) solid waste, has considered a regional ballot measure that specifically targets housing.

Which, for Metro staffers, called for five months of extensive research, community outreach, and meetings with housing experts. And polls.

The latest poll, conducted in February, found the affordable housing bond had a 63 percent approval rating among tri-county voters. That's the same percentage of Portlanders who approved the city's $258.4 million housing bond in November 2016.

But there's another significant vote that could change the way this program rolls out. The bond will share the November ballot with a statewide measure to amend the Oregon Constitution. If approved, this amendment would allow government entities to parter with private businesses on voter-approved bonds. In other words, Metro could rely on nonprofits with decades of affordable housing expertise—like Central City Concern or Transition Projects—to run different bond-funded housing programs.

The current state constitution includes a onerous 19th-century amendment that explicitly bans these types of partnerships, which has thrown a wrench into Portland's housing bond roll-out. Both Metro and City of Portland staffers have testified before the state legislature in favor of the amendment passing.

If the amendment does not pass, Metro’s promises drastically shrink. The bond would only be able to house around 7,500 people with 2,400 affordable homes.

The Metro Council voted to approve the bond after three hours of public testimony, with only two speakers in opposition to the measure reaching the ballot. Most thanked the council for its commitment to a widespread solution to a widespread issue that specifically targets families and people of color.

"In my field, racial equity is a very overused term. It's easy to say, but a lot harder to do in practice," said Sahaan McKelvey, a co-director of Self Enhancement, Inc (SEI). "Families who need supportive housing, those are communities of color. This housing bond is an opportunity for us to take tangible steps toward learning racial equity."

At least four speakers, including Metro Councilor Betty Dominguez, were brought to tears during the hearing. One man, Murray Ruhland, choked up while explaining how his mother's illness and eventual death forced him into homelessness. Ruhland, who had shared a home with his mother, spent a year living out of his car with his dog (who was in attendance) in a WalMart parking lot.

"There are so many people sleeping in their cars or on the streets, and that's not right," Ruhland said. "There's got to be a better way."