Metro Council:We Do NOT Have Nor Want A REGIONAL Public Housing Policy

Public Housing Policy is at the top of every public jurisdiction’s agenda in Oregon. The elected Metro Regional Government is the largest public jurisdiction in our state of Oregon which rightly self-declared and voters approved the authority and responsibility to establish, execute and enforce a REGIONAL Public Housing Policy. No government can execute and enforce any policy that does NOT exist. Metro does NOT have any official, documented, majority publicly voted on and approved REGIONAL Public Housing Policy.

During a recent email exchange with councilor Rosenthal he wrote, “equitable distribution of housing is and always has been Metro policy.” I responded, "Would you please send me a copy of the document that officially established “Equitable Distribution of Public Housing” as the regional Public Housing Policy of the Metro Regional Government. It should include the date upon which the policy was adopted and the names of the Metro councilors who voted in favor or against.” He answered that he could find no such document. I then made the following suggestion. “There is a simple and easy solution to the nonexistent Metro regional Public Housing Policy. Adopt one.

All that is necessary is for you to submit a resolution or other appropriate vehicle to the Metro Council which is simple and straightforward and reads something like this:

Resolved

That the Metro Council declares that Equitable Distribution of Public Housing shall be its regional Public Housing Policy.

That’s it. Clean and simple. Please send me a copy of your submission and the date it will be on the Metro Council calendar so that I can appear and give testimony in support.”

I asked the same question and proposed the same solution to the rest of the Metro councilors. Not a single Metro councilor could produce a copy of the document that officially established “Equitable Distribution of Public Housing” as the regional Public Housing Policy of the Metro Regional Government. Not a single Metro councilor was willing to introduce a resolution that would require public testimony and a recorded vote by the council.

Equitable Distribution of Public Housing is the ONLY legitimate, defensible REGIONAL Public Housing Policy. The current de facto, albeit covert stealth, policy is targeted, unlimited neighborhood/district concentration of Public Housing allowing any neighborhood/district to be loaded with up to 100% Public Housing e.g. Old Town neighborhood in Portland, is illegitimate and indefensible.

The Metro regional government has authority over more than a majority of Public Housing units in the state of Oregon, 54%, and an estimated 30% of homeless persons. Nevertheless, despite its outsized importance to statewide Public Housing Location Policy, Metro has demonstrably failed to establish, execute and enforce a REGIONAL Public Housing Policy and has refused to adopt a resolution stating that Equitable Distribution of Public Housing is its REGIONAL Public Housing Policy. Metro cannot be allowed by other elected officials and constituents to neglect, deny or abandon its enormous self-asserted and voter granted responsibility. Can Metro get away with its inarguable overreach, incompetence and voter deception? Maybe.

So the question arises, Have the elected officials under Metro’s regional umbrella in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties publicly challenged Metro’s failure to have a REGIONAL Public Housing Policy and its failure to adopt one? How about governor Kotek? Next time on The Ellmyer Report.

Richard Ellmyer

Author of more stories on the politics, players and policies of Public Housing in Oregon over the last twenty-one 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

RichardEllmyer - 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/...

LET KNOWLEDGE SERVE THE CITY

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. Occasionally distributed to more than a quarter of million readers in Oregon and beyond. Facebook, Portland Politics Plus . Contributor: Patch news

FYI

Which Metro districts can you easily identify as overloaded or underserved by Public Housing?

What public action has councilor Mary Nolan, district 5, taken to stop and reduce Public Housing of 16.26% in her district?

What public action has councilor Christine Lewis, district 2, taken to increase Public Housing of 3.89% in her district?

Despite a demonstrated failure of leadership as Metro council president to establish, execute and enforce a REGIONAL Public Housing Policy at Metro, Lynn Pederson aspires to a seat in Oregon’s 5th congressional district. How will her competitors, voters and the Press evaluate her Public Housing policy performance?

Non-Section 8 Units

Section 8 Voucher Units

Total Public Housing

Total Housing

% Public Housing to Total Housing

District 5

2297

15597

4733

22627

139189

16.26%

District 1

848

5643

3328

9819

98855

9.93%

District 6

1474

5035

2621

9130

124967

7.31%

District 4

524

5047

1326

6897

99893

6.90%

District 3

566

3292

1344

5202

106858

4.87%

District 2

423

2324

1466

4213

108201

3.89%