Majority Of Oregon Voters DISAPPROVE Of Legislators Homeless Effort

A new poll sponsored by the The League of Oregon Cities* tell us that the majority of voters aren’t happy with how officials are tackling homelessness — and take an especially dim view of the state’s efforts. The survey found 68% of respondents didn’t approve of state leaders’ efforts. Why do you suppose this is?

Here are some reasons:

A. Both state and local leaders have ignored the PUBLIC’S TOP PRIORITY:

#1 Getting all those illegally camping on public property removed from those properties.

#2 Providing immediate temporary shelter followed eventually by permanent Public Housing for the homeless as resources and the public mood and values will allow.

B. Both the Senate and House Housing Committees approve housing bills which they send to and are passed by the full Senate and House. Most voters, indeed, most locally elected officials and some legislators, cannot understand the meaning and details of these lengthy, legalistic legislative documents. What voters do understand is what they see in places they live and visit throughout Oregon. These are the visual touchstones of citizens’ views of politicians’ successes or failures spending their tax dollars on their top political priority, namely, homelessness.

These committees have refused, and allowed by their legislative colleagues, to avoid telling the public:

1. What percentage and dollar value of each bill is apportioned to:

0-80% MFI (Median Family Income)

Private developers will not build in this category because there is no profit to be made, unless there are government subsidies. This category is known as Public Housing** because, realistically, building units in this category only happens with government financial support.

Metro/Oregon Public Housing Location Maps https://www.goodgrowthnw.org/m...

81-120% MFI

There is a need for rental and for sale housing in this category. To make these units affordable** governments must incentivize developers with financial, regulation and other inducements. These are market rate developments. Means Tests cannot be required.

>121% MFI

This is private developers main focus because it provides the highest return on investment. There is no shortage of housing in this category. Governments need not and should not expend resources here.

2. What percentage and dollar value of each bill is apportioned to each county?

3. How much money embedded within each Bill is destined for which Senate and House districts?

[There is a meaningful difference among the percentages of Public Housing Units in Senate districts in Oregon. They range from 2.72% in District 19 to 17.32% in District 17.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1QEMyHUjgkeHDSaLPwtwGPGovOtA0bElGM19qw3lcPAI/edit?gid=0#gid=0

[There is a meaningful difference among the percentages of Public Housing Units in House districts in Oregon. They range from 1.55% in District 38 to 23.36% in District 33.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1QEMyHUjgkeHDSaLPwtwGPGovOtA0bElGM19qw3lcPAI/edit?gid=0#gid=0]

4. Which public jurisdictions are overloaded and which are underserved with Public Housing Units being budgeted by state funded housing bills?

Metro/Oregon Public Housing Location Maps https://www.goodgrowthnw.org/m...

Oregon voters demand to know HOW MUCH of their money is being spent on what categories of housing and WHERE.

Unless and until Oregon legislators start providing homeless housing information to voters that they can easily understand AND voters stop seeing homeless camping on public property legislators’ disapproval ratings will remain alarmingly high.

Richard Ellmyer

Portland resident since 1975.

Oregon Voter since 1971. NAV, Non Affiliated Voter. Citizen Activist.

Campaign manager and legislative assistant to state senator Bill McCoy 1980-1981.

Campaign manager and senior staff to Multnomah county commissioner Gladys McCoy 1981-1984.

Celebrate North Portland award 2016 for Volunteer Work and Service with Political and Social Issues Impacting North Portland.

Certified Oregon Change Agent by Governor John Kitzhaber 2011.

PSU Senior Adult Learner, Spring 2021 - Public Participation GiS, 500 level class

PSU Senior Adult Learner, Spring 2024 - Planning and Housing Markets, 500 level class

Author of more stories on the politics, players and policies of Public Housing in Oregon over the last twenty-three years than all other journalists and elected officials combined.

Project Champion and Data Wrangler - Metro/Oregon Public Housing Location Maps https://www.goodgrowthnw.org/m...

GIS for Activism conference, May 23, 2022, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon

Richard Ellmyer - How I, A Citizen Activist, Used GIS To Effectively Tell A Necessary Yet Unavailable Truth About Public Housing

30 minute Video https://media.pdx.edu/media/t/...

Lifelong Learning at PSU by Jennifer Jordan-Wong.

LET KNOWLEDGE SERVE THE CITY [Section] “Richard used a course he audited at PSU to create a citizen activist mapping tool to benefit Oregon residents, stakeholders, and policy makers…His interest in mapping as a tool for change began when he noticed that public housing was not being distributed equitably”

https://psucollegeofed.wordpress.com/2022/09/23/lifelong-learning-at-psu/?fbclid=IwAR3S9Pff0mBGeT6Ha8dQeAqL0nAqU7QzZ-0pJC_oTQJxBWlAb2fdXzdE0w4

Author of The Ellmyer Report, a newsletter that informs, educates and influences on public policy. Its target audiences are elected officials, journalists and civically engaged citizens. Facebook, Portland Politics Plus. Contributor: Patch news.

*

https://www.opb.org/article/2025/03/18/oregon-homeless-camping-laws-encampment-sweep-regulations-restriction-poll-portland-house/

**

Public Housing, Means Test (<=80% MFI) + Government Subsidy (any government, kind, amount) + Rental Agreement.

Affordable Housing, A mathematical calculation, i.e. Mortgage/Rent + Taxes + Insurance + Utilities <= 30% of household income.