New Data Shows Just How Unaffordable Portland’s Housing is For Most

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Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Brendan Murray, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Things are not getting better for renters in Portland. According to a new study, Oregon ranks fourth from the bottom in a list of the states with the most cost-burdened renters. Portland did not fare much better. According to the study, the Rose City has the tenth most cost-burdened renters of any city in the U.S.

The study, published by real estate website Apartment List, tracked U.S. Census data from 2007 to 2014. It tracked the percentage of household income spent for mortgage costs or gross rent. According to to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, households spending more than 30 percent of income for these housing costs are considered to be "cost-burdened."

Oregon has also seen more renters become cost burdened since 2007 than state other than Maine, South Carolina Idaho and Utah. Proportionally, only Wyoming and Alaska saw a larger share of residents become cost-burdened in the same time period.

Housing availability and affordability promises to be a major topic in the upcoming year’s campaign for Mayor of Portland. Candidates Ted Wheeler, currently Oregon State Treasurer, and Jules Bailey, currently a Multnomah County Commissioner, spoke to GoLocal about what can be done to stem Portland’s rising cost of living.

Jules Bailey

A “Two Part Problem”

In an interview on Monday, Bailey told GoLocal that he believes the issue of housing availability and affordability is one of, if not the, most important issue facing Portland today.

“It doesn’t surprise me at all” Bailey said of the high amount of cost-burdened residents in Portland and in Oregon.. “It’s a two part problem. Rents are getting higher and higher very quickly, and wages are not keeping up with that rise. Portland isn’t working for working families anymore.”

Bailey said that in order to truly address the housing crisis in Portland, both of its root causes will have to be attacked by those in power.

“First, we need to raise our minimum wage,” Bailey said. “We need to work with the Oregon State Legislature to find a way to have a gradual increase to $15 an hour. Family-supporting jobs are disappearing, wages aren't keeping up.”

Bailey also called for efforts to bring middle-class employers back to Portland.

“We also need to invest in manufacturing and infrastructure so there are more middle-income jobs,” Bailey said. “We need to remove the barriers to success in our city.”

Bailey also said that as Mayor he would push for more reasonably priced housing options in the city.

“We need more affordable housing so that the people who want to live and work and follow their dreams in Portland can be able to do so,” Bailey said. “We’ve had a lot of growth and success that have attracted people to our city and made the demand for housing go up. That’s great, but we can’t let that success choke out what made this city great.”

Ted Wheeler

Wheeler Wants More Housing

Wheeler told GoLocal that he believes that “more can and should be done to protect Portland residents from being priced out and moved out.”

“I spoke to a woman who dreads every letter she receives from her landlord, afraid that the next one will effectively be her pink slip from Portland,” Wheeler said. “We need to increase the Portland minimum wage to $15, expand market tools like inclusionary zoning, increase renter protections, and build more affordable housing.”

Wheeler said that he believes that a main catalyst for the problem is the lack of apartment units in the city.

“Portland is suffering from a severe lack of available rental housing,” Wheeler said. “In fact, we have one of the lowest vacancy rates in the nation. During the recession people flocked to our city, but we didn't build commensurate housing. More and more people are competing for less and less space, which is driving rents higher and pricing out many Portlanders. While increasing the supply of units is an essential part of any solution, we must also protect renters from abuse.”

Wheeler, like Bailey, advocated for an increase in wages. He also called for Portland residents and community members to turn their attention and efforts towards the housing crisis.

“There are dedicated experts and activists in Portland who can lend their time and talents to these challenges,” Wheeler said. “I met with tenant's rights advocates who are doing important work in the community, and I have assembled a policy advisory committee on affordable housing to vet some of the best ideas currently out there. Our regional partners, including A Home for Everyone, are doing great work and I plan to work with the coalition’s committee recommendations and action plan.”

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