portland city commissioner candidate q&a

8/3/2019 Portland City Commissioner Candidate Q&A

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CITY COMMISSIONER

CANDIDATES FORUM Q&AON HOUSING


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SPONSORED BY:1

PORTLAND CITY COUNCIL

1POSITIONAMANDA FRITZ

MARY NOLAN

TERESSA RAIFORD

I will continue to uphold civil rights for all. I was a key leader in negotiating the Sharing Public Sidewalks ordinance,for the rst time providing resting places for people to sit, lie, and exercise free speech and assembly on downtownPortland sidewalks while simultaneously making sure workers, residents and businesses can also use the sidewalksafely. I meet monthly with everyone wishing to discuss sidewalks issues, in the Sharing Public Sidewalks groupwhich is open to all and attended by many different interests. It helps business owners, public safety staff, peoplewho live outside, social service providers and advocates get to know each other as real people with shared valuesand common goals. I volunteered to take on this role even though I am not in charge of Housing, Parks, Police, orDevelopment Services. It is an example of how I add value to the City Council, getting results on challenges thathave not been resolved before.

I will continue to support the Human Rights Commission in their work with the Community and Police Relationscommittee, and other education and accountability mechanisms in the new Ofce of Equity and Human Rights.

I worked with others on the Council and the Auditor to approve two overhauls to the Independent Police Review system. In the majorrevisions in March 2010, I delayed the vote for two weeks to allow more community and staff review. More than 100 amendments weremade between the rst and second hearings, greatly improving the adopted version.

Continued and expanded crime prevention services

Improved coordination of emergency police response with ongoing (and acute) human and health services

Consistent respect for individuals liberties, and consistent application of state laws as well as city ordinances

Effective partnerships to make Portland an attractive location for industrial and commercial investment thatexpands family-wage employment

I will balance the civil rights of people living in poverty that are experiencing public safety issues such as violence,health, and homelessness with a libertarian approach. I will expand the safety strategies and plans to ensureyouth and adults in our City are guaranteed the promise of security we are all afforded under the United StatesConstitution. The Oregon Health Department views violence as a community health issue and we need to utilizethat effort and develop safety measures that can be sustained for all citizens and especially the homeless, youth,

elders and women who in large are highly affected by violent crime.

How will you balance the civil rights of people

experiencing poverty and public safety in Portland?


3/15R

SPONSORED BY:

STEVE NOVICK

JERI SUNDVALL-WILLIAMS

MARK WHITE


4POSITIONI dont think the civil rights of people experiencing poverty and public safety are generally in conict. I will workhard to alleviate poverty and the effects of poverty, and will work hard to keep the public safe. If you are askingabout issues like the sit-lie ordinance, I very much want to hear all of your thoughts on that ongoing debate. In thepast several months I have been surprised at how many different perspectives - based on different assumptionsabout facts - I have heard on sit-lie. Are there really a lot of visitors to downtown who feel threatened by homelesspeople? Do they really have good reason to feel threatened? Are the people who seem threatening really homelesIf so, have they been offered services? Or are the people most likely to seem threatening most likely to rejectservices? Please help me get a better understanding!

One way to nd a way to create balance is to have those most directly affected by the decisions being made at thetable. Historically this has not been done enough. Hard conversations can bring about amazing results and we canbe afraid to work past political politeness and push for innovative and realistic results. We need to come up withsome really new thinking that includes the thoughts of those most directly affected at the table.

Poverty and homelessness are not criminal acts and should not be treated as such. With this core value in mind,rst responders should have ancillary training to help them understand and be able to appropriately respond whenpoverty and public safety intersect. Training and continuing education should be part of an ongoing effort to ensurethey have the most current knowledge and techniques to do their jobs well and to efciently adapt to a constantlychanging work environment. However, addressing poverty head-on should be our primary focus. I feel the best

course of action is to address the underlying cause for many of those experiencing poverty a lack of meaningfulemployment opportunities for those at the lower end of the socio-economic scale while working on a parallel tracto minimize the immediate impact on all those now experiencing poverty. Housing folks is a small piece of the overapicture. Providing support to help them lift themselves out of poverty and to ensure they have the knowledge, tools,and support systems necessary to keep themselves from returning to that experience should be our main goal. This

approach will address the needs of many, but for those with issues that go beyond that of simply providing employment opportunities thatlead to full selfsufciency, we should be prepared to work toward ensuring the full spectrum of need is addressed and they are supportedrespected, and valued at all points along the way.

How will you balance the civil rights of people

experiencing poverty and public safety in Portland?


4/15R

SPONSORED BY:3



MARY NOLAN

TERESSA RAIFORD

How has gentrication impacted communities of color and

the inequities they face? What has the Citys role been in

gentrication and what should its role be in addressing its

affects on communities of color in Portland?

When I read the Urban Leagues State of Black Oregon report in 2009, and the Coalition of Communities of Colorreport in 2010, I said to Mayor Adams, Were not going to put these reports on the shelf, right? Were going todo something to correct the appalling outcomes. In response, in partnership with the communities most affected,we are creating the Ofce of Equity and Human Rights. This high prole bureau under direct accountability from aCommissioner in Charge, the Mayor and the entire City Council, is needed to correct the inequities. The communitydemanded this approach, and I responded.

I have worked hard to earn the trust of leaders in communities of color. Many initially said, Why should I participateThis has been done before, it has failed, I dont want to be hurt and put my time in for nothing again. The Ofce ofEquity and Human Rights is being created in partnership with communities of color and communities with disabilitieIts success requires my personal dedication and commitment on the Council. Equity is not like some bureaus, which

any intelligent progressive Commissioner can lead. It requires ongoing trust-based partnerships.

The Ofce of Equity and Human Rights will change the way all City staff think and ask questions, leading to changes in actions in everybureau which will result in better outcomes throughout the community. I am locating it in the same building with Housing, in part to promospecial attention and partnerships on the issues cited.

Over the past few decades, gentrication displaced many long term residents of close-in neighborhoods. Whilemany of the forces behind this were beyond the control of City Hall, the Citys own neighborhood revitalization effortof the 1993 Albina Community Plan substantially (even if inadvertently) accelerated gentrifying Inner Northeast .The possibility of gentrication was recognized at the time. Some proponents recommended measures to increaseaffordable housing through density bonuses and other techniques. Others believed that the neighborhoods were toofragile to support more low income housing. At the time, the decision was that affordability measures could be adde

later. Unfortunately property values increased much faster than anticipated, and affordability measures were too littltoo late. At the same time tax increment funds planned for housing were diverted to light rail. Other than the Hope Vefforts to improve existing housing projects, very little was done to counter gentrication.

As the City works to improve other neighborhoods outside downtown, I will push to assure that top priority be focuseon serving the housing needs and employment opportunities for people who already live there. Programs to assist in maintaining orachieving homeownership, to acquire existing single- and multi-family housing units to maintain a stock of affordable family rental units, anthe creation of new smaller-scale mixed income projects are all tools that the City should use to create balanced, prosperous communities

The City of Portland has promoted the benets and development of our current urban gentrication which is the

result of the gentrication of the poor and people of color. Its evident with the outward marketing of and creditsgiven to those who locate in the historical districts where people of color reside. The city provided informationregarding credits and benets of available property both commercial, and residential as investment worthy. Theydid not address these opportunities directly to the people who lived there. Most commercial owned property hasbeen upgraded to house high-end businesses with products and services that the current inhabitants cannotafford and lets not ignore the fact that they are also not always very welcoming. Most of the communities have ahistory of issues with crime though, the citizens before urban gentrication did not receive the type of security andprotection that is now available to the current residents. This rift has caused racial proling in the areas as well asjudicial orders and other types of legislation to keep people away from the areas. Several people being releasedfrom jails are being advised not to visit family in the urban gentried areas of town. Separation from family hinders

the social and emotional stability of those who are being re-released into society. It is my thought that family is usually a great stabilizerfor those who may other wards nd themselves back in jail or victims of mental health issues due to depression and anxiety.


5/15R

SPONSORED BY:

STEVE NOVICK

ERI SUNDVALL-WILLIAMS

ARK WHITE


4POSITIONHow has gentrication impacted communities of color and

the inequities they face? What has the Citys role been in

gentrication and what should its role be in addressing its

affects on communities of color in Portland?

I think The Oregonian told the story pretty well last May: Gentrication has made rents in some neighborhoodsunaffordable to people (including many people of color) who used to live in those neighborhoods, forcing them tomove away from the citys core, often to areas where transit and other services and jobs - are less accessible. Insome cases the City has played a signicant role, by setting out to attract investment into neighborhoods withoutthinking hard enough about the consequences. I thought Gretchen Kafourys comment in the story said it all: Oh mGod, Kafoury said when shown the 2010 Census gures. We thought we were doing a good thing.

So what can the City do now? I ask for your help in answering that question. It can avoid doing further harm, bytaking steps to ensure that no new urban renewal districts or projects are launched without a strong plan includinbut not limited to, the 30% set-aside to avoid driving people of color (and low-income people generally) out of theneighborhoods. I have heard a suggestion that the City should lobby Home Forward to reset its guidelines to allowpeople to use Section 8 vouchers in somewhat more high-rent housing, enabling more low-income people to stay i

inner Northeast; I welcome your thoughts on that. And the City has an obligation to try to improve services from parks to transit to schoo in the neighborhoods where displaced people have moved.

The City had played an integral role in its contribution to the negative aspects of gentrication. But we have beenstudying it for some time. In my role as the Director of the Environmental Justice Action Group this issue has beenin the forefront of my work since 1989. As we look back at the Government subsidized gentrications of the HOPE 6projects that displaced thousands of low income residents all across the US we can no longer call this an unintendeconsequence. We know when we do A, B happens. We move those people with the least amount of resourcesand the most dependent public transit needs into areas that are not only not ready to receive them but so not have

the infrastructure to serve them. We create large pockets of poverty and an increase in crime rates that was not thebefore. While we plan where our prosperity goes we make no plans for where the poverty will land. As we are lookinat the Cully Neighborhood I am working with their community, businesses and non-prots like Verde and NAYA todiscuss how we can prevent this from happening.

No one should be forced out of their home or neighborhood because government failed to include them or consider

their needs and concerns in the revitalization process of their community. Everything we do must begin with peopleWithout this fundamental foundation, the potential for actions to do more harm than good increases exponentially.This clearly has been the case with communities of color. Past community revitalization efforts have created adeplorable situation for tens of thousands of Portlanders. Community revitalization needs to include a communityIPO or similar structure to help diminish the impact on existing residents. Thriving communities are both balancedand blended and often include both residential and business. It is crucial we create a positive economic environmenfor Portlanders at all points along the socio-economic scale. For example, I believe we can retool the shopping mallbusiness model by revisioning it to a smaller scale and focusing on microbusinesses to create inexpensive entry leventrepreneurial opportunities that would make it possible for many more Portlanders to start their own business. Th

would be a similar concept to Portlands food cart scene, but moved indoors and expanded exponentially to include any type of business.By providing opportunities for personal investment in ones own comunity in addition to economic stability and enhancement, we alsoprovide a mechanism that will allow folks to stay where they are as an area improves and to be an integral and active part of the overallcommunity improvement.


6/15R

SPONSORED BY:5



MARY NOLAN

TERESSA RAIFORD

The development and construction of affordable housing generates signicant

economic benets for our communities. In what ways could the Portland

Housing Bureau, the Portland Development Commission and the Bureau of

Planning and Sustainability collaborate to maximize those benets?

We must continue to pursue the policies and practices I have worked to establish in my rst term. I emphasizecollaboration, partnerships, and promoting communication between bureaus, elected ofcials, and communitymembers. I meet monthly with PDC leaders and with the Director and staff of BPS, as well as frequently withCommissioner Fish and Mayor Adams. I facilitate communication and outcome-directed collaboration with allmembers of the Council. I will continue to do so. I will promote:

equitable distribution of affordable, accessible housing, so every neighborhood can ourish with both homeownership and quality safe rental housing opportunities

improved contracting practices, providing better opportunities for minorities, underserved communities, womeand small businesses to receive City contracts

tax incentives to promote dense housing near high capacity transit, especially light rail regional solutions - I have served three years on the Metro Policy Advisory Committee, and I have established relationships with

many Mayors and County Commissioners

partnerships not only with PDC, PHB and BPS but also with the County and with community nonprots

engaging neighbors in reviewing proposals at early stages, truly seeking input rather than presenting done deals, and setting unew residents to be welcome neighbors rather than resented intruders

treating people who rent and people with no homes as human beings deserving respect and dignity, rather than transients andthe homeless

Because of my work on these issues, I am endorsed by Commissioners Nick Fish and Gretchen Kafoury, and many non-prot leaders.

Predictability of City policies on housing funding, regulatory framework and permit issuance (both turn-aroundand cost)

Clarity on how much the City can realistically take on, then effective targeted implementation of those priorities

Education is the tool and resource that can help maximize the benets of affordable housing. Green technologyand living structures are innovative and sustainable, and not to mention affordable for long term livability and utilityusage and costs. Minorities have systematically been under represented in the placement of contracts for buildingsand construction projects in affordable housing areas. I believe by introducing education and licensing for generalcontractors and sub-contractors we will see a rise in the minority involvement of future Portland Plan building. I seea Portland granting growth and access to minorities in engineering, and design projects and especially that of greenstructures. This type of education will give neighbors an upfront benet of the nancial opportunities these projectsbring to their communities. I would also recommend that businesses receiving additional credits extend the eligibleresidents in a community an opportunity to work in their establishments. We should also promote and providebusiness education so that professional services and other local business opportunities may be obtained by all.


7/15R

SPONSORED BY:

STEVE NOVICK


MARK WHITE


4POSITIONThe development and construction of affordable housing generates signicant

economic benets for our communities. In what ways could the Portland

Housing Bureau, the Portland Development Commission and the Bureau of

Planning and Sustainability collaborate to maximize those benets?

You know better than I do the extent to which this is already happening, but where are which jobs going to be,what do we want the city to look like, and where are low-to-moderate income people going to live are, or shouldbe, interrelated questions. I guess my short answer is they should collaborate to make sure we dont have a city of20-minute neighborhoods for rich people and hour-long bus commutes for poor people.

And they had better collaborate in creative ways, because as we speak, and as you know, the money for affordablehousing is shrinking, with TIF funds falling off a cliff. PHB, PDC, the Planning Bureau and other funders mustcollaborate to maximize these increasing rare resources to produce a range of housing needed to assist families aindividuals regain housing stability. Funding coordination is especially important for permanent supportive housing.The Housing First model has demonstrated success in Portland and nationally.

More outreach and technical assistance can also avoid wasted time and effort on the part of potential applicants w

invest signicantly in the application process.

While the City does some collaboration I would like to see an even larger increase in their collaboration with groupslike Hacienda, NAYA and PCRI. I think the more we increase our partnerships the more opportunities we will have.People also need to know the difference between Affordable, low income and workforce housing. Most people dontknow the difference.

Public supported housing development should include an economic component to it. Whether that be in the formof mixed use development with retail or other commercial below or nearby, or zoning that allows and encouragesboth residential and commercial development along major transportation corridors. Incentives should be given

for commercial development in areas with high poverty and population. Nearby placement of services and retailopportunities helps to reduce the burden on those living on xed or limited incomes most notably by reducing traveltime and costs associated with travel. Development strategies should focus on existing positive attributes and howto integrate them as part of the local economic engine. Economic and social diversication should also be at theforefront of strategies as balanced and blended communities not only thrive, but are extremely resilient and canwithstand downward economic pressures with less damage and less recovery time needed. To deepen the social aeconomic benet of the actual construction, I believe the aspirational goal for the use of minority and womenowned

businesses and emerging small businesses for subcontracting should be raised substantially. 25% with no ramications for not meetingthat threshold has no value. 25% should be the oor, not the ceiling. I also think developers should be penalized for not meeting theminimum standard of 25% with a smaller percentage of future projects until they can show marked improvement in meeting the aspirationgoal for subcontractors.


8/15R

SPONSORED BY:7



MARY NOLAN

TERESSA RAIFORD

High permit fees and the expensive design review process increase

the cost of developing housing in the City, to the point where it has a

dampening effect on the number of affordable housing units developers

are able to produce. What steps would you take to ensure that we are

able to produce the maximum number of units at reasonable costs?

I have acted to address this challenge, and I will continue to do so. I voted to suspend System Development Chargefor Accessory Dwelling Units (granny ats), which are among the most affordable rental units. This pilot projectgreatly increased the number of ADUs constructed. I helped formulate the ADU rules while serving on the PlanningCommission. The Council benets from having a member who was a grassroots neighborhood organizer with proveongoing commitment and results in navigating Portlands Zoning Code for the benet of neighborhood residents andequity. I am the Council expert on the Zoning Code, with 15 years experience as a neighborhood land use volunteeMy colleagues respect my advice on planning and zoning issues. Dan Saltzman, the current Commissioner in chargof the Bureau of Development Services and the other continuing member of the Council, also endorses me for re-election.

I will ask to be assigned the Bureau of Development Services, one of my priority desired bureaus when I am a seniomember of the Council. I will evaluate the Zoning Code for efciencies and improvements.

Most development outside of the Central City is done under design standards, not design review. We dont have to choose between gooddesign and affordability. We can and must have both, otherwise there will be more backlash from neighbors about new affordable housing

This is an issue not just affecting affordable housing developers, but all developers in the City and the region. As thecost of needed services has increased faster than tax revenues, the City has shifted more and more functions fromgeneral fund activities to fee for service. City policy sets a goal that the Bureau of Development Services shouldbe 100% fee supported, and land use applications for various permits, variances, zone changes should also beself-funded even though both systems primarily implement policies that protect the interests and property valuesof all homeowners and businesses. At the same time, City budget choices have forced Parks, Transportation, and

Environmental Services to depend increasingly on system development charges. These costs affect all developmenbut because of the way they are usually levied, they often have a disproportionately damaging effect on the viabilityof affordable housing projects. When the charges are basically the same for a $800,000 condominium and a 400 sqft. assisted housing unit, they constitute a much larger proportion of the cost of the smaller unit to the point of makinlow- to middle-income in-city projects infeasible. I will push for re-evaluating the way these fees are assessed to

ensure that they do not undermine City goals for in-ll development, affordable housing, economic development and equity.

I believe an agency audit would be a great start. We need to adopt a usual and customary rate schedule for the typof fees being charged for permits. The inspections and engineering/design costs have to reect a budget based

on the amount of units needed to house people in the area who are eligible for affordable housing. Once we begineducating and including more Women and People of color in the bidding process for these type of vendor related anagency coined services there will be a bigger pool of professionals and it will create more competitive pricing. Wealso need to educate the citizens on what measures they can vote on that will help sustain the cost and livability intheir communities.


9/15R

SPONSORED BY:

STEVE NOVICK


MARK WHITE


4POSITIONHigh permit fees and the expensive design review process increase

the cost of developing housing in the City, to the point where it has a

dampening effect on the number of affordable housing units developers

are able to produce. What steps would you take to ensure that we are

able to produce the maximum number of units at reasonable costs?

While permitting fees are an issue for affordable housing developers, the economys impact on housing constructiodwarfs the impact of those fees.

The current permit forecast for new apartment units in the Portland/Multnomah County is between 2,000-2,500 for2012. This is double the construction rate in 2010 and half of the new apartment construction will have some publicnancing.

With a vacancy rate of only 3% in Portland among the lowest in the country- the City must ensure that we areencouraging affordable housing development while also providing the inspections and reviews required to maintaina lively, safe and well-designed community.

I am not an expert on the development process, and am eager to hear your specic ideas. I know that developers

can nd the design review process frustrating, but I know you wouldnt want to end design review for affordable housing projects;aesthetics arent just for rich people. I know fees can be burdensome, but since the fees itself pay for the permitting process, cutting feesacross the board could mean slowing the process down.

You asked about fees, but I know that I have repeatedly heard from developers of all stripes that the permitting process has become morestreamlined in the past decade, but still needs work. I will support continuing review of the citys permitting process to ensure that we areusing technology and eliminating unnecessary, duplicative or unduly cumbersome processes in speed up the entire permitting process.

Im not sure at this time that I have all the answers for that. We would need a review of the permit fees andunderstand why they are so high. When we are developing an area we tend to make our big money maker buildingrst and many times never get around to the promise of building the affordable housing.

Having built a small duplex on the property on which I live, I have rst-hand experience with Portlands high permitfees and design review process. While I found the fees to be extremely high and the process cumbersome and time

consuming, I think there are additional issues to consider. How can we produce affordable housing in more thanjust a few parts of Portland and do so without adding additional burden on residents who may have to travel longdistances for basic services because of siting? How do we leverage limited housing dollars without further burdeninparts of the City with already far more affordable housing than they can reasonably accept. I believe the answerlies in balanced and blended communities. Mixed use developments with housing stock for an array of economiclevels will help to make it possible for affordable housing to be built in a multitude of locations. It will also provideopportunities for economic development to be a part of housing development. By changing the current approach todesigning urban renewal areas to one that shifts more toward higher inclusion of major transportation corridors, urba

renewal funds can be infused into projects to help offset costs and increase the ability for projects to pencil out for all concerned. Short-tersolutions such as a temporary reduction in fees and moving toward a higher level of computerization will help to get things moving quicklywhile an overhaul of the entire system is done in parallel.


10/15R

SPONSORED BY:9



MARY NOLAN

TERESSA RAIFORD

What is your opinion of the 30% TIF Set Aside for AffordableHousing? If elected would you support it in its current form, orare there changes you would propose and if so, why and withwhat objective?

I supported the 30% Set Aside as a minimum standard before being elected to serve on the City Council, and I voteto support it in 2011 with the modications worked out with community advocates. I have been a solid and consistensecond vote for Commissioner Fishs proposals when the process and amendments have been supported by thecommunity of affordable housing advocates, and I will continue to be so. I am proud of the latest revisions.

I am working with Commissioner Fish, Chair Cogen, Commissioner Deborah Kafoury, and affordable housingadvocates to revise and rene Portlands citywide tax abatement policies. I have dedicated signicant time to thisissue that is not in my City portfolio, because I care about affordable housing, neighborhoods, transit-orienteddevelopment, and spending taxpayers money wisely. My expertise in planning, neighborhood issues, and communengagement has improved and guided the outcomes. I will continue to act collaboratively on affordable housing andneighborhood zoning issues in my second term. Re-electing me ensures a reliable, proven, informed vote on these

crucial matters.

We dont need more changes to the Set-Aside policy. We must be careful in its implementation. For instance, I do not support taking landzoned for housing downtown to site the Oregon Sustainability Center, and I will be vigilant in assessing Urban Renewal Area expenditureto ensure maximum benet for housing and economic development. We must also recognize that URA money is a diminishing resource. will work to secure replacement funding for housing.

The 30% TIF set aside has been quite successful in ensuring that there are funds available for affordable housing.Coupled with the current emphasis on housing for very low-income levels, this policy has the unfortunate effect ofmaking funds less available for other housing needed to reach our community development goals. In the CentralEast Side, for example, most of the existing housing ts into the affordable categories. The need for worker housingis emphasized in the Urban Renewal Plan, but is un-fundable under the existing rules. The removal of the housingresponsibility from PDC seems to have signicantly reduced its inclusion of housing as part of its developmentstrategy.

In addition, while the TIF set aside is important, it can not be the nal answer in funding affordable housing. Thefunds use is limited to Urban Renewal Districts thereby concentrating the needed housing in certain areas, and theavailability of Urban Renewal funds will decrease rapidly in the near future as the Urban Renewal Districts expire. I

will help convene coalitions to develop new funding mechanisms that can be used citywide and will out last Urban Renewal.

I believe the number is suitable for what it represents however I would like to see a denition of to whom and howit is equitably allocated to those who will manage and benet from its availability. Lets just make sure that when itis allocated that those who receive are getting it in a way that creates a sustainable foundation for them to do futurebusiness in their desired capacity or industry.


11/15R

SPONSORED BY:

STEVE NOVICK


MARK WHITE


4POSITIONWhat is your opinion of the 30% TIF Set Aside for AffordableHousing? If elected would you support it in its current form, orare there changes you would propose and if so, why and withwhat objective?

I support it in its current form. And note that its a oor, not a ceiling. I only wish it had been in place earlier, in whichcase it would have helped to alleviate the ill effects of gentrication.

While I support the idea I was asked early on in the about the fact that PSU students were not factored into theoriginal need for downtown affordable housing which made the need exceed what the 30% set aside can provide. Ifthat is the case then are we accomplishing what we set out to do? Im not sure it seems like a necessary drop in tbucket but shouldnt we be identifying the need and then setting the bar? I support the set aside but it seems if outneed is greater than our set aside should also be greater. This would require a shift in the way we think about servinour community. An equity lens would mean that we talk about serving the historically underserved populations andgeographies rst which may mean we switch our focus to East Portland BEFORE we focus on anymore Downtown

development.

While the 30% TIF Set Aside can be a signicant tool, I would much rather we push for a housing levy similarto what has been done in Seattle that is dedicated to affordable housing and allows more TIF money to focuson job creation and economic development. My preference would be to fully leverage both sources and have them

collaborate on projects that would help to create balanced and blended community living environments. I believe adeep review and aggressive overhaul of how urban renewal funds are spent for urban renewal money collected iand outside of urban renewal areas is warranted and badly needed. For example, at a Lents Town Center UrbanRenewal Advisory Committee meeting last year, a request from the PDC for the purchase of a $1.5 million propertywas pushed through with effectively no public process or discussion in order to bail out a bank. The property hadnever been discussed prior or mentioned as part of any strategy within the URA. Worthiness of the project aside, thlack of discussion and public process also eliminated any possibility of negotiating something in exchange for the

request such as guaranteed nancial underwriting of one or more crucial projects within the URA. Reckless and unleveraged use of URAfunds endangers all programs, including the 30% TIF set aside, whether or not a housing levy is approved by Portlanders.


12/15R

SPONSORED BY:11



ARY NOLAN

TERESSA RAIFORD

What will you do specically to bring additional revenue to

housing and homeless services in the City of Portland?

Check my record what I have done these past three years is what housing advocates can continue to depend onin my second term. I have supported signicant General Fund allocations for affordable housing, the Safety Net, anservices for people experiencing homelessness, and I will continue to do so. I have prioritized requests for housingfunding, particularly short term rental assistance and emergency help. I set up a process giving citizens real input inthe Citys state and federal priorities, and I supported prioritizing requesting increased federal housing assistance onour national legislative lobbying agenda.

I received the Low Income Housing Champion award from the Community Alliance of Tenants in 2009. I supportedfunding for additional housing inspectors in BDS, and for measures holding banks more accountable for maintenancof foreclosed properties.

As a public ofcial and private citizen, I actively support community partners, giving my time and my personal family income to multiple

nonprots supporting housing, including JOIN, Proud Ground, Oregon ON, Human Solutions, Rose Haven, Bradley Angle, PortlandWomens Crisis Line, Volunteers of America, YWCA, REACH, Rose CDC, Habitat for Humanity, New Avenues for Youth, Janus YouthPrograms, Central City Concern, Outside In, P:ear, The Salvation Army, Street Roots, Sisters of the Road, faith-based organizations, andmore.

When we climb out of the recession and homeowners are no longer upside-down on mortgage equity, I will support changes statewidegenerating more resources for affordable housing, such as the proposed Real Estate Transfer tax.

New revenue from the General Fund is highly unlikely in the near term, and TIF faces an uncertain future as wellunder pressure from competing local and state needs. While I dont have any easy proposals for meeting the needswill support efforts to include creative developers, human service advocates and nancing experts to develop optionand to build the public support needed to enact them.

I will support our local government in building a more efcient system that will broaden the regional value of our Cityas a whole. We can reduce cost and bureaucracy by aligning the agencies under the City of Portland. We can offermore in regards to jobs and opportunities if they were able to operate as satellite locations instead of mandatorysub centers. Its better to use this approach because we can then offer adequate educational components such asworkshops and community information and planning programs. I believe it will also help us manage and receivefunding for the larger citywide population as opposed to sub centers being defunded and closed down due to lackof funding and grant support. We should be creating broader based opportunities for families and not running out ofmoney on operations.


13/15R

SPONSORED BY:

STEVE NOVICK


MARK WHITE


4POSITIONWhat will you do specically to bring additional revenue tohousing and homeless services in the City of Portland?I would:

Lobby the heck out of our Federal partners, and ask them to reject the mindless right-wing demand tocontinually reduce domestic discretionary spending. The idea of cutting spending on essentials like housing beforewe reduce military spending to a reasonable level is outrageous.

Work with the State and the county to prepare to take full advantage of the Federal Medicaid expansion in 201which will make many thousands of people newly eligible for Federally funded health services, including mentalhealth and addiction treatment. To the extent the City and County pay for health-related services out of general fundollars now, the Medicaid expansion could give us an opportunity to shift some dollars to housing itself.

Persuade the Governor and the Legislature to adopt the public safety budgeting proposal I have pushed in my

campaign, which would give the County a chance to shift resources from prisons to prevention. (Essentially, the State would give theCounty a lump sum budget for all of public safety costs including prison costs; if the county started sending fewer people to prison itwould have more money for prevention. See my web site for details.) Those homeless people who encounter the justice system wouhave a better chance at getting services in such a restructured system.

Convince the Legislature to shake off the iron grip of the beer and wine lobbyists and allow us to adopt a local alcohol tax to fundservices.

I think one of the most effective ways we could bring more resources to Portlands homeless is to partner even morethan we already do with all the other faith based and community efforts that already exist. I believe that throughdeveloping even more partnerships we can bring in more funding for services. And we need to think about notcriminalizing the homeless. Where do you go when there is no place to go? That should not be a crime to be on thestreet. While I understand the public safety aspect of sit /lie I cannot support it. Ive been homeless before and unlesyouve been there you really dont know how devastating it can be. My whole life was turned around after living 14months in the West Womens shelter.

I will strongly support efforts to put before the voters a housing levy that will be dedicated to affordable housing.I believe this is a more prudent course of action as it will allow us to have a more reliable and steady stream ofrevenue for affordable housing while we focus on building our economic base and subsequently the tax base that cathen take over once the levy expires.

I will champion the concept of balanced and blended communities and pursue funding at all levels to support thiseffort.

I will collaborate with County elected ofcials in their efforts to obtain funding that supports our collective effortsto increase the quantity and quality of affordable housing stock and the support systems necessary to prevent

foreclosures and relapses back into poverty.


14/15R

SPONSORED BY:13



ARY NOLAN

TERESSA RAIFORD

The City and County share responsibility for homeless services

and affordable housing in our community. What would you do to

enhance this shared responsibility? What would be unique and

different about your community approach?

I work with partners in governments, nonprots and neighborhoods. I will continue to work with Council members,County board members, staff, and many community partners and individuals. I understand that collaboration is key,regardless of who calls the press conference and takes the accolades. And that we are all responsible for addressinthe needs of our community.

I am not a career politician seeking election multiple times to this or higher ofces. I am a former OHSU psychiatricnurse who simply wants to serve all the people of Portland for two terms on the City Council, providing assistance ohousing and homeless services wherever feasible.

I am coordinating with Multnomah County to improve emergency services, sending mental health professionalsrather than police to people experiencing psychiatric crises - making Portland safer for all. No other candidate can

provide this expertise.

I come from the community. Before this election, I never accepted more than $5 from any donor. This campaign, I am limiting contributionto $50 per person per year, and I welcome donations of $5 again. Some say this is political suicide. I trust the people of Portland. I believevoters care about basic services, spending taxpayers money wisely, and leaders who listen to all. I trust in the expertise of communitypartners, and in the value of governments collaborating with those partners. I want to continue being a reliable supporter for housingadvocates on the Council.

I believe Ive earned your support. Please help me win re-election - www.Amanda2012.com.

Actually the City and County wisely share this responsibility with many non-prots, Home Forward, and private

developers. Each of these entities brings a particular strength to the effort: The City has expertise in land-use,infrastructure, contract management and nancing. The County and other partners bring unique strengths as well.In order to maximize the outcomes, the coordination of services should highlight each partys strengths and seek tominimize duplication wherever possible. In particular, the City should not attempt to supplant the role of others withestablished successful track records.

My intrinsic approach would be to rst dene the roles of our City and County as it relates to these issues. Oncewe have adopted a consensus of our responsibilities we should build from there. Starting locally with our combinedsupportive agencies in conclusion we can build alliances with businesses and out of region work programs/ agenciethat are seeking laborers and employees. If we take care of the generation that is raising their children under ourcurrent system then Portlands youth will not live the legacy of generational poverty, homelessness or public housinWe can develop these Oregon grown gems into a workforce that will continue to promote Portlands innovative andprogressive style as a Trailblazer to resolving poverty. Knowledge, Resource and Resolution are the tools which wilguide us into that type of success for the citizens we all wish to serve.


15/15

STEVE NOVICK


MARK WHITE


4POSITIONThe City and County share responsibility for homeless services

and affordable housing in our community. What would you do to

enhance this shared responsibility? What would be unique and

different about your community approach?

The City/County 10 year plan to end homelessness, since its adoption in 2004, has shown remarkable successbecause of the coordination between the jurisdictions. The City and Countys achievements in ending and preventihomelessness is due in large part to the collaboration between not just the city and county, but also between theaffordable housing developers, Home Forward, tenant advocates and non-prot service providers.

County supportive services are extremely important to keep people stably housed. The City has stepped up in pastyears when county budget constraints have impacted homeless services to families, youth or domestic violencesurvivors.

Despite the coordination of services, housing and outreach, the number of homeless families in the county increas35% from 2009. Its the economy, of course, but we have to keep pushing to end and prevent homelessnessdespite the economys continuing weakness.

In the 1990s, City Commissioner Gretchen Kafoury attempted to consolidate homeless and affordable housing programs between theCity and County. I think the City and County should constantly work together to see what functions could be consolidated or streamlined.I dont think theres anything sacred about the idea that the City does childless adults, the County does homeless families; I think the twogovernments should collectively allocate resources in the most effective way. For that matter, I think that Resolution A became obsolete asoon as Measure 5 passed. Maybe thats unique and different: I would forget about self-imposed rules and traditions that limit the extentof collaboration.

We all as a community need to own this issue and we need to do whatever we can to support the ending of

homelessness in our communities. We need to support the services that get people clean and sober and able tomaintain a roof over their heads. There are several families who are waiting for their loved ones to come home butdue to addiction they simply cant take them in. Throughout the history of this country we have created policies thatrequire the father of the family cannot live in public housing or the mom will lose their place. We need to change thestigma we have places on people struggling and really think outside the box for solutions- they are out there weneed to create them- not just politicians but all of us together.

I feel it is very important we realize that it is not important who does the work or who gets credit for the work, butthat it gets done and is successful. To that end, I believe it is encumbent upon the City to ensure that every resourcand every dollar spent, is done so with success for the recipients of services as the driving force in decision makingand actions. If that means surrendering responsibility of a particular task to another jurisdiction who can do it better,then we must do so. I also believe we should open our minds to all possibilities even though they may not seemreasonable at rst glance. It is very possible that discussion about even the most unreasonable effort may lead usdown a path to something truly effective in both outcomes and cost.

portland city commissioner candidate q&a

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