Housing & Houselessness

Information
Image of Commissioner Eudaly speaking to a crowd of tenant protection supporters and a banner saying "Keep Portland Housed"

Housing 

  • Developed and passed the Relocation Ordinance, requiring landlords to pay tenant moving fees primarily when serving them no-cause evictions or raising rent by 10% or more. WW Coverage
  • Relocation Ordinance was made permanent in 2018, helping to slow down rent increases, keep people in their existing housing, and help renters who were being involuntarily displaced through no fault of their own to afford to move. It has also had an unanticipated side benefit; we saw an uptick in inspection requests by renters living in substandard, unsafe units when it was clear they had protection against retaliation through no cause evictions or exorbitant rent increases. 
    Sign saying "Tenant Power #RELO4EVER"
  • Developed and passed FAIR Access in Renting, limiting the use of credit and criminal histories as criteria to deny a rental application, limiting landlords from requiring tenant incomes to be more than 2-2.5x rent, and requiring rental applications to be looked at on a first-come-first-serve basis. OPB Coverage.
  • Contributed to and passed Better Housing by Design—Better Housing by Design will create better designed, healthier multifamily housing options in our City. This vote meant that Portland will have more diverse multifamily housing options with outdoor spaces, green features, and pedestrian-friendly streets; incentivize developers to build affordable housing units that are both bigger and better—it was a win for low-income renters, for racial equity, for healthy living, for neighborhood connectivity, and for all Portlanders. 
  • Passed the Residential Infill Project, increasing density by encouraging the construction of garden apartments and triplexes. Led the push on Council to develop a deeper affordability amendment to incentivize low-income housing development. Sightline Coverage
  • Advocated for the establishment of the Rental Services Office, and repeatedly expanded its scope of work by developing Relocation Assistance, FAIR, and engaging with the Rental Services Commission
    A large handmade card saying "FAIR is Fair!" and a sign saying "Fair Access in Renting" in Commissioner Eudaly's office
  • Developed affordability requirements for sites in the Expanding Opportunities for Affordable Housing Project and partnered with faith groups and community institutions to pass an improved project.
  • Established the anti-displacement task force.
  • Contributed to the development of policy recommendations in Congressman Blumenauer’s Locked Out Report.
  • Supported mobile home park preservation and resident governance of the Oak Park and development of the Manufactured Dwelling Park Zoning Project. OPB Coverage.
  • Pushed BDS and BPS to prioritize affordability and visitability. Worked to discourage development that does not meet community needs while fighting for community and public benefits in new development.

Houselessness

  • Helped design and implement the most innovative Enhanced Service District in the Central Eastside that emphasizes increased support for people who experience houselessness and enhances transit access to the area. Street Roots Coverage.
  • Located and permitted the first hygiene hub in the Central Eastside.
    An image of a houseless camp in NE Portland
  • Sponsored alongside the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, City of Portland Office of Community & Civic Life and the City-wide Neighborhood District Coalition Offices, the Doers Gathering—an event that brought together organizations and individuals who contribute to community-driven solutions addressing Portland’s housing crisis.
  • Provided support for tiny home villages—Hazelnut Grove and Argyle Village—and led mediated conversations with the community to manage expectations and decrease opposition.
  • Reformed our abandoned autos program to stop enforcement in situations where Portlanders are living in their cars. WW Coverage.
  • Supported the Here Together Coalition’s successful passage of a regional measure to fund solutions to houselessness.