901-2021

December 15, 2021

As Mayor and Commissioner of Finance & Administration, I request Council confirmation of the following appointments to the Rental Services Commission:

Appointment                                     Term Begin               Term Ends               

Moriah McSharry McGrath             December 2021        December 2023

Pippa Arend                                      December 2021        December 2023

Respectfully submitted,

Ted Wheeler

Mayor

Bio

Moriah McSharry McGrath is on the faculty of the School of Urban Studies and Planning at Portland State University, where the bulk of her work involves teaching and mentoring students interested in housing issues. Her work relies heavily on the interplay of racism, macroeconomic policy, and real estate practices that have created today’s housing landscape. Before becoming an urban studies professor, Moriah worked in the public health field, prioritizing housing as a determinant of health.While in the public health field, Moriah worked on the Rental Housing Inspections Health Impact Assessment, where she collaborated with local rental housing associations, social service providers, city bureau staff, and housing advocates to generate policy solutions for the disproportionate burden of housing code violations on communities of color in Portland.

Statement of Interest

Moriah is eager to join the Rental Services Commission out of a desire to integrate her experiences as a small landlord, a professor of urban studies, a health equity researcher, and a Portlander deeply concerned about housing affordability. Moriah is interested in furthering relationship-building and common causes between landlords and tenants. Moriah also comes to the RSC to learn about the concerns of various housing stakeholders, how the city is trying to address them, and how we can support a healthy rental landscape.

Bio

Pippa Arend is an artist and the founder and current Development Director of p:ear, a nonprofit working with homeless youth. Pippa loves to both work with homeless young people as well as help raise funds and awareness for the cause. p:ear builds positive relationships with homeless and transitional youth (15-24 years old) through education, art, and recreation to affirm personal worth and create more meaningful and healthier lives. Pippa believes that the programs at p:ear empower each youth to establish a more positive self-identity that encompasses a renewed sense of self-worth and a capacity for growth, change and emotional challenge. Pippa is the owner of 12 units of rental housing, a lifelong Portlander, and a lifelong renter.

Statement of Interest

Pippa seeks to provide insight into what it means to be a small, local landlord, who loves her tenants, neighbors, neighborhood, City, and building. Pippa is interested in addressing the unintended side effects of local tenant protections and how the concept of housing as a right, if advanced, is budgeted into our collective resources rather than at the expense of small business owners.