AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING for the poorest people in
Portland’s downtown core has decreased 23 percent in the last three
years, despite a city policy aiming to preserve it—according to a
report just issued by the Portland Development Commission (PDC).

The report is issued every three years to check the progress of the
city’s “No Net Loss” affordable housing policy. It shows that housing
for people earning zero to 50 percent of the “median family income” has
fallen considerably—in Oregon, median family income is $67,500
for a family of four, or $54,000 for a family of two. Meanwhile,
housing for those at 50 percent or more of the median income has
remained relatively stable.

“The way the report is worded, it only says that the city is on
track to meet its affordable housing goals,” says Michael Anderson with
the Oregon Opportunity Network. “But the statistics don’t bear that
out, if you look beneath the surface.”

Anderson says PDC has historically been defensive on the issue of
affordable housing because of its primary role as an economic
development agency—he hopes the city’s new housing commissioner,
Nick Fish, can push the issue more aggressively over the coming months.
“It’s fair to say that in the past, PDC staff have been given two sets
of opposing directives on this issue,” says Anderson.

“There’s some good news and some bad news,” says Fish, about the
report. “Clearly, the need for affordable housing is growing,
especially in this recession and following the housing boom of the last
few years.”

Fish says his office is working to build 550 “No Net Loss” housing
units in the downtown core over the next two years, including 130 units
above the planned Resource Access Center for the homeless, 138 units in
the Pearl District, and 176 units in the Rose Quarter. “Let’s look back
in two years and see the progress on those plans,” says Fish.

Matt Davis was news editor of the Mercury from 2009 to May 2010.

4 replies on “Hard Times”

  2. How did the PDC arrive at $67,500 is median for a family of four and $54,000 is median for a family of two?

    That is up $10,000 to $15,000 per family over one year while the unemployment rate has risen to 12%. Matt are you sure these are the real median income numbers? Somebody is playing with the numbers.

    Find out who and why they are doing it. That is the real story Matt.

  3. Median income means half the folks in that category make more money and half the folks make less. If the median income level is artificially raised then you can say more expensive housing meets the criteria of affordable for those making 50% of median income.
    With so many people losing jobs over the last year and the job market becoming so competitive why are incomes rising?

    I think someone is playing with the numbers at the request of a policy maker.

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