"as the housing crunch is reaching crisis proportions." Correction. The Portland city council has already declared a "housing crisis."

Portland is in the PUBLIC HOUSING business. It is NOT in the David Douglas nor the Portland Public Schools business.

Portland MUST dramatically and equitably increase the density of housing by massive zoning changes especially in single family zoned neighborhoods.

Downzoning is NOT an option in Portland.

When you officially declare a "housing crisis" then you have to make political decisions that reflect that declaration. Downzoning and increasing property taxes are antithetical to increasing housing affordability.


Richard Ellmyer

Author of more stories on the politics, players and policies of Public Housing and its euphemisms, Affordable/ Regulated Affordable/ Publicly Subsidized Affordable and Low-Income Housing in Multnomah County over the last fourteen years than all other journalists and elected officials combined.