Thoughts from the Housing Alliance on the Existing Resources Budget Framework
The Oregon Housing Alliance believes that we must come together to meet the needs of the people impacted by the housing crisis, and lay a foundation of opportunity for every Oregonian—through good budget cycles and bad. The need to create this opportunity is even more dire as our affordable housing crisis is hurting families and…
Governor’s Budget highlights the need to invest in home for Oregonians
Today, Governor Kate Brown released her budget for the 2017-19 biennium. The budget included a substantial and needed investment in both new and existing affordable housing that will build or preserve 1,500 homes across the state. This is an important first step to begin to address the crisis we are facing in every corner of…
Three months to go until the 2017 Legislative session
The 2017 Legislative session is now less than three short months away. The Housing Alliance’s 2017 Housing Opportunity Agenda is nearly finalized, and we want to give you an update on our proposals and share the inside story on how we’ve gotten to where we are. The who, what, and how of Housing Alliance agenda-setting in…
The Housing Alliance is gearing up for 2017 Legislative Session
Fall is nearly here, and the 2017 Legislative session is just five short months away. The Housing Alliance’s 2017 Housing Opportunity Agenda is taking shape, and we want to give you an update on our proposals and share the inside story on how we’ve gotten to where we are. The who, what, and how of Housing…
Matthew Desmond’s ‘Evicted’ and the Solutions within Oregon’s Reach
Cross-posted from Neighborhood Partnerships’ blog. Matthew Desmond’s groundbreaking new book, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, uses the stories of Milwaukee, Wisconsin tenants living in poverty, their families, and their landlords, to illustrate the harsh and devastating consequences of eviction. Desmond also points us towards next steps. As he says, “a different kind…
Out of Reach 2016 Shows Oregon’s Rents Continue to Rise as Housing Crisis Continues
We know that everyone needs a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home. But according to the Out of Reach 2016 report just released Wednesday, renters need to earn $19.38 per hour — an increase of nearly $3 in one year—to comfortably afford a modest, two-bedroom apartment. Combined with a huge number of no-cause…
Envisioning the Future of the Housing Alliance
Oregon is at a critical juncture for housing opportunity, as communities in every part of the state face unprecedented challenges, including skyrocketing rents and home prices, record low vacancy rates, and thousands of Oregonians, including children, experiencing homelessness. The 2016 session may have just ended, but it’s already time to develop our legislative priorities and…
We Did It! 2016 Legislative Session Wrap Up
We came in to 2016 calling for bold action on housing opportunity. Communities throughout the state face unprecedented barriers to housing stability, and we selected a slate of policy and funding priorities to comprehensively address these challenges. Many of these bills changed throughout the process, requiring flexible and dynamic responses. In the end, a number of…
Approaching the Finish Line: Week 4 Legislative Update
The road to getting an important bill passed can take a lot of twists and turns. This is even truer when there are a variety of different bills coming together as part of a negotiated package. But the clock is ticking, and we need legislators to produce a strong set of housing policies to preserve…
Mid-Session Legislative Update
The short session is just past its halfway point, and the pace continues to accelerate! We are excited to see continued momentum around housing opportunity this session. A number of the proposals around tenant protections, inclusionary zoning, and land use are linked together as part of a proposed housing package but continue to move as…