2024 Candidate Questionnaire

Read what candidates running for local elections in the Portland area have to say about tenants rights.

Candidates answers will be added as they are sent to us. You can look through answers below by candidate or by question.

If you are a candidate and would like to answer these questions, you can fill out the 2024 candidate questionnaire.

By Candidate

Mayor: Durrell Javon Kinsey Bey, Mingus Mapps, Sharon Nasset, Martin Ward

District 1: Candace Avalos, Doug Clove, Jamie Dunphy, Timur Ender, David Linn, Steph Routh

District 2: Sam Adams, Chris Olson, Jennifer Park, Nat West

District 3: Chris Flanary, Patrick Hilton, Tiffany Koyama Lane, Angelita Morillo, Cristal Azul Otero, Theo Hathaway Saner

District 4: Olivia Clark, Mitch Green, Chris Henry, Chad Lykins, Andra Vltavín

County Commission 2: Shannon Singleton

Mayor

Durrell Javon Kinsey Bey

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

The housing crisis stems from federal policies starting in 1933, when President FDR began leveraging debt. This was compounded by President Nixon in 1971, who took the U.S. off the gold standard, allowing the printing of unbacked money. These actions shifted economic liabilities onto other nations, ultimately contributing to financial instability.
In 2008, the U.S. government bailed out large corporations in the insurance, finance, and real estate sectors to prevent a complete economic collapse. This intervention followed the financial crisis triggered by the subprime mortgage meltdown. Companies like AIG, major banks, and mortgage lenders received significant financial aid to stabilize markets, restore investor confidence, and prevent further economic fallout. Critics argue it favored corporate interests over average citizens, while supporters claim it was necessary to prevent a deeper recession.
The issue lies in not applying pragmatic, people-centered planning over profit-driven approaches. There's a failure to recognize the value of a circular economy based on collectivism and a socio-ecological infrastructure model.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

I propose aggressively changing zoning laws to reduce red tape, promote infill development, and implement a vacancy tax to incentivize growth in the spirit of social equity.
Along with changing zoning laws, I would promote alternative building practices using materials like hemp, mycelium, and earth-ship construction to create sustainable housing solutions.
I support introducing a strong Renter's Bill of Rights, protecting tenants from predatory landlord practices and ensuring housing security for a more "Prosperous Portland."

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

My top priorities for advancing tenants' rights are:

1. Renter's Bill of Rights: I am committed to pushing for a comprehensive Renter's Bill of Rights that includes rent control measures, restrictions on unjust evictions, and stronger protections against predatory practices by landlords. This policy is essential to protect tenants from skyrocketing rents and prevent displacement, giving them the stability and security needed to thrive in their homes.

Work: I will actively work with community organizations, legal advocates, and city officials to draft and advocate for this bill, ensuring it reflects the needs of tenants.
Importance: It addresses the power imbalance between landlords and tenants, ensuring basic rights like affordable rents, timely repairs, and fair lease agreements.

2. Vacancy Tax: A vacancy tax would be introduced to penalize landlords who leave properties vacant, encouraging them to rent out units rather than let them sit empty while demand for affordable housing skyrockets.

Work: I plan to work with local policymakers to create and implement this tax, ensuring that it promotes greater housing availability while discouraging speculative property holding.
Importance: This policy is critical to increase housing supply and curb the practice of landlords holding onto vacant properties for profit while tenants face housing shortages.

3. Affordable Housing Development: I will champion zoning reforms and encourage the use of alternative building materials like hemp, mycelium, and earth-ship construction to expand affordable, eco-friendly housing.

Work: By collaborating with city planners and sustainable building advocates, I will push for zoning changes that allow for innovative construction methods and infill development.
Importance: Increasing affordable housing options is key to tackling the housing crisis, ensuring long-term housing stability, and promoting sustainability in our communities.

These initiatives prioritize tenants' rights and housing affordability, addressing the urgent need for security, equity, and sustainability in housing.

Do you rent or own your residence?

I own my residence.

When were you most recently a renter?

1-5 years ago.

Are you currently a landlord?

No.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

I am not a landlord in any capacity.

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

I have to be honest—it’s frustrating to read all the data on inequality and see how much influence businesses, lobbyists, PACs, and the ultra-wealthy have over renter's rights and well-being, more so than government officials. It’s especially disheartening to see officials leave public service only to work in the private sector, deregulating industries for personal gain. This needs to stop. Groups like PTU and long-standing activists in Portland must be not only part of the conversation, but they also need to be a part of a city renter's rights advisory council. There needs to more integration with the community and government so "The People" have a fighting chance against the private sector permanently at least in Portland. Too often, we elect people disconnected from the real struggles. Whether or not I get elected, I believe I've already won by speaking the truth, as my campaign slogan says: "Truth Will Unite Us." We must stop pretending those who aren’t truly for us will deliver real change.

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

Rent control is a crucial first step in supporting renters, but it’s just the beginning. The Office of the Ombudsman should be more accessible to renters, ensuring they can access government resources. Many of these valuable services remain underutilized due to a lack of public awareness and transparency. Improving access and communication about available services is essential for enhancing our community’s well-being.

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

Every renter deserves a voice, and the relationship between renters and their representatives must be equitable for real success. Additionally, there should be a safety net if large businesses choose to leave the city, fostering a connected approach to social equity and prosperity. I believe that implementing a framework for collective bargaining could transform renter-landlord dynamics, and if elected, I will champion this change. Regardless of the outcome, I remain committed to supporting efforts to reimagine these relationships.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

The renter-landlord relationship should be based on mutual agreement, but it often becomes predatory, with many abuses occurring. Landlords must recognize their responsibility in providing a service to the public. Currently, the contract feels one-sided, full of legal loopholes that exploit vulnerable tenants.

To address these issues, I propose the following policies:

Right to Counsel: Include legal counsel services in the down payment for first and last month’s rent, ensuring tenants have support in eviction court.
Statewide Rent Control: Advocate for local rent control throughout Oregon, creating a scalable model that could be replicated nationally, especially in light of foreign entities owning property in Portland.
Link Rent to Minimum Wage: Ensure that all full-time workers can afford a one-bedroom apartment with no more than 30% of their income. This can be achieved through developing ecological living spaces, such as food forests, and promoting economic and workforce development to empower communities.

,span>How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

To ensure that policies impacting tenants meaningfully include those affected and reflect their diversity, I would advocate for targeted protections for specific groups, including disabled individuals, veterans, single parents, and college students.

Engagement and Representation: I would prioritize engaging with these communities to understand their unique challenges and needs. This could involve hosting regular town hall meetings, focus groups, and surveys to gather input directly from renters.
Tailored Protections: Policies should specifically address the vulnerabilities of these groups. For example, creating safeguards for disabled renters to ensure reasonable accommodations and support services, as well as establishing flexible payment options for single parents and students who may face fluctuating incomes.
Access to Resources: I would work to ensure that all available resources—such as legal aid, financial assistance, and housing services—are easily accessible to these groups. This might include simplifying application processes, providing multilingual support, and promoting awareness of available services.
Integrated Services: It’s important to foster a holistic approach that integrates all services aimed at supporting these populations.

By collaborating with local organizations, government agencies, and community groups, we can create a network of support that meets diverse needs effectively. By advocating for these measures, we can create policies that not only protect tenants but also empower them, ensuring that all voices are heard and represented in the decision-making process.

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

Yes.

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

Yes, in addition to the previously mentioned initiatives, I will champion housing affordability by advocating for:

Incentives for Affordable Housing Development: Offering tax breaks or grants to developers who create affordable housing units to increase supply.
Community Land Trusts: Supporting the establishment of community land trusts to keep housing affordable and prevent displacement by allowing communities to own and manage land collectively.
Tenant Education Programs: Implementing educational programs to inform tenants about their rights and resources available to them, empowering them to advocate for themselves.
Strengthening Anti-Displacement Measures: Advocating for policies that protect long-term residents from being pushed out due to rising rents or development, such as relocation assistance and enhanced tenant protections during redevelopment.

These actions will help create a more equitable housing landscape, expand tenant rights, and combat displacement effectively.

Mingus Mapps

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

The current housing crisis in Portland is driven by several key factors:

1. Lack of Housing Supply

For years, Portland hasn’t built enough housing to keep up with population growth, leading to a supply-and-demand imbalance. With not enough homes to meet the needs of our growing city, the prices of available units have soared, making it increasingly difficult for renters to find affordable housing.

2. Rising Construction Costs

High construction costs, driven by labor shortages, expensive materials, and regulatory hurdles, have made it more expensive to build new housing, particularly affordable units. These costs often push developers to focus on higher-end housing, which further limits the supply of affordable homes.

3. Stagnant Wages and Income Inequality

While housing costs have rapidly increased, wages for many Portlanders have remained stagnant, particularly for low- and middle-income workers. This growing disparity between rent and income has led to housing insecurity and displacement for many renters who can no longer afford to live in the city.

4. Speculation and Investor-Driven Housing

Real estate speculation and the involvement of large corporate investors in Portland’s housing market have exacerbated the crisis. By purchasing properties and driving up prices, investors have reduced the availability of affordable housing and increased the pressure on renters.

5. Limited Tenant Protections

Although recent reforms have improved tenant protections, there are still gaps in policies that leave renters vulnerable to eviction and rent increases. Without stronger tenant protections, many Portlanders continue to face instability in their housing.

These factors, combined with the increasing demand for housing, have contributed to the housing crisis we see today. Addressing this crisis requires a comprehensive approach that includes increasing the supply of affordable housing, lowering construction costs, addressing income inequality, and strengthening tenant protections.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

To address Portland's housing crisis, I would champion several key policies aimed at increasing housing supply, supporting affordability, and protecting tenants:

1. Increase Affordable Housing Development

We need to accelerate the construction of affordable housing to meet the demand in our growing city. I would work to streamline the permitting process, reduce construction costs, and offer incentives to developers who prioritize affordable housing. By cutting through red tape and encouraging the development of low- and moderate-income units, we can address the severe shortage of housing that is driving up rents.

2. Expand Rental Assistance and Tenant Protections

I would advocate for expanding rental assistance programs to help low-income families stay in their homes, particularly during times of financial hardship. Additionally, I would strengthen tenant protections by preventing unjust evictions, ensuring that rent increases are fair, and addressing gaps in existing policies to provide more security for Portland renters.

3. Regulate Short-Term Rentals and Speculative Housing

Real estate speculation and short-term rentals like Airbnb have contributed to rising home prices and reduced long-term rental availability. I would work to regulate and limit short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods and implement measures that discourage speculative real estate investment. This would help ensure that housing is used to meet the needs of Portland’s residents, rather than serving as an investment tool for corporate interests.

4. Promote Community Land Trusts and Cooperative Housing

To create long-term affordable housing solutions, I would support the expansion of community land trusts and cooperative housing models. These approaches allow communities and tenants to own and manage their housing, ensuring permanent affordability and protecting against displacement. Supporting these models would provide sustainable, community-based housing solutions for Portlanders.

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

My top priorities for advancing tenants’ rights in Portland focus on three critical areas: affordability, stability, and fairness. These policies reflect my commitment to ensuring that renters have safe, stable, and affordable housing.

1. Expand Affordable Housing Through Tenant-Led Development

I will champion policies that promote tenant-led affordable housing development, such as expanding community land trusts and providing city support for tenant cooperatives. By giving tenants the ability to collectively own and manage their housing, we can create long-term affordability and protect against displacement. I have already supported efforts to streamline zoning and permitting processes for these kinds of developments and will continue to push for policies that reduce barriers to tenant-led projects.

Why it matters: Tenant-led housing provides permanent affordability and empowers renters to take control of their living situations, creating stability and community ownership in areas that are vulnerable to gentrification.

2. Strengthen Rent Control and Tenant Protections

I will advocate for stronger rent control measures and enhanced tenant protections, including further limits on no-cause evictions and rent increases. I supported the city’s rent freeze during the pandemic and believe that more permanent protections are necessary to prevent unfair rent hikes and displacement. I will also push to close loopholes in the existing rent control system and advocate for statewide reforms that better protect renters from exploitation.

Why it matters: Portland renters deserve predictable and fair housing costs, and no one should be priced out of their home due to sudden, exorbitant rent increases or unfair eviction practices. Strengthening rent control will help prevent displacement and ensure stability for renters.

3. Increase Legal Support and Tenant Advocacy Resources

I will work to expand legal assistance programs for tenants facing eviction or housing disputes, as well as increase funding for organizations that provide tenant advocacy and education. This includes supporting a tenant legal defense fund to give renters free access to legal representation in housing court. Currently, many renters are unaware of their rights or cannot afford to defend themselves, which leaves them vulnerable to eviction.

Why it matters: Tenants often face landlords with far more resources and legal expertise. By providing tenants with legal support and advocacy, we can level the playing field and ensure that everyone has access to justice in housing disputes.

Do you rent or own your residence?

I own my residence.

When were you most recently a renter?

1-5 years ago.

Are you currently a landlord?

No.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

I am not a landlord in any capacity.

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

I support the intent behind the Tenant Protection Ordinance and share PTU's concerns about tenant harassment and constructive evictions. However, I believe that for this ordinance to be effective, it must be fully developed with clear, enforceable guidelines. Here’s how I would approach it:

Clarifying Protections: I will work with PTU and other tenant advocates to ensure the ordinance provides specific, enforceable protections against landlord harassment, modeled on successful policies from other cities. This includes defining what constitutes harassment and ensuring that tenants have access to meaningful remedies.

Robust Enforcement: For this ordinance to be impactful, it must be paired with a well-resourced Rental Services Office capable of addressing tenant complaints and enforcing penalties against bad-faith landlords. Without sufficient enforcement, even the best policy will fall short.

Tenant Empowerment: I will also prioritize ensuring that tenants are aware of their rights under this ordinance and have access to the legal and advocacy resources necessary to defend themselves.

Portland needs stronger protections to address landlord harassment and ensure that our tenant protections, including rent control and no-cause eviction bans, aren’t undermined. I look forward to working with the tenant community to make this vision a reality.

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

Other: While I recognize the desire to overturn Oregon’s state preemption on local rent control measures, I am not optimistic that the city will succeed in this effort. Instead, I believe we should focus on more practical and immediate solutions that can have a real impact on renters in Portland: Advocate for a Lower Statewide Cap on Rent Increases: The current statewide cap allows rent increases that are simply unaffordable for many Portlanders. I would prioritize working with state lawmakers to lower the rent increase cap to better align with actual inflation and cost-of-living adjustments. This is a more achievable solution that can provide immediate relief to renters across the state. Strengthen Local Tenant Protections: Locally, I will focus on measures that we can enact right away, such as expanding protections against no-cause evictions, increasing relocation assistance for displaced tenants, and ensuring renters have access to legal support. These policies will help stabilize Portland’s rental market without waiting on state-level changes. While I’m not opposed to overturning state preemption, I believe that lowering the rent cap and bolstering local protections will have a more immediate and meaningful impact on Portland’s renters.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

I believe rent control is an important tool in the broader effort to protect tenants and address housing affordability. However, it must be part of a balanced approach that includes both rent regulation and the expansion of affordable housing options.

Rent control can provide immediate relief to tenants by capping excessive rent increases and preventing displacement, especially in a housing market like Portland’s, where prices have far outpaced income growth. That said, I also recognize the limitations and challenges that rent control policies can present, particularly if they discourage new housing development or lead to unintended consequences like landlords pushing tenants to self-evict.

In the current landscape, I support efforts to lower the statewide cap on rent increases, ensuring that it better reflects Portlanders’ cost of living. This would offer more predictable and reasonable rent hikes while avoiding some of the negative effects of more aggressive rent control policies.

In addition to regulating rent increases, I believe we must also:

Expand tenant protections to prevent no-cause evictions and harassment, and Invest in building more affordable housing to increase supply and provide long-term stability for renters.

My approach to rent control is rooted in practicality—I want to focus on solutions that we can achieve and that will have a meaningful impact on renters, while also ensuring Portland remains a place where both tenants and future development can thrive.

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

Other: I need to learn more about this proposal.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

I am open to considering the idea of tenants having the right to collectively bargain their leases and rents, but I believe we need to explore this concept further. While there are some examples internationally, and limited cases of tenant associations in cities like New York organizing around rent issues, I haven’t seen many formal examples of collective bargaining for rents in American cities.

I would need to understand more about how this approach could be effectively implemented in Portland, including its potential benefits and challenges for both tenants and landlords. I am particularly interested in how collective bargaining could empower tenants, address rent hikes, and improve housing stability while ensuring that it doesn’t inadvertently discourage new housing development or rental supply.

If elected, I would work with tenant advocates, legal experts, and housing stakeholders to explore the feasibility of this idea and see how we might make it a viable option for Portland renters.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

Other: While I fully support many of the goals outlined in the Renter’s Bill of Rights, I do not sign pledges as part of political campaigns. I believe that meaningful action speaks louder than campaign promises, and I am committed to addressing the concerns of Portland renters through policies that prioritize affordability, tenant protections, and housing stability. If elected, I will work with tenant advocates and other stakeholders to ensure that Portland’s renters have access to safe, stable, and affordable housing. I look forward to engaging with groups like yours to advance solutions that truly benefit our city’s tenants.

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

I believe the Renter’s Bill of Rights reflects many important protections that can help ensure housing stability and affordability for Portland’s renters. While I don’t sign pledges, I support the underlying goals of many of these policies. There are two elements of the Renter’s Bill of Rights that particularly stand out to me:

1. Establishing a Right to Counsel in Eviction Court

Ensuring that tenants have the right to legal representation in eviction court is crucial. Too often, renters face the eviction process without the resources to defend themselves, leading to unjust outcomes. Providing legal defense would level the playing field and help prevent unnecessary evictions, which can lead to homelessness and further destabilize communities.

2. Requiring Code Violations to Be Resolved Before Rent Increases

I strongly support the requirement that landlords resolve any code violations before raising rents. Tenants should not be subjected to rent increases while living in unsafe or substandard conditions. This policy would ensure that landlords meet their obligations for property maintenance and habitability before they can pass costs onto tenants.

These policies are important because they address the power imbalance between landlords and tenants, helping to ensure that Portlanders have access to safe, stable, and affordable housing.

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

To create policies that truly support and protect renters, we must center the voices of those most directly impacted by housing instability. I believe that inclusive, equitable policymaking means bringing tenants to the table from the very beginning and ensuring their experiences shape the solutions we pursue. Here’s how I would approach this:

1. Prioritize Outreach and Community Engagement

It’s critical that we go beyond traditional public forums and actively reach out to marginalized and underserved renter communities. I would work to expand community engagement efforts by partnering with tenant advocacy groups, conducting outreach in multiple languages, and holding meetings in accessible locations. This ensures that renters from all walks of life have opportunities to participate and have their voices heard.

2. Use Data to Inform Equitable Policies

I would ensure that policies affecting tenants are backed by data that reflects the diverse demographics and needs of Portland’s renters. By analyzing the specific challenges faced by different groups—whether it’s race, income, family status, or disability—we can design policies that address the unique barriers each community faces. This data-driven approach will help create policies that work for everyone, not just those who are already well-represented.

By prioritizing diverse perspectives through outreach and grounding policies in data, we can build a housing system that truly reflects the needs of all Portlanders.

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

Other: I am participating in the City of Portland’s Open and Accountable Elections program, which means I do not accept contributions from PACs, including those from the real estate industry. This program is designed to ensure that campaigns are funded by small-dollar contributions from everyday Portlanders, not special interests. My focus is on building a campaign that is accountable to the people of Portland, especially renters and working families, rather than large industry donors.

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

In addition to the policies I’ve already mentioned, I would champion several other initiatives to ensure that housing remains affordable, tenants are protected, and Portlanders are not displaced from their homes:

1. Support Community Land Trusts and Cooperative Housing Models

To provide long-term affordable housing solutions, I will support the expansion of community land trusts and tenant cooperatives. These models allow communities and tenants to own and control their housing, ensuring permanent affordability and protecting against market-driven rent increases. By giving tenants more control, we can create more sustainable, community-based housing solutions that keep housing affordable and protect renters from the volatility of the market.

2. Increase Rental Assistance Programs

I will advocate for increasing rental assistance programs to provide ongoing support for renters, particularly low-income families and individuals struggling to afford rent. Expanding these programs will help bridge the gap between stagnant wages and rising rents, which is critical to ensuring more Portlanders can stay in their homes. Additionally, I will work to streamline the application process to ensure that tenants in need can access funds quickly, reducing housing instability and preventing homelessness.

3. Incentivize Affordable Housing Development with Targeted Policies

I support offering affordable housing incentives for developers who commit to building more affordable housing units. These incentives could include tax abatements, fee reductions, or expedited permitting processes, all aimed at encouraging developers to prioritize affordable housing projects. By reducing the financial barriers for developers, we can expand the supply of affordable housing, helping to alleviate rent pressures and prevent the displacement of low- and moderate-income renters.

Sharon Nasset

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

lack of truly inexpensive housing, lack of upward mobility from low wage jobs ll.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

Housing is to expensive for all of us. New housing is the most expensive to construct, to rent, takes the most amount of time, changes the neighborhoods, and takes money from our taxes. Send money out of area to developers. Maximizing our current houses for those interested in boarding, rooming houses, and ADU. 40% to 60% of Americans lived in boarding and rooming houses until the new 1960's health and safety regulation. With no money provided to upgrade properties the real estate complexes grab funding. The City will Have a registry of people needing housing and paying to much. Hold information classes on how start and operate boarding and rooming houses Help match people with the right type of help. Provide a model to the nation less expensive, loneliness, and homelessness The energy and spirit when hundreds and thousands of people in our city being are in distress for the most basic housing and food. Set up temporary "Yes you can camp here!" There are plenty of good parking (mud and electricity) not in residential areas, adjacent to retail and transit. Placing several of them in each part of town allows people to stay in an area they are used to living in. Event tents, professional heat, bathrooms, shower trailers, meals, lockers, health care , and service area. Set-up a housing register of people needing housing and paying to much for housing. Use the register to evaluate the individual needs. Provide information on how to set-up and operate boarding and rooming houses for those interested in maximizing their properties. Seek funding to upgrade current properties and add bedrooms, bathrooms, and dormer. Using spec plans, and a streamlined process it less expensive and faster to bring smaller project on line. Unlike new project that can take years, lots of process, changes the neighbors, new is most expensive, give taxes breaks and removes money from locals to large companies. Seek a change in federal funding the HUD and rental vouches can go to boarding and rooming houses not just apartments. We must be able to, when we see a person in need be able to offer them a

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

Adding housing keeps rent low, variety and locations.

Do you rent or own your residence?

I own my residence.

When were you most recently a renter?

More than 10 years ago.

Are you currently a landlord?

No.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

I am not a landlord in any capacity.

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

I believe that housing is to expensive and that focusing on boarding and rooming house would maximize our current housing stock providing more alternatives and less expensive housing. For those who do like to socialize, need cheaper housing or living help shared house works for them. The more housing on the market lower the cost of all and can keep rent from raising

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

Other: I believe upgrading and maximize current residence adding more housing will provide lower rents

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

I believe rent can go and stay lower by upgrading current houses add housing stock this keeps rent money local. Shared utilities better for the pocket book a and economy

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

Other: For large complex buildings and multi -unit

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

Private people who own a few monitor themselves. Large rental companies that are focus only on profit must have additional collectives to keep a balance and not let them control a large part of the market and drive price up and then others follow. I still believe flooding the market with alternative to "apartment" complexes provide a less stressful living space.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

Other: I can't do 8 and 9. The adding of additional fee other than one time for pets and service that don't add expense I am against. One pet fee unless there are issue. Nothing on going without actual issues

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

4.-5 displacement and a balance with the owner who has bills, fund may need to be established to keep everyone whole

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

I am all about Environmental Justice with meetings, education and helping set-up alternative housing and working or getting state and federal funding to construct the housing additions and seeking HUD and other housing funds to cover the rent that currently go to apartments to be used boarding and rooming houses

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

Other: No Problem... My issue I have a hard time asking for money even from those who owe me money. Having said that volunteering or donating to my campaign would be very helpful if you share my view and what to see Portland'srebooting bloom.

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

I do not support large housing project using commercial properties that can be economic anchors for a community. When those building can be medical, or other offices bring clients into the community to spend money. New construction cost the most, individual electric, takes tax money from vital service and the high rent and utility causes a need for more vital service.... One house one utility cheaper and more environmentally friendly

Martin Ward

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

Private ownership of apartments, mobile home lots, and condos leads to higher rent and HOA fees. As far as houses go the debt based system of payments pushes costs up, there are some more efficient construction models as well such as building smaller, not having basements, and possibly other means. There are possibly other reasons for high prices as well... general income inequality can affect the ability to make payments as well.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

I am mainly focused on government ownership of apartments, mobile home lots, and potentially condos. Profit margins of apartments are currently 30-40%, with government ownership this extra profit will be eliminated. Mobile homes and condos have HOA fees that range from $500 a month and up, with government ownership these fees will be eliminated.

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

Do you rent or own your residence?

Other: squatting at my mommas

When were you most recently a renter?

I've never been a renter.

Are you currently a landlord?

No.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

I am not a landlord in any capacity

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

Other: I am mainly focused on government ownership of apartments, mobile home lots, and potentially condos. I will look at eviction laws and renter rights at some point.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

It seems interesting, I am mainly focused on government ownership of apartments, mobile home lots, and potentially condos in order to bring prices down.

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

Other: I am mainly focused on government ownership of apartments, mobile home lots, and potentially condos which lead to much lower rent. Eliminating rent control bans is fine, and having margin controls based off the profit being brought in is a possibility but it won't lead to as much savings as government ownership, and is more complicated.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

God damn you ask the same questions twice

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

Other: Government ownership, we will bring expenses down as much as possible, there will still be inflation and continued increase in rent. But rent relative to income will be lower. Inflation is controlled at the federal level and has to do with the money supply.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

Government ownership.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

Other: no, it doesn't really bring prices down. government ownership is the way.

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

1. Government owned apartments 2. Government owned mobile home lots 3. Potentially government owned condos.

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

By bringing prices down.

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

Other: Hell no, I'll take all their money.

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

New homeless shelters. Lower property tax. I have more extreme solutions to bring the cost of houses down that I will have on my website www.martinward4mayor.com at some point.

District 1

Candace Avalos

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

Our housing crisis has been decades in the making, from the steady decline in federal funding for affordable housing and measures to address homelessness since the Reagan administration to the NIMBYism that has resulted in suppressed housing production — including and especially affordable housing — across the country. Add to that wages that have not kept up with inflation or with the earnings of the wealthiest people in the country, and very few people can comfortably afford safe, stable housing.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

My platform includes the following policies to address the housing crisis across the housing continuum:

Build stronger pathways to homeownership: Homeownership is increasingly out of reach for more and more Portlanders, especially people of color and East Portland residents. We need to build all models of homeownership, from regulated affordable ownership homes, to shared equity models like community land trusts, to efficiently built market-rate homes. We need to replicate successful programs from other places. And we need to support these efforts with new funding sources at the local, state, and federal level, building on decades of advocacy by experts.

Build more housing, affordably: We need safe, affordable and accessible housing to end our region’s housing crisis. The City must invest in permanently affordable housing options, especially for chronically underfunded East Portland. This involves growing our construction workforce with apprenticeships and job training programs, and assessing our policies to make sure housing is truly affordable to East Portlanders. It also involves preserving the affordable homes we already have. We need to work with our partners and ensure these neighbors remain in their homes and we don’t lose precious affordable housing for the long term.

Housing first, but not housing only: We must invest in the full spectrum of housing opportunities, from shelter options that are proven to work in Portland, to permanent supportive housing, affordable housing, a variety of homes to meet different people’s needs, and homeownership. In addition, we need to invest in real and effective ways to end homelessness for the people experiencing it, from mental health and addiction resources, to job training and placement, to housing vouchers, to funding living wages for social service workers who are the backbone of solving this crisis.

Track accessible housing units: The City of Portland maintains a registry of all the rental housing units in Portland. Currently, the only information available is the address, how long it’s been rented, and if it is regulated affordable housing. Disability justice advocates have been asking the City for years to track accessible units. We need to track accessible units in our registry so that people with disabilities can be better able to find housing that meets their needs.

Decriminalize poverty and support our unhoused neighbors: The reality is that we will not be able to build a home for everyone who needs it overnight, but in the meantime, we must treat every neighbor in our community with the dignity and respect they deserve. We cannot continue to spend our limited resources on inhumane and costly sweeps that only push vulnerable people out of sight and into areas like East Portland. I would direct investments in basic sanitation, water, and trash services to ensure our community is healthy and safe for every member. We must also fully fund and protect Portland Street Response so that people in crisis receive the professional, trained care they need.

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

I believe we need to address homelessness by preventing it in the first place — and this means supporting tenants in their current housing. Reports show that more than 30% of families in Multnomah County are struggling to meet their basic needs. As our city continues to grow and develop we need to ensure strong anti-displacement policies are in place. I would direct the City to fully fund rental assistance and continue to ensure renters have safeguards like eviction protection and relocation assistance. In addition, both renters and landlords benefit when educated on rental laws and protections. We must fully fund the Rental Services Office to publicize landlord-tenant laws and to provide resources and guidance to both landlords and tenants.

I’ve worked on policies like these and advocated for more protections for renters on the board of Street Roots and the Coalition of Communities of Color. I’ve also built coalitions with tenants’ rights organizations and other organizations led by marginalized communities as a founding board member of Portland: Neighbors Welcome. In addition, I serve as the Executive Director of Verde, where I work in coalition with Living Cully and helped create the country’s first community-led TIF district. This new system was carefully crafted by the Cully community over many years, and it will ensure public investments will actually go toward stabilizing our residents, not displacing them.

Do you rent or own your residence?

I own my residence.

When were you most recently a renter?

1-5 years ago.

Are you currently a landlord?

No.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

I am not a landlord in any capacity.

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

We’ve made strides in the past several years to protect our tenants, but there is still work to be done. I look forward to the opportunity to address the issues raised in the Tenant Protection Ordinance, and it is notable that the Rental Services Commission, a body of the City, has endorsed the ordinance. I also look forward to strengthening the Rental Services Office with more capacity to educate landlords and tenants about our laws and hold landlords accountable.

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

I believe our current regulations are more about preventing rent gouging than actual rent control. That is, they only protect people in the most severe of situations. We also saw how a huge increase in inflation across the economy left many people unprotected because our limitations on rent increases are tied to inflation. We need meaningful ways to stabilize people’s rents and we need to give people a predictable idea of their housing costs. Local communities know their residents the best and need the power to craft solutions that will work for them.

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

I see collective bargaining as a necessary first step that can lead to longer-term solutions like collective ownership. I am interested in tenant opportunity to purchase policies. I know that in D.C., what made their tenant opportunity to purchase policy work was the funding that the city provided to low-income tenants for the down payment they need to buy their building. I welcome the opportunity to work with tenants’ rights organizations on collective bargaining and collective ownership.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

No.

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

I support most of the policies in the Renter’s Bill of Rights. I haven’t signed it because some of the policies are not within the jurisdiction of the City, and while I will work with the State and other jurisdictions to achieve these outcomes, I only want to commit to promises I know I can keep. I also want to make sure the Bill of Rights has been fully vetted by our most marginalized community members and the organizations that represent them, so we make sure their needs are addressed. That said, some of the policies I am particularly passionate about are:

2. Mandate relocation assistance when rent increases more than 5%: Relocation costs are a small price for landlords to pay when they’re raising the rent beyond what their tenants can afford.

4. Protect renters from evictions for late rent during extreme weather events: When people can’t get to work, they can’t pay their rent. We’re not able to clear the roads of snow and ice in a timely manner, and we can’t protect everyone from heat waves that prevent them from traveling or working outside.

5. Cap fees such as 'pet rent', late fees, laundry fees, and other excessive charges and deposits: Citywide caps on fees like this will help everyone better predict what it will cost them to move, and it will prevent landlords from exploiting people with basic needs like laundry and companionship.

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

I have a strong track record of building and strengthening relationships with these communities, and I have been this person until recently. I intend to continue working with these communities once I’m on City Council. I’ve served on the boards of the Coalition of Communities of Color, Street Roots, and Portland: Neighbors Welcome. I currently serve as the executive director of Verde, where I work in coalition with Living Cully. I build community with everyday Portlanders like my neighbors and people I meet in our parks and public spaces. When I’m in office, I’ll carry these relationships with me and build new ones.

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

Yes.

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

Please see my full platform at candaceforportland.com/priorities.

Doug Clove

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

The lack of available housing in Portland and the high cost of housing.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

We need to focus on creating more housing, and then even more after that. It's crucial to simplify the building process in East Portland. Let's eliminate the red tape and barriers that make construction difficult. Portland should work alongside builders instead of being a roadblock. I’d make sure this approach becomes a reality.

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

I'm totally in favor of boosting tenants' rights. Everyone deserves a safe, clean, and affordable home. Tenants shouldn't have to worry about retaliation when they bring up problems with their place. When repairs are needed, they should be done quickly and without any extra costs. If things aren't fixed in a reasonable time, tenants should get some compensation. Plus, we really need to put a stop to landlords slapping on late fees and other harsh charges when rent isn't paid on time. No one should feel like they could be kicked out of their home at any moment..

Do you rent or own your residence?

I own my residence.

When were you most recently a renter?

More than 10 years ago.

Are you currently a landlord?

No.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

I am not a landlord in any capacity.

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

Tenants who are less financially stable as their landlords need some sort of protection from overzealous landlords with deep pockets.

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

Rent control should be implemented to stop landlords from overcharging their tenants. It’s important that it’s done in a fair and transparent manner that both parties can agree on.

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

Other: Of course, if it passes legal muster.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

I’m always in support of the people’s right to collectively bargain, in any sense.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

No.

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

I’m on board with pretty much all of the Renter’s Bill of Rights. I just feel like we should differentiate between small-time landlords who might have a house or an accessory dwelling unit and the big companies that own tons of large properties with many units. I totally support holding those big players accountable when they mistreat their tenants.

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

I would implement policies that affect all tenants, regardless of how diverse they are. When it comes to the diversity of tenants, it’s the tenants that are lower income that need to be protected.

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

Yes.

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

I think I’ve addressed plenty, but I’m always open to new ideas. After all, I work for those tenants, and not the corporations who spend their money buying politicians like most of my opponents.

Jamie Dunphy

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

A lack of affordable housing supply, a lack of investment in housing production by the City, State, and Federal government, an incentive structure that encourages building the wrong type of housing, and the commoditization of housing by private investment firms.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

Great streamlining of permitting and internal processes to the City of Portland, greater emphasis on intensive reuse of existing vacant buildings, and targetted investment on vacant lots in East Portland. I want explicit protections for renters, a vacancy tax on rental housing, and greater enforcement of existing housing laws.

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

Codifying protections and rights for tenants.

Enacting a vacancy tax on corporate landlords who allow available units to sit vacant for extended periods of time to maximize rent levels.

Work intensely with downtown building owners who want to convert their properties into different types of housing, including affordable, market-rate, and transitional housing. And for those building owners who refuse to convert, the City should aggressively bid on those properties when they inevitably go up for foreclosure auction.

Do you rent or own your residence?

I own my residence.

When were you most recently a renter?

5-10 years ago.

Are you currently a landlord?

Yes.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

I rent out one or two properties in Portland.

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

For a right to exist, it must be written down. Currently renters, who are nearly half of all residents of Portland, have very few protections from an out-of-control housing market that does not have their best intentions in mind. I believe the first step is codifying a renters bill of rights, and adequately staffing enforcement of those rights.

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

Rent control has been proven to be effective in some jurisdictions, while in others it has not been. Portland unfortunately has a long track record of voting for progressive, forward looking pieces of legislation, and then failing on implementation. The details matter, and I would like to see a lot more empirical work done on the specific Portland rental market and how best to achieve lower rents.

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

I am in favor of collective bargaining in almost any context in order to empower people against economic markets that are designed to exploit them.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

If you care about something, call it by it’s name and pay someone to work on that issue. Renters deserve rights around notification times for increases, ways to resolve conflict with your landlord, and protections for children and teachers. The government should care that people are able to afford rents in their cities for the wages that are being offered, otherwise economic imbalances will overwhelm the largely unregulated market.

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

This requires diligence and trust and building relationships directly with elected officials, especially with the new form of district representation coming to the Portland City Council. Additionally, I would support ensuring a dedicated seat at the table for renters on oversight bodies related to bonds, public policy, or investments made by Portland Housing Bureau and Prosper Portland.

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

Yes.

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

No.

Timur Ender

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

The main cause of the homelessness crisis can be attributed to affordability of housing prices. Secondary causes include stagnant wages, limited supply, lack of supportive services to keep people in housing, insufficient efforts to prevent housing insecurity, dwindling number of home builders which reduces competition, municipal zoning restrictions, and a lack of social housing.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

I would work with the County to utilize available dollars to immediately get people into housing and ensure this housing is paired with wraparound services. It may mean, in the near term there are mobile services until more permanent wraparound services can be established. This is often referred to as a “housing first” strategy.

Other near term priorities would include identifying city owned land that could be used for housing, exploring the possibility of social housing, and examining feasibility of downtown office to residential conversion.

I would also advocate for strategic policies that drive down the cost of building housing. One example of this is single stair reform. This relates to allowing developers to build apartments with one set of stairs; the idea is that by foregoing the second set of stairs, the cost to build is reduced making those units more affordable. Single stair reform is often accompanied by stronger fire & life safety standards in buildings, ensuring safety is not compromised. Many cities and states have utilized these sorts of policies to reduce construction costs and make it possible for more types of housing to pencil out. House bill 3395, which was signed into law June 2023, begins the process of allowing single stair buildings in the Oregon Building code. More details can be found here: https://www.centerforbuilding.org/singlestair-tracker

I would work to align zoning code to legalize missing middle housing and to prioritize transit oriented development.

Finally, I would advocate for transportation policies that save people money. This includes Rose Lanes (transit priority), neighborhood greenways, transportation wallet programs (allow residents to take free rides on bikeshare/public transit), youth bus pass, and safe routes to school

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

One of the things the City of Portland could do, which Seattle has already done, is unbundling parking from rent. This allows tenants to decide whether they want to pay for parking. If they don’t have a car, this has the effect of immediately reducing housing payments. This can be supported by other city efforts such as the Rose Lane program which speeds up transit speed and reliability, neighborhood greenway/bikeway infrastructure, and transportation wallet programs which provide low-income residents vouchers for multi-modal trips on scooters, transit, bike share, and streetcar.

I have long been involved in championing policies to promote public transit, low-carbon transportation, and walking/biking. While working at the City, I helped launch the Fixing Our Streets program (10 cent local gas tax), fixed speed safety cameras, and our bikeshare program.

Programs and policies that save families transportation costs mean people have more to spend on other important household budget items. Together, housing and transportation are often the two highest household budget items for families. To the extent that local government policies can reduce these costs, the more people have leftover in their pocket.

Do you rent or own your residence?

I own my residence.

When were you most recently a renter?

5-10 years ago.

Are you currently a landlord?

Yes.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

I rent out rooms in my home and/or an ADU on my property

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

The Tenant Protection Ordinance would ensure that tenants are protected from mold, loud noise, dust, debris, and constructive eviction. These are important protections to ensure residents are able to reside in quiet and peaceful living arrangements.

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

Other: I see rent control as part of an umbrella of protections that can improve quality of life for residents but it is important that this policy discussion occur as part of the larger context around housing capacity. My goal will be to ensure we don’t have unintended consequences and that this policy does not further limit or disincentivize housing construction. Ultimately, I think it is important that these decisions be made at the local level which is why I would support overturning the state preemption. In short, as it relates to rent control, my focus will be on crafting policy that is intentional about how this fits into larger housing production and access goals. I am open to and look forward to that conversation.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

I see rent control as one of many levers that can be used to address affordability. I would support rent control if it was part of a comprehensive, well informed and well communicated strategy to ensure affordability. My interest and concern with rent control as a policy tool relates to how other parts of the housing strategy come together and fit under this umbrella. I am committed to increasing housing production which will remain my north star. To the extent a rent control program works in service to increasing housing production, I would be proud to support it.

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

Other: I am a supporter of collective bargaining as it relates to labor. Collective bargaining as it relates to housing is something I am interested in learning more about.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

If collective bargaining allows tenants to avail themselves to safe and healthy living arrangements in a cost effective manner where other government protections have fallen short or been unenforced I am open to having this be a tool that is available to achieve those policy goals.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

No.

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

I'm excited about regulations that would cap pet fees, laundry fees, and other excessive fees. I also support policies that tie rent increases to resolving city code violations.

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

I am committed to uplifting the voices of tenants and moving forward specific policies that materially improve the lives of renters. I will champion efforts to hold focus groups where renters have the ability to provide input on city policies in a safe, confidential, and empowering setting. I would ensure tenants are compensated for their time providing input to the city and that barriers to participation, such as childcare, are addressed.

Additionally, when appointing people to boards and commissions the city has, whether it relates to parks, housing, or transportation, I will always seek to bring the perspective of renters.

Also, if code violations are reported, I will work to ensure those are investigated quickly so that residents have access to safe, healthy, and habitable housing

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

Yes.

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

I am proud to be a pro-housing candidate who will fight to unlock housing opportunities by legalizing missing middle housing, increasing the supply of housing, streamlining permitting, and increasing height limits so more people can continue to afford to live in Portland. I’m proud to support Portland: Neighbors Welcome “Inner Eastside for All” campaign which seeks to increase density in inner Portland in areas well served by transit, high tree canopy, and have a low displacement risk.

I do think concerns around displacement and gentrification in East Portland are valid and have come up consistently. District 1 has some of the greatest displacement risk in the entire city. There are a number of ways that displacement can be mitigated:

including community based organizations in the planning stages of infrastructure projects so that needs, concerns, and possible solutions can be brought to light early in the process.
project labor agreements which help ensure people of color are included in the workforce and that the people building infrastructure in our neighborhoods reflect the diversity of East Portland.
a commitment to local hiring so that people living along the corridor are prioritized for employment opportunities in their neighborhoods.
aligning zoning policies to mitigate displacement. I’m a proud supporter of Portland: Neighbor’s Welcome “Inner Eastside for All” campaign which seeks to increase housing opportunity between Fremont, 60th, Powell, and 12th- an area well served by transit, tree canopy, and has low displacement risk. Policies such as this make a difference because they increase the overall supply of housing and reduce the displacement pressure that East Portland faces.
Ensure Prosper Portland’s tax increment financing proposal for East Portland works to support community goals around preventing displacement.
Incorporate public art that is reflective of the culture of 82nd Avenue.

<p">In short, residents must see that these infrastructure projects are for them. The best way to do this is to ensure it meets their needs by stabilizing their community, providing job opportunities, and seeing themselves reflected in the infrastructure that is being built.

David Linn

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

Private market forces, greed, and the public policies that abandoning public housing.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

Public housing. Long term rental agreements. Tenant protections listed in the Renter's Bill of Rights. Community Land banking. Low barrier - high service shelters that are well managed in coordination with neighbors. Small transitional housing projects dispersed around the city to meet our needs without concentrating it to any one part.

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

I have worked with other Democrats to push for caps on rent increases. We fought hard to get people elected that cared more for our low income neighbors than landlord profits. I would fight to cap rent increases to 5% and create protections from increasing rent on homes that do not meet code and are unsafe to the families living there. We need to ensure protections for tenants who fear reporting their landlord or fighting for what they deserve.

As a neighborhood leader and school board member we have been advocating for Prosper Portland to include more renter protections in any and all projects funded with public dollars. We need more housing that is not part of the private market and whose rents are capped for 20-40 years or income driven at no more than 30% of a persons available income. We need our neighbors to be stable in their homes and not be driven out by high rents. We can do that by assisting with energy and heat efficiency, community solar projects, and safety retrofits.

Do you rent or own your residence?

I own my residence.

When were you most recently a renter?

1-5 years ago.

Are you currently a landlord?

Yes.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

I rent out rooms in my home and/or an ADU on my property.

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

I support the Tenant Protection Ordinance and would work with my fellow councilors to get it passed. I have been a renter faced with sub-standard housing but would not confront the landlord about it because of the fear of retaliation. Tenants should not fear harassment and retaliation when they are working in good faith to uphold their part. We should ensure legal protections to ensure landlords cannot intimidate tenants into giving up their rights.

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

I have long supported rent control and other measures to keep people in their homes. In 2019 I fought hard to get Shemia Fagan elected over a landlord incumbent but was disappointed with the watered down bills that were negotiated with the landlord lobby. I support lifting the preemption on local rent control. I support using ballot measures for important issues like this when the legislature cannot or will not act. I also support campaign finance reform to break the undue influence business lobbies have in Oregon.

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

As a community organizer and former union steward, I know the power and leverage of collective action. I also know that there are people who must rely on others to advocate for them and we can do that together as a group. I support recognized tenant groups as long as there are safeguards against any fraud or abuse.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

For years I have advocated for local rent control and lifting the state preemption. High rent drives so many other issues and problems for families. We already have too many people living in their cars and suffering because they can't afford the rents in Portland. I am very passionate about fighting the exploitation of renters by for-profit corporations. I am also very supportive of eliminating various fees and deposits charged by landlords to get around rent increases. Deposits should be tied to actual charges and the landlord should be mandated to give the tenant information about what the law requires. There should be stiff penalties for landlords who violate those protections or are manipulative in communication with the tenants.

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

I have spent over 20 years in community organizing and the various ways in which the Portland City government listens to some voices and not others. East Portland has been ignored for decades and we will ensure that we bring the community to city hall with us. That means making sure that each and every policy making body that involves housing or development includes specific seats for Portlanders who rent their home. We must ensure that those people come from all parts of our district and reflect the diversity of the community. We need to decentralize city offices and create more opportunities where Portland government is out in the community meeting people where they are.

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

Yes.

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

I have been very involved with the proposed Tax Increment Finance (TIF) districts being proposed in East Portland, Parkrose, and along 82nd Ave. We have organized with other residents to push Prosper Portland to include more community priorities and more community voices in the decision making. Many East Portland residents have already been displaced from other urban renewal projects and don't want to be priced out of here. They should use all the leverage of local dollars to protect our low-income and vulnerable populations. We are fighting against their habit for squandering vital public dollars to subsidize profit making enterprises.

Steph Routh

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

I think Israel Bayer and Jes Larson were correct in their assessment of how homelessness became a crisis, which they shared when Justin Buri and I interviewed them back in 2016 on our “Why Isn’t Anyone Talking About This?” podcast.

Our housing crisis is also owing to the decades’-long calcification of residential zoning. Until recently, over 75% of residentially zoned land in Portland was relegated to single detached housing, which severely limited housing supply. While we are seeing some early returns with the Residential Infill Project, we do not have enough housing, period, and we do not have enough diversity in our types of housing. For example, producing a bunch of studio apartments, the smallest of units so the most affordable, does not help families.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

I think generally supporting housing production is important and has immediate levers we can use. Also, we should explore social housing and office conversion. Here are some specific examples of policies I would like to champion in office:

Inclusionary zoning, which requires developers to set aside a percentage of new housing units as affordable housing. I advocated to lift the ban in Oregon ten years ago and have continued my efforts by supporting updates to the policy, as a volunteer with the Portland Planning & Sustainability Commission. Inclusionary housing is a dial, not a switch.
Establishment of a single permitting authority to fast-track affordable housing solutions
Tax on housing practices such as speculation, short-term rentals, and vacation homes. I would like us to consider a land value tax to offer incentives for development in response to neighborhood housing needs.
Using the Housing Production Strategies Project that will advance housing production, such as Inner Eastside for All
Social housing: we could buy apartment buildings that are currently on offer at prices below what we could build them for.

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

Rental assistance to help individuals avoid the number one reason for for-cause eviction
Caps on fees such as laundry fees, pet rent, and late-rent fees
Tenant protections in the form of “just cause” eviction laws and rent regulations to protect tenants from unfair evictions
Extension of legal representation to low-income tenants facing eviction in housing court

Supporting policies and initiatives that advance renters’ rights was a big reason I co-founded a podcast called “Why Isn’t Anyone Talking About This?” in 2015. Our first episode was about the Renters State of Emergency with co-founder Justin Buri, who was the former executive director of Community Alliance of Tenants. I have worked to find ways to support both housing affordability and renter protections for over a decade.

Do you rent or own your residence?

I own my residence.

When were you most recently a renter?

More than 10 years ago.

Are you currently a landlord?

No.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

I am not a landlord in any capacity.

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

Generally yes. I have a question about the right of peaceful use of home, which is often used as the reason for one renter to initiate eviction or other reprisal for another renter who is experiencing harassment or domestic violence.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

Please see above.

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

Rent control curbs displacement and helps stabilize families and communities.

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

To the best of my understanding, Oregon law does not allow landlords to retaliate against tenants for collectively bargaining. A low bar, but that's a start.

One aspect of tenants rights that I was part of a few years ago was the Manufactured Dwelling Park Project, which created protections for people who may own a mobile home but who rent access to the land the home sits on. The project’s passage meant that, even if a mobile home park were sold to a new owner, that park had to remain a park and could not be converted to, say, luxury condos. I generally feel that community organizing contributes to community health.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

As a campaign we developed a pledge policy, and the Renter’s Bill of Rights interacts with that policy. That said, I am supportive of most of the bill of rights policies.

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

I feel pretty strongly about limiting hidden fees, such as pet rent and laundry fees. Also, requiring that code violations be resolved before rent can be increased should be a given.

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

I feel engaging the most impacted community members in any proposed policy or project is important to achieving good policy. I am excited about this new form of government because I believe it will allow future city councilors to focus on constituent services and meaningful, responsive community involvement.

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

Yes.

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

As a planning commissioner, I have worked over the past five years to relegalize housing choice and advance policies that build a framework for shared prosperity. I look forward to working with a spectrum of housing and community partners to meet our community members’ housing needs, at every age, stage, and wage (hat tip to colleague candidate Timur Ender for that last phrase, which I love).

District 2

Sam Adams

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

Several key factors cause the current rental housing crisis:

Supply Shortage: Lack of New Construction: Not enough rental units, especially affordable ones, are being built to meet demand. Zoning laws and lengthy approval processes make development difficult.

High Costs: Rising construction and land costs increase rents, especially for new units.
Increased Demand

Fewer Homeowners: High home prices and tight mortgage requirements force more people into the rental market.

Demographics: Younger generations rent more, increasing competition for units.
Stagnant Wages and Income Inequality

Slow Wage Growth: Rents are rising faster than wages, making it harder for many renters to keep up.

Income Gaps: Low-, middle-income and BIPOC renters are often hit hardest, with a larger share of their income spent on rent.

Investor Ownership/Institutional Buyers: Large investors buy rental properties and raise rents to maximize profits, reducing affordability.

Short-Term Rentals: Platforms like Airbnb remove units from the long-term rental market, tightening supply.

Affordable Housing Shortage: Lack of Subsidized Units: Government programs need to keep up with the demand for affordable rentals.

Subsidy Expirations: Some previously affordable units are now rented at market rates.

Gentrification and Displacement: Urban Redevelopment: Gentrification displaces lower-income renters, raising rents in once-affordable neighborhoods.

Rent Control and Tenant Protection: Rent control that allows outlandish rent hikes.

Economic and Pandemic After-Effects:COVID-19: Job losses during the pandemic led to missed rent payments and increased financial pressure on renters.

Inflation: Rising costs, including for housing, are making it harder for renters to afford necessities.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

We basically are at a dead stop in housing production. This is a full-blown emergency, and we need to act now.

Housing is too expensive, and there isn't enough of it.

Recently, the Portland City Council approved a detailed housing production plan. I want to laud the early project prep work done by Commissioner Dan Ryan, and Commissioner Carmen Rubio who really delivered in bringing the project home.

My concern is the agreed upon next steps are not urgent enough.

CURRENT SITUATION:

Local housing production is at a virtual standstill, with only 500 units in the pipeline, the lowest since 2009. (The Oregonian)
To meet demand, we need to build 6,800 new housing units a year for the next 25 years. We aren’t even close to being on track to do this.
Most renters are cost burdened and spend 30+% of their household income on housing alone. (KGW)
That’s too much.
Our housing shortage will push more neighbors into homelessness. (ECOnorthwest)
People who are currently homeless are waiting up to 5 to 10 years to get into permanent housing. (Willamette Week).

This issue is personal to me:

I grew up in public housing with my mom and siblings after my parents divorced. It helped get us through some tough times. I don’t know what we would have done without it.

My life experience fuels my affordable housing public service commitments:

Under Mayor Vera Katz I helped lead the city’s financing efforts to redevelop North Portland’s Columbia Villa into the New Columbia neighborhood.
While mayor I budgeted $280 million for affordable housing and created the city’s first Bureau of Housing. (2009-2012 Mayor’s Proposed Budgets)

THE BIG CHALLENGE NOW:

While the City Council has approved a housing production plan, we lack the necessary emergency "booster rockets" for implementation.

We risk repeating the City’s underwhelming results of Ordinance 187371 from 2015, which declared a housing emergency, but failed to achieve needed results because no one person is in charge and has under-powered implementation requirements. We can’t afford to let that happen again.

THE BIG SOLUTIONS NEEDED:

My Emergency Housing Production Implementation Proposal provides the needed focus, funding, and accountability of emergency-level actions to build more multifamily rental housing faster, including:

Unified Leadership:

Appoint a “Housing Production Czar” and get the county, the cities, and state on the same page with one accountable person leading the local process for all in a coordinated way.
Place all housing related staff from all departments in all governments, including all permitting and zoning staff, under the matrixed direction of the Housing Production Czar.

Community Engagement:

Create a diverse Emergency Housing Production Implementation to advise Housing Production Czar.
Rapid Action

Develop a Production Plan with five-year phases over 25 years. Key upfront actions include:

Cities and county enact local funding plans (more on this below) for 1-80 MFI housing subsidies.
Approve 400 shovel-ready and nail-ready sites for 35 apartments at each site.
Reverse engineer multifamily housing developments to reduce costs per unit at every possible inflection point.
Provide development bonuses for required prevailing wage construction and expand union skilled trades apprentice training programs to meet workforce demands.
Conduct outside review of why national funders are bypassing Portland for multifamily housing investments and seek to address concerns.

Secure Funds Now:

Cities and the county should redirect up to 50% of funds, on an ongoing basis, for housing from ballot measure approved programs when their tax proceeds are higher than what the proponents forecasted.

The type of housing subsidized can fit into the measures’ mission (i.e. Preschool For All funds going to subsidized housing for single parents like my Mom).
Include in this funding a redirect effort for the Streets to House Services, Portland Clean Energy Fund, Portland Children’s Levy, Arts Tax, CEO tax, new TIF districts, and Preschool for All programs.

Given our urgent housing crisis we need bold, decisive actions to address it. This is not the time for slow, incremental steps—it's a moment that calls for transformative leadership and an aggressive, focused implementation strategy to increase housing production now.

I have a proven track record of helping to create and implement large-scale initiatives just like this. I understand the complexities involved in affordable housing development, from public-private funding and zoning issues to community engagement and cross-agency collaboration.

Multnomah County deserves bold leadership that can navigate bureaucracy, secure the necessary resources, and drive urgent, large-scale action to tackle this crisis and others head-on.

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

See my answer to question #2.

Do you rent or own your residence?

I own my residence.

When were you most recently a renter?

More than 10 years ago.

Are you currently a landlord?

Yes.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

I rent a triplex in North Portland.

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

I would have to learn more about it before I feel confident in making a decision whether to support it or not.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

I would have to learn more about it before I could confidently decide whether to support it or not.

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

I would prefer something at a regional level if not at the state level.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

I support it.

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

No.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

No, I don’t support collective bargaining for tenants on leases and rent. While I believe tenants deserve protections and fair treatment, collective bargaining in this context could complicate the rental market, reduce the availability of units, and deter investment in housing.

Instead, I support strong tenant protections, increasing affordable housing supply, and ensuring balanced policies that protect both renters and landlords without creating unintended negative consequences to either.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

No.

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

I would have to learn more about it before I could confidently decide whether to support it or not.

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

Making sure these groups are involved in my decision making processes

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

No.

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

I am the only candidate in my race with a comprehensive housing production plan.

Chris Olson

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

The modern housing crisis is driven by many, many factors: landlords raising rents faster than wages, inadequate government investment in affordable housing, corporations buying and renting out (or flipping) single-family homes, and artificial supply shortages that keep prices high. Additionally, algorithmic pricing software used by landlords contributes to rising costs. The focus must be on implementing strong laws to prevent the crisis from worsening.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

I support a multi-pronged approach that includes:

Passing the Renters' Bill of Rights to cap rent increases at 5% annually, helping to keep housing affordable. It would also provide stronger eviction protections to prevent more people from becoming unhoused.
Streamlining the permitting process for builders to increase housing supply, but with a firm commitment to prioritizing affordable housing. Without this focus, we risk worsening the problem.
Implementing a vacancy tax on empty properties to discourage artificial scarcity and ensure that those owning multiple homes in the city contribute fairly.

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

A top priority of mine is the Renters’ Bill of Rights, which I’ve championed since day one. Not only would the bill lower housing costs and help to keep people housed, it would also provide other necessary protections for renters. One key point in the bill is a universal Right to Counsel program, which would ensure tenants have legal representation in eviction court. Currently, 90% of tenants lack representation in eviction court, but pilot programs show that legal aid keeps low-income tenants housed.

Another priority is securing protections and rights for tenant unions. Current state and local laws offer little support, allowing landlords to suppress organizing efforts and ignore collective action. I propose passing right-to-organize laws to prevent landlords from banning activities related to issues of common concern, and to actually penalize landlords that retaliate against organizing tenants. Additionally, tenant unions should have the right to meet with their landlord to confer in good faith multiple times a year. Just as labor unions lead to better wages and working conditions, tenant unions are a proven path to affordable rent and better living conditions.

Finally, I support creating a Rent Board in Portland to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants, or tenant unions, outside of court. Rent boards in other cities have proven effective in ensuring rent increases are fair, protecting tenants against discrimination and harassment, and penalizing landlords who neglect property maintenance. An official board like this would offer renters a quicker, more accessible path to justice, and would work in conjunction with my other policies to ensure fair and safe housing for all.

Do you rent or own your residence?

I rent my residence.

When were you most recently a renter?

I'm currently a renter.

Are you currently a landlord?

No.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

I am not a landlord in any capacity.

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

I think the Tenant Protection Ordinance is a great idea. Through talking to renters, I know that most of their problems go beyond what the Renter’s Bill of Rights can address. The TPO responds to a lot of day-to-day concerns that renters have regarding livability and habitability.

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

I strongly support rent control. To achieve this in Portland, we must first lobby the state legislature - working through the Legislative Relations Office - to abolish the current ban on rent control. Then we can implement rent control policies tailored to Portland’s needs or establish a committee to conduct research on the best approach. A rent board would then oversee rent increases, ensuring fairness and affordability for all tenants.

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

I fully support tenants’ right to collectively bargain. As I outlined above, implementing laws both strengthening and protecting tenant unions is one of the key ways we can balance power between landlords and tenants in this city. Without tenant unions, the fight for affordable housing and good living conditions will be lost.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

I was the first city council candidate to include a renters’ bill of rights in my platform, and I’m proud to be a day-one signer of the bill proposed by DSA. The three parts I’m particularly passionate about are:

- 5% annual rent increase limit before relocation assistance is required. Currently, landlords can raise rent by up to 10% without penalty, and many do so every year. This policy would provide much-needed relief for renters facing these unsustainable increases.
- Protections for families of students and teachers from eviction due to late rent during the school year. No child should have to worry about housing when they should be focused on their education. Housing instability disrupts learning and leads to poorer life outcomes. Extending these protections to teachers is not only humane but may also help make teaching a more stable and attractive profession, especially in light of the current teacher shortage.
- Capping excessive fees like pet rent, late fees, and laundry fees. These fees are often just another way for landlords to extract money from renters without contributing to property upkeep. Limiting these extortionate charges—like banning outrageous $300/month pet rents—is just common sense.

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

First, I would like to establish a tenant advisory board for the city comprised of renters from various backgrounds and communities, which would allow for a direct line of communication between renters and policymakers and ensure that tenant voices are heard when making housing policies. Second, supporting and legally recognizing tenant unions is a good way to empower them to advocate for their rights, negotiate with landlords, and organize collective action. Through this self-determination, we ensure that their concerns and desires actually affect the housing landscape without being watered down through bureaucracy. Finally, I would regularly consult with renters in policy development, holding public hearings and community meetings specifically for tenants. This way, in addition to the advisory board, we can make the policy-making process accessible to those who are most affected, including low-income renters, people of color, families, and seniors.

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

Yes.

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

I think that’s everything!

Jennifer Park

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

A fractured regional housing approach that has relied exclusively on development, leaving cost of living, housing affordability, and housing stability under-addressed. We are trying to build our way out of a housing crisis without stopping the floodgates of eviction, displacement, and the increased disparity between wages and the cost of housing.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

First I want to see our new council take responsibility as a regional leader to ensure our multi-jurisdictional approaches to housing are not leaving holes in our network of housing supports. I personally have contacted the City, the County, Metro, and the state trying to support keeping 100 units of senior affordable housing in District 2 online, and no one is prioritizing preservation of our current housing stock. (We were able to gain access to a pot of emergency funds that the non-profit is in the process of working through the red tape on).

I also want to see us diversify our approach to housing -- find ways to incentivize commercial conversions that allow us to bring units online more quickly, improves the life time climate burden of our built infrastructure, and revitalizes our neighborhoods that are overburdened by vacancy.

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

I am a day-one signer of the Portland Democratic Socialists of America Renters' Bill of Rights. It is a vision statement of nine policy priorities that we have the opportunity to champion. I would like to see us be very methodical and intentional about how we bring these renter protections to light. For example:

"9. Link rent to the minimum wage such that all full-time workers can afford a 1-bedroom apartment with no more than 30% of their income"

I want to see us find the right balance of capping rents and raising the minimum wage so the private interests of neither industry (housing or business) has control over the other. We also know that not every unit needs to be priced at 30% of minimum wage.

Our new legislative council has the opportunity to design comprehensive, effective and efficient policy to achieve these goals with intentionality. These are some of the skills I bring to council with my Executive Masters in Public Administration.

Do you rent or own your residence?

I own my residence.

When were you most recently a renter?

5-10 years ago.

Are you currently a landlord?

No.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

I am not a landlord in any capacity.

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

It is critical that tenants be formally protected from harassment by their property owners and/or managers. This is a critical public safety issue. The city must create the levers to hold property owners, managers, and even developers accountable to discriminatory and even inhumane actions. The success of a TPO or Bill of Rights, or even increasing the effectiveness of inclusionary housing, will require the implementation of a robust safety and accountability division that ensures protective, equitable, and accountable oversight.

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

We must establish more aggressive rent caps that align with ensuring people who work here can continue to live here. This should also include removing limitations of building types that are included in rent control laws. The Portland City Council needs to advocate at the state level to have laws changed that open the door for us to meet our local needs that are unique to Portland

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

Yes, just like a labor union, a tenants union allows the community that holds less power to pool their collective influence, balancing the scales. It is a critical movement in ensuring the safety and the success of fighting against bad -- or worse, abusive -- actors in property management and ownership.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

As discussed above, #9, tying housing costs to minimum wage as a mechanism for ensuring everyone who works here can afford to live here.

Also as noted in a previous question, lobbying at the state level for Portland to have more flexibility around rent control in our area (#8).

Item #6, "require that code violations be resolved before rent can be increased" to me aligns valuably with the TPO, as a method protecting from coercion and constructive evictions.

I would very much like to see us find a path to capping or eliminating extraneous fees such as 'pet rent' and other excessive charges (#5).

I also feel that mandatory eviction representation in court (#7) is a baseline renter protection that we must enact. The imbalance of power (including financial liquidity and legal expertise) between tenant and landlord, especially at the point of eviction, can be vast. Access to expertise that comes with representation is critical for reducing the systemic power that property owners have over tenants.

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

Equitable and effective community engagement is an underpinning of my campaign. I want to see our city council ensure the community is making the decisions that impact their lives. Our councilors are the leaders elected to *represent* our interests, they need to make the space for the community to participate in the process.

I would like to see our city council not only have district based offices where they can actively meet individually and in groups with constituents, but be out in the community engaging those impacted by a policy in the deliberation and and prioritization process. This is a critical element of equitable engagement, not expecting constituents to always come to you, but seeking out the community whose voice is missing from the table and going to where they already are.

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

Other: I don't know many of these PACs by name, but can ensure you that I would refuse and return campaign funds from any interests looking to prioritize private interests over tenants and renters.

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

I am a proponent of implementing a vacancy tax to reduce the ways in which housing and commercial vacancies negatively impact our markets. This, like all of the policies discussed here, must be implemented in a very intentional way so as to not mistakenly burden our vulnerable and underserved communities. As an example, I would begin by targeting multi-unit buildings and commercial spaces with over a reasonable percentage of vacancy rates, and property owners keeping affordable inclusionary units offline.

Nat West

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

Lack of supply. Low supply increases housing costs for everyone and makes it harder for lower income people to find stable housing.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

Removing barriers to making more housing, faster:

Keep up on the combined Permitting Bureau to ensure it meets goals.

Building code reforms such as single stairs in multi-family homes.

Increase density to allow four floors of housing in a large part of the eastside of Portland.

Resuscitation of the Airbnb/short term rental program to ensure fees and permits are collected.

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

Support state-level advocacy for an Oregon minimum wage tied to the average cost of a 1-bedroom apartment. Require code improvements before rent increases and increased funding of inspection programs to ensure this. Set up a tenant representation office.

Do you rent or own your residence?

I own my residence.

When were you most recently a renter?

More than 10 years ago.

Are you currently a landlord?

No.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

I am not a landlord in any capacity.

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

Other: I was not aware of the TPO until this questionnaire but I look forward to more research when elected.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

I was not aware of the TPO until this questionnaire but I look forward to more research when elected.

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

No.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

Rent control is one tool among many that can help improve the quality of life for residents, but it needs to be discussed within the bigger picture of housing availability and development. Too often, rent control raises prices for all tenants who don't enjoy living in a controlled apartment, and reduces the incentive to build more units. My aim is to ensure that we don't unintentionally create barriers or disincentives for building new homes. My focus will be on shaping policies that thoughtfully connect rent control to our broader objectives of expanding housing options and accessibility.

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

This is the kind of market-driven action that I will encourage.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

No.

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

When appointing individuals to the city's boards and commissions, whether they focus on parks, housing, or transportation, I will prioritize including the voices of renters. Renters bring valuable perspectives and lived experiences that are often overlooked in decision-making processes. Ensuring their representation will help shape policies that address the realities and challenges faced by a significant portion of our community. By actively seeking out and appointing renters, we can create more balanced and inclusive policies that truly serve the needs of all Portland residents.

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

No.

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

I am proud to have the endorsement of Portland Neighbors Welcome and HOME PAC.

District 3

Chris Flanary

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

At the heart of the housing crisis is that housing is treated as an investment vehicle, leading to market manipulation and skyrocketing prices. In the past few years, the money needed to own a home has doubled. We need to put restrictions in place about what kind of entity can buy a single family home so that Portlanders who want to purchase a home aren’t competing with giant equity firms. I want to see more models of co-housing, cooperative ownership and other multifamily solutions.

Stagnant incomes are hurting Portlanders, both in our ability to afford a home (whether it’s an apartment or a house) and in our ability to attract developers to build in our city. People need to be able to afford to live where they work.

The City should explore offering low- or no-interest loan programs for first-time home buyers. The city could build a series of starter homes on city land, with the land in a trust, so the houses can be sold at affordable prices. All of these solutions mean keeping more money in the pockets of Portlanders, who will reinvest back into their communities and help Portland thrive.

In addition to the affordability issue, we need more housing units. We are already putting a lot of money towards attracting outside developers and it’s working, but not as quickly or in the volume we need and I think we can do better.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

I've worked in affordable housing for over a decade, so while I agree that we need more housing to be built, I also know that Portlanders don’t make enough to pay the rent that developers would need to charge to make a project worth the investment.

Living wages are the cornerstone of my platform because they are the base for a strong community and economy. If you work here, you should be able to live here.

I support building publicly owned social housing, emulating successful models around the world. Portland is planning for an intense period of development, why not make the public the beneficiary? We can also invest in Portland’s economy by encouraging the local production of the construction materials needed for the building boom. This would also be more environmentally friendly than shipping in modular components from other states.

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

The Rental Services Office needs more staff, more authority, and more publicity. Let’s stop outsourcing tenant rights support to nonprofit organizations. My day job is at the Housing Bureau and I have seen the impact these workers have had in the few years they have been a team and supported the implementation of renter protections.

I also support rent and utility assistance for those in need as a preventative measure against folks at risk of being unhoused. I strongly believe that living wages will be the most direct way to increase renter stability, as too many of us are crushed between low wages and high costs.

The rising price of housing must also be addressed, and I am open to multiple avenues to the same goal - whether it’s an incentive program, a mandate, or a public housing option.

Do you rent or own your residence?

I own my residence.

When were you most recently a renter?

1-5 years ago.

Are you currently a landlord?

No.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

I am not a landlord in any capacity.

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

This type of regulation is needed and we need a plan for enforcement. For us to create these additional protections we will need to invest in staff time at the rental services office.

Too often, landlord/tenant disputes are resolved in court, where landlords have incredible advantages of access to resources and legal counsel. Removing the legal loopholes that require these resources will level the playing field so people can reinforce their rights as renters and we can lower preventable evictions that can devastate a family and increase the pressure on crisis resources.

Housing complaints related to this tenant protection ordinance in the housing bureau will allow the city to provide a quasi judicial hearing type venue that relies more on interpretation and application of clear guidelines than of legal dispute. It’ll lead to better outcomes, and will cost us less money overall.

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

Housing costs have skyrocketed and there are predatory practices being revealed like price fixing real page stuff. It’s clear that the free market is not self-regulating and it is our responsibility to step in.

Housing is a human right, but a lot of landlords treat it like an investment that should guarantee them a return. Let’s start the conversation about what rent control that works would look like for Portland and leverage our relationships with the state to work towards removing the preemption on rent control like we did with inclusionary housing.

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

As a union officer, I believe in the power of collective bargaining. Whether you’re an employee, a contractor, or a tenant, the cards are stacked against you if you’re an individual who has competing interests with a company. Collective action is the best way to level the playing field and build power.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

Other: See next question

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

I would like to support it and I agree with it in spirit. It’s in line with my values. I don’t yet see how to turn it into successful policy, but I would like to get more concrete ideas about how to implement it.

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

When the City is making policy decisions, there is generally a body of citizens lending their perspective and expertise. I believe deeply in the idea of “nothing about us without us” and would want those impacted most to have a seat at the table.

I commit to advocating for seats to be reserved for renters in these cases and further to make these meetings more accessible to tenants of varying demographics, means, and circumstances. When committee positions are unpaid they are only accessible to the wealthy or those who have made the sacrifices to be part of the process and not everyone is able to do that.

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

Yes.

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

One of the issues for developers is that Portlanders don’t make enough money for them to charge the rents they need to make their projects worth their investment. This is why living wages are essential — they would not only benefit Portlanders, but could tip the scales on housing development. That’s one reason living wages is the cornerstone of my policy priorities.

I would put forward the data driven policies that the City has already committed to in the 2035 Comprehensive Plan and look for more anti-displacement strategies.

Patrick Hilton

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

The main causes for housing cost increase is the fairly recent global commodification of real estate, investors and large corporations with lots of resources competing for homes with local families, tech products that have turned local housing stock into short term rentals, as well as new, corporate apartment buildings that have set new price levels and increased the base amount for local rent. In addition to these reasons, rising material cost for new construction is making new housing costly. Another factor is new residents that move here from more expensive regions are willing to pay the increased rent and housing prices thus justifying them and keeping them high for long term existing residents.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

I would create policies that stop the demolition of renter housing. I would create policies that give incentives to local landlords that provide long term stable renting opportunities. I think inclusive housing for new buildings is important but not the only answer for our housing affordability issues. I have known people that lost their rental houses to demolition to make way for corporate apartment complexes. I would support streamlining the permitting process, having grant programs, and tax incentives as well as working with the county to make ADUs and basement or add-on apartments easier to build and without raising property taxes. I would support using/advocating for federal, state, and local tax credits for adaptive reuse of vacant buildings to create new typologies of communal housing that is affordable (eco-villages, Single Room Occupancy Hotels, Long term Hostel type Housing, Group Housing, Co-housing, etc.). I would advocate and streamline and open up the process for moveable ADU's (tiny houses, etc.). I want Portland to be the innovative housing capital of North America. We need lots of different kinds of housing types for every income level.

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

I want to limit evictions due to demolition of existing housing resulting from up-zoning of our neighborhoods and advocate and create policies that make it easier to add new buildings around or in addition to existing buildings so we can limit renter and cultural displacement in our city. New apartment complexes need to be added strategically to our neighborhoods to maintain the stability and character of our neighborhoods and to maintain our existing renter residents. I have been involved in this effort throughout the years and have testified to stop large scale upzoning in our city. I believe that preservation of housing is a progressive value. New York City and Chicago both have housing preservation policies and so should we. Working class renters in up-zoned areas are being displaced. This is important because neighborhoods need to have families of mixed incomes living as neighbors in order to have a healthy community. There needs to be stability to keep lower income renters there. Up-zoning stratifies income levels into clumps and apart from each other.

Do you rent or own your residence?

Other: I rent a room in a rental home with other adults I am not related to.

When were you most recently a renter?

I'm currently a renter.

Are you currently a landlord?

No.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

I am not a landlord in any capacity.

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

Other: I am interested in the TPO and I think it is needed and would advance discussions from both viewpoints on this issue to find the best policy for Portland renters and small local landlords.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

Overall I think it is really good. I think we need policies like TPO to provide stability to renters and our communities. Having said that I would also like to see landlords being involved with the TPO to ensure that their needs are also met in order to limit liabilities and loopholes that unethical tenants could use that could damage the effectiveness of the TPO for ethical tenants.

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

Other: Not at this time, it seems like state control can work for the time being, but if Portland goes through another hot real estate market surge, then it should be looked at again to see if local rent control would make more sense.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

I think a practical rent control with limited raises in rent makes sense. I believe that home ownership is the best way to increase stability and family wealth but long term renters should have as many benefits similar to home ownership as possible.

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

Other: I love this idea but I would like a process like this to give local small landlords preference over large corporate landlords.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

The reason I live affordably is because I have a fair, ethical, local landlord. We wouldn't want to drive small local landlords from the business and only be left only with large corporate landlords. I lived in a large, corporate apartment complex once and I would like to keep it that way.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

Other: I like all of the sections of it except the 1 bedroom requirement for a minimum wage worker. I feel like that is too much to demand. Most of us that make/made minimum wage live/lived in shared housing. I would support that section of the bill of rights if it was for two people living together making minimum wage.

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

I really like the 6 month notice of rent increase, capping limits on extra fees like "pet rent", and the requiring code violations to be taken care of before rent can increase.

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

I think the best way is to have outreach to let tenants know the rights that they have. I think that it would be great if when you sign a lease it is required that the tenant gets a copy of the policies of the city that involve renters rights and where they can get help if an issue arises.

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

Other: At this point yes I would try to campaign on my own with small donors.

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

Yes. Fighting displacement and moving policies forward that lead to workforce housing ownership are my main passion. I want to work with owners of under-used strip malls and commercial buildings to work jointly with local and state government to create walkable, beautiful places where a housing unit can be affordably bought. I think land trusts can also be created in order to provide ownership housing to lower income families. I also think there should be some kind of time equity program where renters in Portland can earn equity points each month that can accrue and be used for down payments on mortgages or down payments for their next apartment. As a renter myself I know how precarious the situation is and I will focus on creating more stability for renters in our city.

Tiffany Koyama Lane

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

My understanding is that the root of homelessness is the cost of housing, and the lack of housing. As home and rent prices go up, homelessness goes up. In major cities across America, working people are priced out of both the rental market and home ownership. In Oregon, someone would have to earn around $28/hour to afford rent on a two-bedroom apartment. That is the first problem. The affordability crisis is compounded in Oregon because COVID and fentanyl arrived at roughly the same time, straining our social safety net to its breaking point. We are nearly last in the nation for access to mental health treatment and substance use treatment, both of which are exacerbated by housing instability (and can also lead to entrenched homelessness, a vicious cycle). And as a teacher, I have to point out that our schools are underfunded by over two billion dollars. As a country, and as a state, we do not invest in families and children, even though there is so much evidence that the way we start life can shape our ability to thrive as adults. Instead of taking a holistic approach to all of these problems, many of our politicians have chosen a punitive or austerity approach, defunded critical programs, or simply failed to create efficient and navigable systems. It is a mess, although not for lack of a lot of effort and hard work by people who truly want things to change.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

It’s important to keep people in the housing they already have. First I would work with other councilors to pass a Renters’ Bill of Rights similar to that which passed in Tacoma. While Oregon does not allow local rent control, there are a number of steps we can take in Portland to give broader protections to renters. These would include lowering the rental increase cap at which landlords must pay relocation fees from 10 percent to 5 percent, or banning evictions during severe weather events or during the school year for families with children.

Second, I would put forward a joint package of housing reforms with effects similar to that of the Housing Regulatory Relief Program, which has smoothed the way for more housing to be built. This would include a land value tax and/or vacancy tax and a commitment to increasing our housing supply through union-built, environmentally resilient housing, both through partnering with nonprofit developers and ideally through a social housing model. Although many vacant lots and properties are not residential, they contribute to neighborhood decay and could be repurposed and rezoned for housing. I would look closely at social housing models from other communities, like Montgomery County, MD. It is clear that market-based incentives for the creation of housing are ineffective and have left our community in crisis, and we cannot rely on for-profit developers. The City of Portland owns a lot of land that is currently sitting empty, and could be developed in this way, for social housing or community land trusts.

Finally, I would work with County partners in the JOHS to streamline the vacancy list. Currently people experiencing homelessness are asked to put their names on lists for multiple buildings, often run through different nonprofits, placing the onus on people in need of housing to navigate a very complex and cumbersome system. While Portland housing nonprofits have very dedicated housing navigators, many have untenable caseloads. We also need to look at deepening the bench and addressing the issue of burnout, through workforce development and better wages and working conditions for our housing navigators and people in behavioral health support roles. Too much of our system relies on individuals, and we need a systemic overhaul that emphasizes a truly housing-first approach.

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

As I mentioned above, I support a Renters’ bill of rights. I think one of the most common-sense things we can do is prevent landlords from raising the rent while there are outstanding code violations. I also believe that families with school-aged children should not be evicted for late rent during the school year. As an educator who has seen students lose housing in the middle of the year and have to commute long distances to get to school, I have seen just how disruptive and destabilizing it is for families in this position. Teachers are on the front lines of this crisis, and are often in the position of connecting families with resources..

Do you rent or own your residence?

I own my residence.

When were you most recently a renter?

5-10 years ago.

Are you currently a landlord?

No.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

I am not a landlord in any capacity.

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

This is not something I was previously familiar with, but I see that it is backed by data from other cities, supported by many amazing organizations (many of which have endorsed my campaign), and the Rental Services Commission. This seems like a common-sense measure to protect tenants from retaliatory actions by landlords who are no longer able to raise rents without any restrictions.

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

I know there are arguments in other large, unaffordable cities like San Francisco about the role of rent control, and I know that some people believe it prevents housing construction. I think we need to ask if a system where all of our housing supply is contingent on a profit motive and the needs of developers is working. I believe that in a city like Portland, where you would need to make at least $28 per house to afford the rent on a two-bedroom apartment, we need some form of cap or control on rents. We simply will not have anyone living in this city, especially people who work everyday jobs that make the city run, if there is not some baseline effort to keep costs under control. I support and am supported by the State legislators, including Rep. Chaichi and Rep. Gamba, who are working on overturning the local rent control ban at the state level.

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

As a rank and file union member I always support the rights of people to collectively bargain! I come from an organizing background, and I view organizing as one of the most important tools we have to make change. I had not thought about it in this context but it makes sense and would be a way to build strong communities as well create more fair conditions for renters.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

As I mentioned above, ending school-year evictions for children with families for late rent, and preventing rent increases when there are outstanding code violations.

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

I will work to make sure that we bring tenants and impacted renters from diverse backgrounds to the table when discussing these policies! I’ll use my background as the lead external organizer of my union to make sure that we are reaching out and engaging the community meaningfully, asking "Who is in the room? Who is not?" and making it my job to meet them where they are.

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

Other: As a Small Donor Elections participant I can’t take money from PACs in any case, but yes!

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

One thing I think a lot about is the lack of strong standards around wages for providers receiving public dollars from JOHS, Measure 110, and HB4002. While the latter are routed through the County, the City has a big role in determining how our public dollars are spent on homelessness, and right now we have a workforce crisis–people who are doing the critical and very challenging work of connecting people with housing are often in situations where they are needing to work two jobs. We have burnout and high turnover, and this affects the general livability of the city. I want to fund a workforce that can tackle these challenges with the energy required and with the support these essential workers deserve.

Angelita Morillo

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

The main cause of the housing crisis is underproduction. When housing is made into a commodity, our capitalist system incentivizes underproduction to stimulate demand, which means that homelessness and rent unaffordability is not a byproduct of the system--it is an essential part of it.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

As a City Councilwoman, I believe the City of Portland needs to be far more imaginative with the ways we create affordable housing in our communities. The City of Portland owns tons of empty lots of land that remain unused right now. We need to identify and categorize each piece and build our own housing, because we’ve seen that if we solely rely on developers whose primary focus is profit on creating affordable housing, we will not have enough to address the immense need in our communities.

We also need an abundance and variety of affordable housing options, not one size fits all solutions. When the Concordia University Dorms sat empty, the City of Portland had the option of purchasing them and turning them into communal housing. The primary barrier was zoning (it was zoned as a school) and a lack of political courage (they were afraid that if they changed the zoning to affordable housing, the neighborhood associations would turn against them) and so we lost out on the perfect opportunity to create affordable, communal housing due to zoning and permitting, and I believe that is unacceptable.

Lastly, we need to expand the Rental Services Office to have attorneys that can represent tenants during eviction proceedings. Right now, there are only about 3 tenant lawyers in Portland, so it’s not possible for us to give everyone the adequate representation they deserve and ensure that we not only house people, but keep them housed, too.

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

I am proud to have signed the Renters' Bill of Rights and, among the policies put forth, will prioritize establishing a right to counsel in eviction court, legalizing local rent control statewide, and capping extra fees (e.g. pet fees, late fees, laundry fees, etc.). These are important measures to take to protect tenants and keep people from becoming unhoused. I have pushed for these measures on the Rental Services Commission and will continue to do so on City Council.

Do you rent or own your residence?

I rent my residence.

When were you most recently a renter?

I'm currently a renter.

Are you currently a landlord?

No.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

I am not a landlord in any capacity.

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

As a current member of the Rental Services Commission, I am proud that the organization wrote a letter in support of the ordinance and will fight to make it law when I am elected.

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

Rent control needs to be coupled with increased housing production to be effective or else it ends up being a tax on new residents, which can have knock-on effects on young professionals, domestic violence victims, senior citizens, or families needing to downsize or upsize their living space. However, it is a critical tool for local jurisdictions to ensure that rents stay affordable and that rent increases from year to year minimize their impact to tenants.

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

Collective bargaining is one of the most important rights that we have and has shown its ability to make a momentous difference in the labor sphere. By protecting the rights of tenants to do the same, we can start to take power back from landlords and developers and create real change in the housing sphere.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

I am especially passionate about establishing a right to counsel in eviction court, legalizing local rent control statewide, and capping extra fees (e.g. pet fees, late fees, laundry fees, etc.).

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

As someone who has had their rent illegally raised and has been evicted because of my race, I know that renters who are members of marginalized communities face added difficulties in finding and keeping housing. Ensuring that city policies on renters' rights and tenant protections are constructed in tandem with renters from across the city that represent diverse groups will be the best way to ensure that the policies we implement will have the best possible impact. "Nothing about us without us" is my guiding principle in this and in all other situations involving policy impacting specific groups--everything meant to help and serve these groups needs to be led by them.

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

Yes.

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

I have championed renters' rights my whole career, and, if elected, would be proud to continue doing so on City Council as one of the only renters to have the opportunity to serve.

Cristal Azul Otero

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

The housing crisis stems from a system that doesn't provide enough stability for renters or pathways to ownership for people making less than $75K, seniors, and those on disability. Too many are forced into a permanent cycle of renting without the option to build long-term security. We need stronger tenant protections and rent stabilization right now, but we also need to create real pathways to ownership—like cooperative housing and apartments above businesses—so that renters can eventually transition into stable, affordable homes. Without that, we’ll keep seeing people displaced and locked out of opportunities to build wealth and stability.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

The City of Portland’s plan to build 120,000 units of housing by 2045, with much of it slated for District 3, poses a real risk of displacement for households making less than $75K. Without strong leadership to prioritize keeping these residents in place, many could be forced out. That’s why I’m advocating for the city to subsidize ownership opportunities through TIF districts, creating beautiful cooperative apartment buildings, cooperatively owned mobile home and RV parks, and land banking. Additionally, as we change building codes to increase development, we need leadership that strikes a balance between allowing large multifamily projects and making code changes that support retrofitting existing apartments, improving livability, and reducing costs. This approach will help ensure we grow responsibly without displacing the very people who make District 3 vibrant.

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

1. Protecting Chloe Eudaly’s Tenant Protections – Relocation Assistance Ordinance:

a. One of my top priorities is protecting and expanding the tenant protections that Chloe Eudaly created, particularly the Relocation Assistance Ordinance. This policy ensures tenants receive financial compensation when they face no-cause evictions or rent increases of 10% or more. As someone who personally benefited from the $3,000 payment under this ordinance, I deeply understand how critical this protection is for tenants navigating unexpected displacement.

b. This policy is essential because it provides tenants with a financial safety net, giving them the means to find new housing without being left vulnerable to the rapid changes in Portland’s housing market. I will work to ensure these protections remain in place and are strengthened to prevent landlords from exploiting loopholes that force renters out.

2. Subsidizing Cooperative Housing and Ownership Opportunities: a. I will proactively champion policies that allow tenants to transition from renters to owners, particularly for households making less than $75K. This includes subsidizing cooperative housing through TIF districts, creating cooperatively owned mobile home parks, and using land banking to preserve affordability. My work has been centered on policies that prevent displacement and create long-term stability for renters, ensuring we offer ownership models that work for everyone. b. This is important because renters deserve more than just temporary housing—they deserve the opportunity to build equity and secure their future. Without these pathways, we risk creating a permanent renter class and increasing economic disparities in our community.

3. Prioritizing Tenant Input in Housing Developments: a. I will champion policies that require tenant voices to be heard when designing new housing developments or changing building codes. This means more civic engagement processes to involve tenants in decisions that affect their neighborhoods and housing. b. Tenant input is critical to ensure developments meet the real needs of those living in them. By involving renters, we can create housing that’s not only affordable but also functional and reflective of the community's needs, preventing developers from making decisions that displace or undermine current residents.

Do you rent or own your residence?

I own my residence.

When were you most recently a renter?

1-5 years ago.

Are you currently a landlord?

No.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

I am not a landlord in any capacity.

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

During my direct service experience working with people experiencing homelessness, I witnessed far too many situations where individuals were living in uninhabitable conditions while still paying rent. Many were afraid to ask for repairs out of fear of retaliation or eviction. This wasn't limited to private landlords—I've seen the same issues with organizations operating affordable housing.

That’s why I fully support the Tenant Protection Ordinance and believe we must go even further to ensure that tenants have recourse when their living conditions are unsafe. No one should have to choose between living in unsafe housing or risking homelessness by reporting violations. Strong tenant protections, like the relocation assistance for no-cause evictions, are vital because they shift power back to renters, giving them the tools to stand up against unfair practices without fear of retaliation. We need to expand these protections to include stronger enforcement mechanisms, ensuring that landlords are held accountable for maintaining livable, dignified housing.

These protections are critical for safeguarding tenants' rights and preventing exploitation, especially in the affordable housing sector, where residents are often the most vulnerable. If we don’t act, we will continue to see renters trapped in substandard housing with no way out.

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

I believe rent control plays an important role in protecting tenants from skyrocketing rent prices that can lead to displacement, particularly for households earning less than $75K. However, rent control alone isn’t enough to solve the housing crisis—it’s just one tool in a larger strategy to ensure affordability and stability for renters.

Rent control helps prevent sudden and drastic rent hikes that destabilize families and force them out of their homes. In District 3, where 34,000 households are renters, nearly 16,000 of those households are severely rent-burdened, meaning they pay over 50% of their income toward rent. This is especially critical because many working families are already struggling to make ends meet. But we need to pair rent control with other solutions like building more affordable housing, cooperative ownership models, and stronger tenant protections that prevent landlords from neglecting their properties or retaliating against tenants who demand repairs.

While rent control provides immediate relief for many renters, we also need to ensure that landlords can continue to maintain their properties. This means balancing tenant protections with incentives for landlords to invest in safe, habitable housing, so that rent control policies don’t unintentionally lead to property neglect or reduced housing quality.

Ultimately, rent control should be part of a broader, holistic housing strategy that includes affordable housing production, pathways to ownership, and robust tenant protections to create a more equitable and stable housing market for everyone.

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

I strongly support tenants' right to collectively bargain because it gives renters a stronger voice in shaping the policies and decisions that directly impact their living conditions. Collective bargaining empowers tenants to negotiate for fair rent, timely repairs, and improved living conditions, which can be particularly important in affordable housing units where tenants often feel powerless against large property management companies or unresponsive landlords.

By organizing collectively, tenants can advocate for protections against unjust rent increases, evictions, or poor housing conditions, creating more leverage than individual tenants would have on their own. This is especially critical in District 3, where many households are rent-burdened and vulnerable to sudden changes in housing costs or conditions. Collective bargaining can serve as a powerful tool to ensure tenants are treated fairly and with dignity.

Collective bargaining is not only about securing better living conditions, but also about fostering stronger communities. When tenants come together to advocate for their rights, it creates a more equitable balance of power between renters and landlords, particularly in a housing market that can often feel stacked against working-class families and marginalized communities.

Tenants deserve the same rights to negotiate as workers do in the labor force, and collective bargaining is an essential step toward creating housing stability, affordability, and accountability from landlords.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

I’m a strong advocate for a Renter’s Bill of Rights because it lays the foundation for fair and equitable treatment of tenants, particularly those who are often most vulnerable to exploitation in the housing market. There are three policies that I’m particularly passionate about:

Stronger Eviction Protections: Tenants should have the right to stay in their homes unless there’s a legitimate cause for eviction. Too many renters, especially those in District 3, live in fear of being displaced through no-cause evictions, even if they’ve always paid their rent on time. I believe we must strengthen protections against no-cause evictions, much like those established by Chloe Eudaly’s Relocation Assistance Ordinance, which provides financial compensation to renters facing eviction without cause. This ensures tenants have some financial recourse when they’re forced to leave their homes through no fault of their own.
Rent Stabilization and Affordability Guarantees: A key part of any Renter’s Bill of Rights must include rent stabilization to prevent rent from skyrocketing unpredictably, which is a huge problem in Portland. With nearly 16,000 households in District 3 severely rent-burdened, we need to keep rent increases manageable and predictable. This would help ensure that families are not constantly on the brink of displacement due to sudden and extreme rent hikes.
Right to Safe and Habitable Living Conditions: Every renter should have the right to live in a safe, habitable home. Far too many people are paying rent for housing that is unsafe or in disrepair, and they often feel powerless to demand improvements, fearing retaliation from landlords. We need stronger enforcement of housing standards and protections against retaliation for tenants who report unsafe conditions. This includes holding landlords accountable to provide prompt repairs and ensuring that affordable housing organizations are not exempt from these responsibilities.

These policies are essential to creating housing stability, preventing displacement, and ensuring that renters are treated with fairness and dignity in the housing market.

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

To ensure that policies and processes affecting tenants meaningfully include impacted renters and reflect their diversity, we need to embed tenant voices directly into housing decisions, both through formal structures and equitable practices.

Dedicate 5% of New Developments for Tenant-Led Councils: A key initiative I would champion is dedicating 5% of all new developments in every neighborhood for tenant representation in decision-making. This means reserving 5% of housing in new projects for tenants who serve on local tenant councils, ensuring they have a direct say in how developments affect their communities. These councils would review new housing proposals, advocate for tenant protections, and work to ensure that developments are aligned with the needs of diverse renters in the area. By embedding this representation directly into the housing process, we create a built-in mechanism for ongoing tenant influence.
Build Inclusive and Accessible Engagement Processes: It’s essential that engagement processes include renters from all backgrounds, including low-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities. This means creating accessible, inclusive spaces for feedback, like offering virtual and in-person meetings in multiple languages and removing barriers such as transportation or childcare. To truly reflect the diversity of our city’s renters, we need to hold these meetings in community hubs that people trust, such as local nonprofits and tenant advocacy organizations.
Prioritize Equity in Policy Development: We must approach every housing policy decision with a racial and economic equity lens. By actively analyzing how new policies impact marginalized communities, we can ensure that tenants most at risk of displacement—such as low-income renters, communities of color, and seniors—are protected. This includes collecting data on the impact of policies and adjusting them when they disproportionately harm certain groups. Continuous evaluation and tenant feedback will be central to making sure policies remain equitable.

By dedicating a portion of new developments to tenant-led councils, fostering inclusive engagement, and applying an equity lens to policy design, we can ensure that tenants’ diverse voices shape the future of housing in Portland.

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

Other: I am not accepting any campaign donations.

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

Yes, beyond the initiatives I’ve already mentioned, a key strategy I will champion to address housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement is building coalitions on City Council. Collaboration is essential to achieving lasting change, and my experience working in regional coordination at the Joint Office of Homeless Services has prepared me to bring together different perspectives to find common ground.

I will actively seek out partnerships with other City Council members, focusing on shared goals—whether it’s expanding tenant protections, increasing affordable housing, or preventing displacement. By identifying where we align, I’ll work to advance policies we can all agree on, such as affordable housing production or tenant stabilization efforts.

However, I also understand that we won’t always agree on everything. In areas where we have differing viewpoints, I’m committed to engaging in productive dialogue—bringing my team-building skills to the table to ensure that even where there isn’t immediate consensus, we’re still moving forward and taking action. Whether it's housing codes or the balance between development and neighborhood preservation, I believe in finding actionable solutions while ensuring that tenant rights and housing affordability are always protected.

For issues that might be more contentious, I’ll push for inclusive processes where diverse stakeholders, especially tenants, are involved. By creating more spaces for tenant feedback and ensuring that marginalized communities are part of the decision-making process, we can better shape policies that work for everyone.

Through coalition-building, collaboration, and engaging with all voices, I will work to make meaningful progress on housing affordability and tenant protections—ensuring that we address these urgent issues head-on.

Theo Hathaway Saner

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

The housing crisis is rooted in several factors: a severe shortage of affordable housing, rising income inequality, stagnant wages, and a lack of coordinated investment in public and nonprofit housing. Additionally, decades of exclusionary zoning laws and policies that favor private development have exacerbated the affordability crisis, leading to displacement and gentrification, particularly for low-income and BIPOC communities.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

I would champion policies that focus on building more affordable housing through nonprofit-led development, expand tenant protections to prevent displacement, and ensure permanent supportive housing for the chronically homeless. I would also push for inclusionary zoning, which requires developers to include affordable units in new housing projects, and advocate for rent control measures to stabilize the market.

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

Strengthening Rent Control: Portland needs stronger rent control policies to prevent rent hikes that displace vulnerable tenants. Just Cause Eviction Protections: Expanding protections so tenants cannot be evicted without a legitimate reason will ensure housing stability for low-income renters. Tenant Representation and Advocacy: I will work to create systems that give tenants a stronger voice in policymaking, including funding for tenant legal services and supporting tenant unions. At PCRI, I’ve worked with tenants navigating housing challenges and seen firsthand the impact of housing insecurity. These policies are critical to ensuring all Portlanders have access to stable, affordable homes.

Do you rent or own your residence?

I own my residence.

When were you most recently a renter?

More than 10 years ago.

Are you currently a landlord?

Other: I am a Property Manager/Landlord at work.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

Other: I work as a property manager a Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives.

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

The Tenant Protection Ordinance is an essential tool for safeguarding tenants from sudden rent hikes and unjust evictions. I support strengthening these protections by expanding the ordinance to include more comprehensive rent caps and stronger penalties for landlords who violate tenants' rights.

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

Rent control is vital for stabilizing the housing market and preventing rent increases that push families out of their homes. While rent control alone won’t solve the housing crisis, it is a necessary tool to protect tenants from price gouging and ensure affordability for all. I support stronger, more equitable rent control measures citywide.

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

Tenants’ right to collectively bargain is essential to leveling the playing field between landlords and renters. Collective bargaining empowers tenants to negotiate for better living conditions, rent terms, and protections, ensuring their voices are heard. I support enshrining this right into law to provide tenants with more control over their housing situations.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

I am passionate about including universal rent control and just cause eviction protections in a Renter’s Bill of Rights. Additionally, I support the right to legal representation for tenants facing eviction. These policies would create a more just and equitable housing system, providing tenants with the stability and protections they need to thrive.

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

I would create advisory councils made up of tenants from diverse backgrounds to ensure their voices are included in policymaking. It’s essential that we hold community meetings in accessible locations and languages, and create feedback loops where impacted renters can engage directly with policymakers. I also support funding tenant organizing efforts to empower residents to advocate for their own needs.

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

Other: Yes, I will not accept campaign contributions from PACs or organizations that promote policies contrary to tenant rights and housing justice. I am committed to representing the interests of renters, not real estate developers or landlords who profit at the expense of housing stability.

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

In addition to tenant protections, I will advocate for community-driven development that prioritizes affordable housing, invest in public housing, and push for tax incentives for landlords who offer below-market rents. I will also work to protect existing affordable housing from being converted into market-rate units and promote cooperative housing models that give tenants collective ownership.

District 4

Olivia Clark

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

It started with Pres. Ronald Reagan decimating federal housing programs bringing an end to public housing — our version of social housing. Overtime, It has been exacerbated by restrictive local zoning codes and complex and uncertain permitting processes. As a state, we stopped monitoring our Land Use Planning Goal 10, the housing goal, and paid little attention to the need for affordable housing. Today, private equity firms are buying up housing as an investment. In addition, wages have not kept up with rising housing costs.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

Streamline the permitting process and remove zoning restrictions. I was an advocate for land-banking many years ago and it’s worth re-visiting. I also want to be sure that Multnomah County and Metro are good partners in spending the housing dollars the public has supported.

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

There are components of the list that have promise: a longer notice requirement, capping fees and requiring action on health & safety code violations.

Do you rent or own your residence?

I own my residence.

When were you most recently a renter?

More than 10 years ago.

Are you currently a landlord?

No.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

I am not a landlord in any capacity.

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

Other: Most likely but I need to know more.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

I need to learn more about it.

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

Other: Depends upon what other housing initiatives we are advocating for at the State Legislature.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

As a housing advocate early in my public service career, I organized statewide workshops on rent control at then Governor’s housing conference to explore the issue. I need to know more about the state pre-emption and how it is currently working.

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

Other: This is an idea new to me and I’d like to learn more about it.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

I need to learn more about this idea.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

No.

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

I need to learn more about it.

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

Have an open door to listen and learn.

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

Other: I didn’t receive any PAC money from these organizations. I was endorsed by Portland: Neighbors Welcome and HOME.PAC.

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

I began my career as a housing advocate and achieved legislative results to broaden the state’s role in housing. I also co-founded a non-profit to build farmworker & affordable housing (CASA). I am open to learning from current advocacy organizations on ways to address these issues.

Mitch Green

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

The primary cause of housing crisis as a long-term unwillingness for the public sector to ensure that we are building in sufficient quantity housing for all income levels. On the supply side, we have under-built relative to population growth, which has led to conditions where landlords are able to extract an increasing share of tenant income. On the demand side, government has stood on the sidelines as housing was treated as a speculative asset, driving up prices and rents. Building new capacity in the housing stock is a necessary condition for moving past the crisis, but it is not a sufficient condition - we need deliberate public programs aimed at providing housing that is affordable at all income levels.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

Make it easier to build new housing
Establish a social housing program
Pass policies guided by the principles in the Renters' Bill of Rights

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

Top of mind for me is working quickly to pass tenant stabilization measures as outlined in the RBOR, while exploring every legal pathway to limit rent increases beyond the state limit, which is too permissive. We have an urgent need for regulations that limit the ability for landlords to bully tenants into moving. Additionally, establishing a social housing program in the city that embodies governance commitments to explicit tenant representation is key. We need to give renters a voice in the policy-making world.

We're in this mess because tenants have not had any meaningful political power in this city, and so bringing tenant unions into municipal politics via board appointments for social housing or via active participation in committee work is a method to change that.

Do you rent or own your residence?

I own my residence.

When were you most recently a renter?

5-10 years ago.

Are you currently a landlord?

No.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

I am not a landlord in any capacity.

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

Markets do not exist in nature - they are the result of institutions that reflect the political power of those with vested interests, and therefore shape the distribution of income and wealth as reflective of that power dynamic. The Tenant Protection Ordinance is one method of addressing the power imbalance between the landlord and tenant, allowing for tenants to live without fear of harassment and allow for the greater possibility for collective bargaining between landlord and tenant.

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

As an economist I know the arguments again rent control, which more or less reduce to the general claim that rent control ultimately hurts rents. The reality is that price controls paired with industrial policy is a fairly common approach to market governance in the history of market societies, even the United States, if the objective is to provision resources without creating adverse distributional effects (e.g., price gouging). It was long ago that the generally held view among economists was that the presence of a minimum wage would only hurt workers, however well intended, but that view has now been discredited. Like incomes policy, the impact of rent control (or its absence) on the quality and availability of affordable housing depends upon our institutions and how the public sector commits its resources in relation to the market.

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

The starting position for any analysis of markets must identify economic power: who has it, how did they get and what are the consequences of it? The boss in the labor market and landlord in the housing market are the agents with economic power. In the case of the labor market, it's labor unions acting collectively that creates countervailing power against the boss and and the same is true for the landlord tenant relationship. The case of Woodspring in Tigard is instructive in this regard.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

I am particularly passionate about the pledge driving candidates elected to office to fight for rent increase caps at 5%, because it is a statement that we do not need to accept that the best we can get is a world in which the distributional costs of inflation are pushed onto tenants and those with the least amount of economic power. That will be a difficult fight but it's worth having and getting creative in how we do it.

Additionally, I like the explicit mention of capping fees like "pet rent." My cat only has one job and it's to jump on my keyboard when I'm trying type, and he doesn't get paid for this work.

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

My approach to policy development is to invite into the process from inception the active participation of labor, climate, student and tenant movements. If we wait until late in the development cycle, we miss the opportunity to craft policy that reflect their interests.

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

Yes.

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

I briefly mentioned social housing, but it's worth emphasizing that if we do mixed-income public development we can directly create affordable housing at all income levels and keep that housing outside of the market.

Chris Henry

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

The housing crisis is the result of unchecked corporate greed, government negligence, and the commodification of basic human needs. For decades, we’ve allowed developers and speculators to manipulate the housing market for profit. Rents have skyrocketed, wages have stagnated, and affordable housing construction has been deprioritized. Meanwhile, loopholes and weak regulations enable corporate landlords to push working families out of their homes, turning housing into a playground for the wealthy.

At its core, the housing crisis is a human rights crisis. Housing is a human right, not a commodity for Wall Street investors to trade. The time for band-aid solutions is over. We need bold action, and we need it now, before the next disaster like the Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake puts tens of thousands more on the streets.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

The housing crisis requires urgent and comprehensive solutions:

Housing First: We must prioritize housing for all, especially the unhoused, before addressing other social services. Housing is the foundation upon which individuals can rebuild their lives.
Rent Control: Real rent control with a hard cap on rent increases must be enforced. The current limits are far too lenient and allow landlords to continue displacing residents.
Earthquake Retrofitting: With the looming threat of the Cascadia Subduction earthquake, we cannot afford to delay making our housing infrastructure resilient. Retrofitting must be prioritized, and landlords must be held accountable for ensuring their properties are safe.
Public Utilities: A major plank of my campaign is the conversion of Portland General Electric into Portland Green Energy, a People’s Utility District. Public control of utilities will lower costs, allowing more families to stay in their homes. Affordable energy is a critical component of affordable housing.

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

My top priorities are straightforward:

Rent Control: No more rent hikes that force people out of their homes. Portland needs real rent control that protects tenants, not landlords’ profits.
Tenant Autonomy in Disaster Preparedness: Every renter has the right to live in a home that won’t collapse during a natural disaster. We must retrofit housing for earthquake resilience, and tenants should have the power to ensure their buildings meet safety standards.
No-Cost Public Defenders for Tenants: Tenants should not face eviction or harassment without legal representation. A right to no-cost public defenders is essential for renters to protect themselves from bad actors.

Let me be clear: I’m not just talking theory here. I was displaced in 2023 and lived out of my car while paying off pandemic-era rent debt. I’ve seen firsthand what it’s like to be on the losing side of the housing crisis, and I’m not going to sit back and let others go through the same thing. I’m here to fight.

Do you rent or own your residence?

I do not currently rent or own a residence. After a rent increase while I was paying off pandemic-era rent debt, I was forced to live in my car for all of 2023. We are all one paycheck, one pandemic, or one disaster away from living on the streets. I was lucky enough to have a car to sleep in—something many do not have. But let me tell you, having a car with heat and A/C, while others are left sleeping on the sidewalk, exposed to the elements, is a stark reminder of how close we all are to homelessness. Eventually, a property owner allowed me to inhabit a vacant home as a caretaker. I am fortunate, but we should not live in a city where something as basic as a roof over your head depends on luck or privilege.

When were you most recently a renter?

Chris Henry, [Oct 12, 2024 at 9:05:47 PM]: ...In 2022, I was paying $1,800 in rent and nearly $200 in utilities. I had also signed a contract to pay back nearly $500 a month in pandemic-era rent debt. The management company verbally promised my rent wouldn’t increase while I was making these payments, but then they mailed me a new lease with a rent hike. Rather than sign an agreement based on deceit, I moved my belongings into storage and began living in my car to afford paying off the debt. This wasn’t a choice. It was a necessity. No one should have to make such a decision in the wealthiest country in the world. Yet, the system we have is set up to squeeze every penny out of working families until they have nothing left. ...

Are you currently a landlord?

No.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

I am not a landlord in any capacity.

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

The Tenant Protection Ordinance is a no-brainer, and I will make it a top priority. It provides the legal tools necessary for tenants to fight back against harassment and intimidation from landlords. Renters are often at the mercy of landlords who hold all the power. This ordinance shifts some of that power back to tenants, where it belongs. Tenants deserve to live free from harassment, intimidation, and exploitation by landlords.

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

The state’s preemption on local rent control is nothing more than a gift to the real estate industry. Portland needs the ability to enact strong, enforceable rent control that reflects the realities of our housing crisis. The current caps are far too high and serve only the interests of landlords, not the working people of this city.

Rent control is essential if we want to stop the displacement of families and communities. Without it, Portland will continue to gentrify, and working-class people will be driven out. Rent control will stabilize our neighborhoods, protect vulnerable residents, and ensure that Portland remains a livable city for all—not just the wealthy.

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

As a semi-retired Teamster, I know the power of collective bargaining in the workplace. Tenants deserve that same power. It’s the only way to ensure fairness and equity in the housing market. Collective bargaining gives tenants a unified voice against landlords who wield disproportionate power.

Just as workers need unions to negotiate fair wages and conditions, tenants need the right to come together and negotiate fair rents and living conditions. Without it, landlords will continue to take advantage of the imbalance of power. I will fight vociferously to secure this right for Portland’s renters.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

The key issue is who controls the housing—whether policies truly protect people or allow developers to profit from the displacement of our most vulnerable communities. We must reject any policy that gives tax breaks or subsidies to private developers under the guise of “affordable housing,” as these models lead to profit-driven development rather than real affordability.

To ensure that Portland’s housing policies align with the public interest, we must prioritize public control, tenant empowerment, and long-term affordability. I am particularly passionate about:

Rent control: We must cap rent increases and protect tenants from the financial abuse of unchecked rent hikes.
Tenant co-operatives: Portland should turn entire apartment complexes into tenant co-operatives and publicly owned utilities, giving renters real control over their housing.
Legal representation for tenants: Every renter should have the right to a public defender when facing eviction or harassment from their landlord.

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

We need tenant advisory boards that are representative of the city’s diverse population and give renters real power in decision-making. I will work directly with community organizations that represent marginalized renters and ensure that their voices are at the forefront of our housing policies.

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

Yes! And it should be noted that PAC contributions are already banned in both Multnomah County (Measure 26-184, passed in 2016) and Portland City candidate races (Measure 26-200, passed in 2018) under new campaign finance reform laws. I helped enact these reforms (along with several other good government folks) through Honest Elections Action League (HEAL).

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

Yes. I will also champion community land trusts. These trusts allow communities to collectively own land and ensure that housing is permanently affordable. They also provide a vehicle for supporting local food sovereignty, and earthquake/climate resilience - efforts which could receive funds from the city under climate emergency & PCEF provisions.

To fight displacement, I would also push for Portland to support the efforts of Indigenous leadership to rematriate land as well as organizations like the Black Oregon Land Trust.

Lastly, I will also support implementing steep vacancy taxes and/or mandates for property managers to fill empty residential units in the City. We still have thousands of vacant units in the city, and my housing first policy would prioritize ensuring these are made available to those in need.

Chad Lykins

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

The cost of housing relative to area income and the vacancy rate.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

Housing affordability is the number one reason people leave Portland. The city’s Housing Needs Analysis shows there is enough buildable land to achieve housing abundance. We also have neighborhoods that serve as examples of how communities thrive when they are not subject to zoning restrictions that cause individuals to live further from the people, places, and things they love. The HNA correctly emphasizes building, “healthy complete neighborhood[s] with safe and convenient access to the goods and services needed in daily life” (p. 49).

I will pursue an agenda that dramatically increases the number of homes inside Portland. This agenda prioritizes:

Increasing zoned capacity for housing Amending height restrictions for affordable housing

Zoning neighborhoods for mixed-used, mixed age, and mixed ability

Expediting permits and reducing system development charges for affordable housing

Waiving fees for multi-family housing developments

Encouraging home sharing and other measures that help seniors age in place

Reducing barriers for converting ADUs and spare rooms into long-term rentals

Assisting with the conversion of office buildings to residential buildings

Collaborating with other government jurisdictions (especially County and Metro) to create a new funding stream for the creation of affordable housing

Creating a social housing program

Encouraging the development of Community Land Trusts

Monitoring and adjusting as needed TIF districts and inclusionary zoning

The homelessness crisis cannot be fixed overnight, but it can be fixed over time if we make a commitment to evidence-based policy. Thriving communities do not leave their poorest residents sleeping on sidewalks or inside automobiles, nor do they warehouse them indefinitely, invisibly, and unsafely in mass shelters or encampments.

The overwhelming majority of people living in tents and automobiles would gladly transfer to shelter if it was available, greatly reducing the burden on emergency response teams. However, the city currently does not have enough beds to offer, and the beds it does offer are often less safe and less sanitary than living outside.

I will advocate for the construction of pod villages and motels shelters that are safe, sanitary, and respect the dignity of the people they serve. This means making reasonable accommodations for pets, cohabitation, belongings, and freedom of movement.

Because temporary shelters are more expensive and less effective in the long-run than permanent supportive housing, they must be conceived as temporary in two senses–both as a temporary place for residents to stay as they transition to permanent housing, and as a temporary solution for a city that is rapidly moving toward housing abundance.

Ending unsheltered homelessness is essential to Portland’s identity. We have the opportunity to once again be an affordable city in which every person can live with dignity. Housing abundance is within our reach.

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

Increase in funding for eviction protection - Legal counsel is very effective in preventing evictions due to inability to pay. We don't fund enough of it for lawyers to be available 5 days a week. A relatively small infusion could change this dynamic.
AI in the rental market - I am extremely concerned about the use, misuse, and abuse of AI in the rental market. RealPage is a rental price-fixing cartel and I hope that US DOJ and Oregon DOJ manage to shut it down. Additionally, I've been hearing that landlords and property management companies have been using AI on the front end of the process to screen applicants, especially for income. AI is not awful at verifying income from employment but pretty bad at verifying income from SSDI and other sources, and discrimination based on source of income is illegal. I'd like to put a stop to this use of AI.

Do you rent or own your residence?

I own my residence.

When were you most recently a renter?

More than 10 years ago.

Are you currently a landlord?

No.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

I am not a landlord in any capacity.

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

I support commonsense protections for tenants against harassment and intimidation.

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

The current cap of ten percent is so high as to not often get triggered in a way that helps renters. We ought to be able to have a discussion as a community and come to a consensus that protects renters without reducing the rental inventory.

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

With private equity controlling an increasingly large section of the rental market, renters are at an overwhelming disadvantage and risk eviction if they use their voice. Some sort of collective entity can allow them to advocate with less personal risk.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

Other: I like much in the Renter's Bill of Rights, but the hard cap on rents would cause many units to rent for less than the cost of construction. I worry that it would weaken the most important tool a renter has--the ability to walk away from a bad deal and go somewhere else.

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

I really like many of the ideas in the Renter's Bill of Rights. #4 re: no evictions during extreme weather is probably my favorite. I am also on record, here and elsewhere, in favor of removing the state preemption on local rent control (#8). I worry about the unintended consequences of some of the other provisions.

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

I'd start by listening to organizations like PTU and CAT - you all have ears to the ground on this. I want to know more about the required composition of the Rental Services Commission and make sure there are good conduits from there to the Council.

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

Yes.

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

With respect to fighting displacement, I support policies that support folks (and especially Black folks) who were displaced from N/NE Portland in returning to those neighborhoods.

Andra Vltavín

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

Housing is a human right, and our culture has been prioritizing money and capital over the well-being of our citizens. We have many vacant properties, AirBnBs, and empty office buildings that could house people, but we are too concerned with who -should- pay for it.

Additionally, zoning laws have led to a lot of our housing shortage. They are not based on health and safety in the same way that building codes are. They are holdovers from exclusionary practices of preventing "lower class" individuals from living in certain areas. They were also implemented to keep developers from flooding the housing market in a way that would threaten real estate investments. By reforming our zoning laws, we can build more than a quad-plex in residential zones and can build denser developments if we largely do away with minimum lot sizes.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

Zoning reform, commercial conversions to residential living communities, sustainable building practices, stormwater infrastructure overhauls, and single-room occupancy units.

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

I am an advocate for the Renters' Bill of Rights, which would protect tenants from rental increases without notice, mandate relocation assistance, protect children and education workers from evictions for late rent during the school year, protect renters from evictions during extreme weather, cap rental fees, require that code violations be resolved before rent increases, provide legal defense for renters in eviction court, allow for rent control, and link rent to the minimum wage such that all full-time workers can afford a 1-bedroom apartment with 30 percent of their income.

These policies are important because otherwise we create situations where it is possible for landlords to become predatory and focus on their dividends rather than the actual people they are caretaking.

Do you rent or own your residence?

I rent my residence.

When were you most recently a renter?

I'm currently a renter.

Are you currently a landlord?

No.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

I am not a landlord in any capacity.

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

I just signed the petition! Thank you for all this important work that you do.

As resources become more scarce, I think it is more and more likely that landlords will act in bad faith to make ends meet, so establishing these protections while resources are still relatively abundant will help protect everyone going forward

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

I'd like to see rent capped at 30% of a person's income. I find it frustrating that the State disallowed local rent control policies, as each locality is going to have a different demographic and context.

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

This would be like a tenants' union, which I think would be very powerful and motivating in all the right ways.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

I am all for it. I am very in favor of rent control, ban on evictions during extenuating circumstances, and limits on rent increases (with six-month notice).

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

We, as city councilors, need to be reaching out to the impacted communities directly to hear what they think. My suggestion would be to focus on NGOs and nonprofits that are led by and serve diverse communities.

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

Yes.

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

I'd like to limit AirBnBs in the city such that there are more opportunities for permanent tenants.

Multnomah County Commission District 2

Shannon Singleton

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

First, I want to state that the number one driver of homelessness is housing costs, plain and simple. Every serious study, report, or research paper demonstrates overwhelming agreement on this. Simply put, if people cannot afford to pay their rent, where else is there but homelessness.

As to the cause of the housing crisis itself, I believe that there are three main factors: 1) over forty years ago, the federal government stopped investing in subsidized housing at scale, fracturing a foundation for many families to build a future of opportunity; 2) local municipalities have stubbornly preferred the idea of protectionism over density. By that I mean we have had land use policies in cities across the west coast that have been exclusionary and not allowed for the kind of multi-family buildings in neighborhoods throughout urban cores that can create housing that is affordable for all incomes; and 3) more globally, we as a country have allowed private equity to set expectations for the rate of return on investing in new residential development. Normalizing a much higher rate of return has meant that new construction is intended to generate the most profit and therefore out of reach for many households with low and moderate incomes. Housing should be a human right, not a speculative commodity.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

If elected, I would advocate for raising the state’s minimum wage to a living wage so folks have a shot at living in the community where they work. I would also request that Multnomah County’s government relations team lobby our federal delegation to tie federal disability benefits to local housing costs. At the state level, I support ongoing land use reform to encourage infill development in city neighborhoods to increase the supply of housing stock. However, one local vulnerability that few people are currently discussing is the looming cliff of local affordable housing funding. Both the City of Portland’s housing bond and the Metro Regional housing bond are almost tapped out. In 2025 there will be no local funding for new construction of housing for the households in our community with the lowest incomes. This is a ticking time bomb and an issue I will be sounding the alarm on with partners as a Multnomah County Commissioner.

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

Fair Housing enforcement– we continue to see disparate treatment for renters and if renters do not know their rights, they don’t make the appropriate complaint. There is also significant risk to making a complaint as property management companies often have multiple properties and complaints could affect the person’s ability to rent a different apartment. I have personal experience of this as a former renter and was able to get my money back due to my understanding of my rights. Renting is already difficult but violations of fair housing make it impossible.

Mission-driven property management for tenants in subsidized housing– a recent PSU report shows us that we have a significant amount of evictions for nonpayment of rent from our affordable housing apartments. We should further explore the work of Evolve and move toward mission driven property management where people struggling to maintain their apartment are directly connected with supports– from rent assistance, to opportunities to increase job skills to increase income, to healthcare services, etc.

Do you rent or own your residence?

Other: My husband and I recently bought our residence after 30 years of renting and receiving inheritance from his parents.

When were you most recently a renter?

1-5 years ago.

Are you currently a landlord?

No.

In what capacity are you a landlord?

I am not a landlord in any capacity.

PTU had been advocating for the Tenant Protection Ordinance along with a coalition of over 25 organizations. The TPO would support tenants experiencing harassment from their landlord. If elected, will you prioritize and support passing the Tenant Protection Ordinance?

Yes.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

I fully support public policy that protects tenants from harassment. A tenant should never have to choose between keeping their home or enduring harassment.

If elected, would you work to overturn the state of Oregon’s preemption preventing local rent control measures, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

Other: Depends - see my answer below.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

I would like to see the state’s regulation improve rather than create a more diffuse system where the effectiveness of a rent control measure for tenants would be wholly dependent on the local leadership and local advocacy in communities across Oregon.

If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases and rent?

Other: It depends - see my answer below.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

I don’t know much about this concept but am intrigued and look forward to learning more.

Other local tenant groups have launched a Renter’s Bill of Rights campaign. Have you pledged to support the Renter’s Bill of Rights?

Other: I have not - see answer below.

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

I have concerns about #10– “Link rent to the minimum wage such that all full-time workers can afford a 1-bedroom apartment with no more than 30% of their income” for a couple of reasons. When we explored similar policy while I worked at the state, attorneys came to the legal opinion that this would likely constitute a “taking” and, in effect, the government would need to subsidize the remaining rent that the landlord could collect at market rate. I’d want updated information to understand what it would take to get this done and if a better path is social housing. I also see challenges with this in respect to families. Limiting to a 1-bedroom leaves out whole communities, particularly Black and brown communities that often have a single income to support the whole family. This could exacerbate the already existing deficit we have in family sized units in the Portland Metro Region. I support everything else in the renters bill of rights.

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

I subscribe to the philosophy of “nothing about us, without us.” To meaningfully include any impacted party, engagement needs to happen early in a process. Too often advocates and coalitions are brought in on the back-end of policy-making, making engagement almost meaningless, and resulting in policies that miss the mark. That is not who I am. I will be a commissioner who seeks, not just engagement, but authentic relationships, so that I can learn and shepherd the best legislation to serve the people.

Would you refuse or return campaign contributions from Multifamily NW's Equitable Housing PAC, The Good Landlord PAC, More Housing Now! PAC, or similar real estate industry PACs?

Other: Depends. There are progressive realtor groups that don’t align with current industry practices or legislative agendas. I would consider future partnerships with these groups in spaces where policies align with my values.

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

Beyond what I have shared, I will be eager to learn more from my colleagues on the Board and also from staff at Multnomah County about where they see opportunities for the County to lead. As compared with local municipalities which occupy most of the residential land in Multnomah County, the County has relatively limited direct authority in these matters. So it will be as a community leader and using the bully pulpit where I think we can be most effective. I am always happy to lead the charge, but I know I am far more effective when we act as a coalition. This is one of the many areas I am hoping to shift on the Board when I win my seat.

By Question

See the Simple Questions Cheat Sheet for yes/no and multiple choice questions. Below are all of the answers to each of the long form questions.

In your view, what are the main causes of the current housing crisis?

Durrell Javon Kinsey Bey (Mayor): 1.The housing crisis stems from federal policies starting in 1933, when President FDR began leveraging debt. This was compounded by President Nixon in 1971, who took the U.S. off the gold standard, allowing the printing of unbacked money. These actions shifted economic liabilities onto other nations, ultimately contributing to financial instability.

2. In 2008, the U.S. government bailed out large corporations in the insurance, finance, and real estate sectors to prevent a complete economic collapse. This intervention followed the financial crisis triggered by the subprime mortgage meltdown. Companies like AIG, major banks, and mortgage lenders received significant financial aid to stabilize markets, restore investor confidence, and prevent further economic fallout. Critics argue it favored corporate interests over average citizens, while supporters claim it was necessary to prevent a deeper recession.

3. The issue lies in not applying pragmatic, people-centered planning over profit-driven approaches. There's a failure to recognize the value of a circular economy based on collectivism and a socio-ecological infrastructure model.

Mingus Mapps (Mayor): The current housing crisis in Portland is driven by several key factors:

1. Lack of Housing Supply

2. Rising Construction Costs

3. Stagnant Wages and Income Inequality

4. Speculation and Investor-Driven Housing

5. Limited Tenant Protections

Sharon Nasset (Mayor): lack of truly inexpensive housing, lack of upward mobility from low wage jobs ll.

Martin Ward (Mayor): Private ownership of apartments, mobile home lots, and condos leads to higher rent and HOA fees. As far as houses go the debt based system of payments pushes costs up, there are some more efficient construction models as well such as building smaller, not having basements, and possibly other means. There are possibly other reasons for high prices as well... general income inequality can affect the ability to make payments as well.

Candace Avalos (D1): Our housing crisis has been decades in the making, from the steady decline in federal funding for affordable housing and measures to address homelessness since the Reagan administration to the NIMBYism that has resulted in suppressed housing production — including and especially affordable housing — across the country. Add to that wages that have not kept up with inflation or with the earnings of the wealthiest people in the country, and very few people can comfortably afford safe, stable housing.

Doug Clove (D1): The lack of available housing in Portland and the high cost of housing.

Jamie Dunphy (D1): A lack of affordable housing supply, a lack of investment in housing production by the City, State, and Federal government, an incentive structure that encourages building the wrong type of housing, and the commoditization of housing by private investment firms.

Timur Ender (D1): The main cause of the homelessness crisis can be attributed to affordability of housing prices. Secondary causes include stagnant wages, limited supply, lack of supportive services to keep people in housing, insufficient efforts to prevent housing insecurity, dwindling number of home builders which reduces competition, municipal zoning restrictions, and a lack of social housing.

David Linn (D1): Private market forces, greed, and the public policies that abandoning public housing.

Chris Olson (D2): The modern housing crisis is driven by many, many factors: landlords raising rents faster than wages, inadequate government investment in affordable housing, corporations buying and renting out (or flipping) single-family homes, and artificial supply shortages that keep prices high. Additionally, algorithmic pricing software used by landlords contributes to rising costs. The focus must be on implementing strong laws to prevent the crisis from worsening.

Jennifer Park (D2): A fractured regional housing approach that has relied exclusively on development, leaving cost of living, housing affordability, and housing stability under-addressed. We are trying to build our way out of a housing crisis without stopping the floodgates of eviction, displacement, and the increased disparity between wages and the cost of housing.

Nat West (D2): Lack of supply. Low supply increases housing costs for everyone and makes it harder for lower income people to find stable housing.

Chris Flanary (D3): At the heart of the housing crisis is that housing is treated as an investment vehicle, leading to market manipulation and skyrocketing prices. In the past few years, the money needed to own a home has doubled. We need to put restrictions in place about what kind of entity can buy a single family home so that Portlanders who want to purchase a home aren’t competing with giant equity firms. I want to see more models of co-housing, cooperative ownership and other multifamily solutions.

Patrick Hilton (D3): The main causes for housing cost increase is the fairly recent global commodification of real estate, investors and large corporations with lots of resources competing for homes with local families, tech products that have turned local housing stock into short term rentals, as well as new, corporate apartment buildings that have set new price levels and increased the base amount for local rent. In addition to these reasons, rising material cost for new construction is making new housing costly. Another factor is new residents that move here from more expensive regions are willing to pay the increased rent and housing prices thus justifying them and keeping them high for long term existing residents.

Tiffany Koyama Lane (D3): My understanding is that the root of homelessness is the cost of housing, and the lack of housing. As home and rent prices go up, homelessness goes up. In major cities across America, working people are priced out of both the rental market and home ownership. In Oregon, someone would have to earn around $28/hour to afford rent on a two-bedroom apartment. That is the first problem. The affordability crisis is compounded in Oregon because COVID and fentanyl arrived at roughly the same time, straining our social safety net to its breaking point. We are nearly last in the nation for access to mental health treatment and substance use treatment, both of which are exacerbated by housing instability (and can also lead to entrenched homelessness, a vicious cycle). And as a teacher, I have to point out that our schools are underfunded by over two billion dollars. As a country, and as a state, we do not invest in families and children, even though there is so much evidence that the way we start life can shape our ability to thrive as adults. Instead of taking a holistic approach to all of these problems, many of our politicians have chosen a punitive or austerity approach, defunded critical programs, or simply failed to create efficient and navigable systems. It is a mess, although not for lack of a lot of effort and hard work by people who truly want things to change.

Angelita Morillo (D3): The main cause of the housing crisis is underproduction. When housing is made into a commodity, our capitalist system incentivizes underproduction to stimulate demand, which means that homelessness and rent unaffordability is not a byproduct of the system--it is an essential part of it.

Cristal Azul Otero (D3): The housing crisis stems from a system that doesn't provide enough stability for renters or pathways to ownership for people making less than $75K, seniors, and those on disability. Too many are forced into a permanent cycle of renting without the option to build long-term security. We need stronger tenant protections and rent stabilization right now, but we also need to create real pathways to ownership—like cooperative housing and apartments above businesses—so that renters can eventually transition into stable, affordable homes. Without that, we’ll keep seeing people displaced and locked out of opportunities to build wealth and stability.

Theo Hathaway Saner (D3): The housing crisis is rooted in several factors: a severe shortage of affordable housing, rising income inequality, stagnant wages, and a lack of coordinated investment in public and nonprofit housing. Additionally, decades of exclusionary zoning laws and policies that favor private development have exacerbated the affordability crisis, leading to displacement and gentrification, particularly for low-income and BIPOC communities.

Olivia Clark (D4): It started with Pres. Ronald Reagan decimating federal housing programs bringing an end to public housing — our version of social housing. Overtime, It has been exacerbated by restrictive local zoning codes and complex and uncertain permitting processes. As a state, we stopped monitoring our Land Use Planning Goal 10, the housing goal, and paid little attention to the need for affordable housing. Today, private equity firms are buying up housing as an investment. In addition, wages have not kept up with rising housing costs.

Mitch Green (D4): The primary cause of housing crisis as a long-term unwillingness for the public sector to ensure that we are building in sufficient quantity housing for all income levels. On the supply side, we have under-built relative to population growth, which has led to conditions where landlords are able to extract an increasing share of tenant income. On the demand side, government has stood on the sidelines as housing was treated as a speculative asset, driving up prices and rents. Building new capacity in the housing stock is a necessary condition for moving past the crisis, but it is not a sufficient condition - we need deliberate public programs aimed at providing housing that is affordable at all income levels.

Chad Lykins (D4): The cost of housing relative to area income and the vacancy rate.

Andra Vltavín (D4): Housing is a human right, and our culture has been prioritizing money and capital over the well-being of our citizens. We have many vacant properties, AirBnBs, and empty office buildings that could house people, but we are too concerned with who -should- pay for it.

Shannon Singleton (Mult Co D2): First, I want to state that the number one driver of homelessness is housing costs, plain and simple. Every serious study, report, or research paper demonstrates overwhelming agreement on this. Simply put, if people cannot afford to pay their rent, where else is there but homelessness.

What are the main policies you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

Durrell Javon Kinsey Bey (Mayor): 1. I propose aggressively changing zoning laws to reduce red tape, promote infill development, and implement a vacancy tax to incentivize growth in the spirit of social equity.

2. Along with changing zoning laws, I would promote alternative building practices using materials like hemp, mycelium, and earth-ship construction to create sustainable housing solutions.

3. I support introducing a strong Renter's Bill of Rights, protecting tenants from predatory landlord practices and ensuring housing security for a more "Prosperous Portland."

Mingus Mapps (Mayor): To address Portland's housing crisis, I would champion several key policies aimed at increasing housing supply, supporting affordability, and protecting tenants:

1. Increase Affordable Housing Development

2. Expand Rental Assistance and Tenant Protections

3. Regulate Short-Term Rentals and Speculative Housing

4. Promote Community Land Trusts and Cooperative Housing

Sharon Nasset (Mayor): Housing is to expensive for all of us. New housing is the most expensive to construct, to rent, takes the most amount of time, changes the neighborhoods, and takes money from our taxes. Send money out of area to developers. Maximizing our current houses for those interested in boarding, rooming houses, and ADU. 40% to 60% of Americans lived in boarding and rooming houses until the new 1960's health and safety regulation. With no money provided to upgrade properties the real estate complexes grab funding. The City will Have a registry of people needing housing and paying to much. Hold information classes on how start and operate boarding and rooming houses Help match people with the right type of help. Provide a model to the nation less expensive, loneliness, and homelessness The energy and spirit when hundreds and thousands of people in our city being are in distress for the most basic housing and food. Set up temporary "Yes you can camp here!" There are plenty of good parking (mud and electricity) not in residential areas, adjacent to retail and transit. Placing several of them in each part of town allows people to stay in an area they are used to living in. Event tents, professional heat, bathrooms, shower trailers, meals, lockers, health care , and service area. Set-up a housing register of people needing housing and paying to much for housing. Use the register to evaluate the individual needs. Provide information on how to set-up and operate boarding and rooming houses for those interested in maximizing their properties. Seek funding to upgrade current properties and add bedrooms, bathrooms, and dormer. Using spec plans, and a streamlined process it less expensive and faster to bring smaller project on line. Unlike new project that can take years, lots of process, changes the neighbors, new is most expensive, give taxes breaks and removes money from locals to large companies. Seek a change in federal funding the HUD and rental vouches can go to boarding and rooming houses not just apartments. We must be able to, when we see a person in need be able to offer them a

Martin Ward (Mayor): I am mainly focused on government ownership of apartments, mobile home lots, and potentially condos. Profit margins of apartments are currently 30-40%, with government ownership this extra profit will be eliminated. Mobile homes and condos have HOA fees that range from $500 a month and up, with government ownership these fees will be eliminated.

Candace Avalos (D1): My platform includes the following policies to address the housing crisis across the housing continuum:

Doug Clove (D1): We need to focus on creating more housing, and then even more after that. It's crucial to simplify the building process in East Portland. Let's eliminate the red tape and barriers that make construction difficult. Portland should work alongside builders instead of being a roadblock. I’d make sure this approach becomes a reality.

Jamie Dunphy (D1): Great streamlining of permitting and internal processes to the City of Portland, greater emphasis on intensive reuse of existing vacant buildings, and targetted investment on vacant lots in East Portland. I want explicit protections for renters, a vacancy tax on rental housing, and greater enforcement of existing housing laws.

Timur Ender (D1): I would work with the County to utilize available dollars to immediately get people into housing and ensure this housing is paired with wraparound services. It may mean, in the near term there are mobile services until more permanent wraparound services can be established. This is often referred to as a “housing first” strategy.

I would work to align zoning code to legalize missing middle housing and to prioritize transit oriented development.

David Linn (D1): Public housing. Long term rental agreements. Tenant protections listed in the Renter's Bill of Rights. Community Land banking. Low barrier - high service shelters that are well managed in coordination with neighbors. Small transitional housing projects dispersed around the city to meet our needs without concentrating it to any one part.

Chris Olson (D2): I support a multi-pronged approach that includes:

- Passing the Renters' Bill of Rights to cap rent increases at 5% annually, helping to keep housing affordable. It would also provide stronger eviction protections to prevent more people from becoming unhoused.

- Streamlining the permitting process for builders to increase housing supply, but with a firm commitment to prioritizing affordable housing. Without this focus, we risk worsening the problem.

- Implementing a vacancy tax on empty properties to discourage artificial scarcity and ensure that those owning multiple homes in the city contribute fairly.

Jennifer Park (D2): First I want to see our new council take responsibility as a regional leader to ensure our multi-jurisdictional approaches to housing are not leaving holes in our network of housing supports. I personally have contacted the City, the County, Metro, and the state trying to support keeping 100 units of senior affordable housing in District 2 online, and no one is prioritizing preservation of our current housing stock. (We were able to gain access to a pot of emergency funds that the non-profit is in the process of working through the red tape on).

Nat West (D2): Removing barriers to making more housing, faster:

Keep up on the combined Permitting Bureau to ensure it meets goals.

Building code reforms such as single stairs in multi-family homes.

Increase density to allow four floors of housing in a large part of the eastside of Portland.

Resuscitation of the Airbnb/short term rental program to ensure fees and permits are collected.

Chris Flanary (D3): I've worked in affordable housing for over a decade, so while I agree that we need more housing to be built, I also know that Portlanders don’t make enough to pay the rent that developers would need to charge to make a project worth the investment.

Living wages are the cornerstone of my platform because they are the base for a strong community and economy. If you work here, you should be able to live here.

Patrick Hilton (D3): I would create policies that stop the demolition of renter housing. I would create policies that give incentives to local landlords that provide long term stable renting opportunities. I think inclusive housing for new buildings is important but not the only answer for our housing affordability issues. I have known people that lost their rental houses to demolition to make way for corporate apartment complexes. I would support streamlining the permitting process, having grant programs, and tax incentives as well as working with the county to make ADUs and basement or add-on apartments easier to build and without raising property taxes. I would support using/advocating for federal, state, and local tax credits for adaptive reuse of vacant buildings to create new typologies of communal housing that is affordable (eco-villages, Single Room Occupancy Hotels, Long term Hostel type Housing, Group Housing, Co-housing, etc.). I would advocate and streamline and open up the process for moveable ADU's (tiny houses, etc.). I want Portland to be the innovative housing capital of North America. We need lots of different kinds of housing types for every income level.

Tiffany Koyama Lane (D3): It’s important to keep people in the housing they already have. First I would work with other councilors to pass a Renters’ Bill of Rights similar to that which passed in Tacoma. While Oregon does not allow local rent control, there are a number of steps we can take in Portland to give broader protections to renters. These would include lowering the rental increase cap at which landlords must pay relocation fees from 10 percent to 5 percent, or banning evictions during severe weather events or during the school year for families with children.

Angelita Morillo (D3): As a City Councilwoman, I believe the City of Portland needs to be far more imaginative with the ways we create affordable housing in our communities. The City of Portland owns tons of empty lots of land that remain unused right now. We need to identify and categorize each piece and build our own housing, because we’ve seen that if we solely rely on developers whose primary focus is profit on creating affordable housing, we will not have enough to address the immense need in our communities.

Cristal Azul Otero (D3): The City of Portland’s plan to build 120,000 units of housing by 2045, with much of it slated for District 3, poses a real risk of displacement for households making less than $75K. Without strong leadership to prioritize keeping these residents in place, many could be forced out. That’s why I’m advocating for the city to subsidize ownership opportunities through TIF districts, creating beautiful cooperative apartment buildings, cooperatively owned mobile home and RV parks, and land banking. Additionally, as we change building codes to increase development, we need leadership that strikes a balance between allowing large multifamily projects and making code changes that support retrofitting existing apartments, improving livability, and reducing costs. This approach will help ensure we grow responsibly without displacing the very people who make District 3 vibrant.

Theo Hathaway Saner(D3): I would champion policies that focus on building more affordable housing through nonprofit-led development, expand tenant protections to prevent displacement, and ensure permanent supportive housing for the chronically homeless. I would also push for inclusionary zoning, which requires developers to include affordable units in new housing projects, and advocate for rent control measures to stabilize the market.

Olivia Clark (D4): Streamline the permitting process and remove zoning restrictions. I was an advocate for land-banking many years ago and it’s worth re-visiting. I also want to be sure that Multnomah County and Metro are good partners in spending the housing dollars the public has supported.

Mitch Green (D4): 1. Make it easier to build new housing

2. Establish a social housing program

3. Pass policies guided by the principles in the Renters' Bill of Rights

Chad Lykins (D4): Housing affordability is the number one reason people leave Portland. The city’s Housing Needs Analysis shows there is enough buildable land to achieve housing abundance. We also have neighborhoods that serve as examples of how communities thrive when they are not subject to zoning restrictions that cause individuals to live further from the people, places, and things they love. The HNA correctly emphasizes building, “healthy complete neighborhood[s] with safe and convenient access to the goods and services needed in daily life” (p. 49).

I will pursue an agenda that dramatically increases the number of homes inside Portland. This agenda prioritizes:

Increasing zoned capacity for housing Amending height restrictions for affordable housing

Zoning neighborhoods for mixed-used, mixed age, and mixed ability

Expediting permits and reducing system development charges for affordable housing

Waiving fees for multi-family housing developments

Encouraging home sharing and other measures that help seniors age in place

Reducing barriers for converting ADUs and spare rooms into long-term rentals

Assisting with the conversion of office buildings to residential buildings

Collaborating with other government jurisdictions (especially County and Metro) to create a new funding stream for the creation of affordable housing

Creating a social housing program

Encouraging the development of Community Land Trusts

Monitoring and adjusting as needed TIF districts and inclusionary zoning

Andra Vltavín (D4): Zoning reform, commercial conversions to residential living communities, sustainable building practices, stormwater infrastructure overhauls, and single-room occupancy units.

Shannon Singleton (Mult Co D2): If elected, I would advocate for raising the state’s minimum wage to a living wage so folks have a shot at living in the community where they work. I would also request that Multnomah County’s government relations team lobby our federal delegation to tie federal disability benefits to local housing costs. At the state level, I support ongoing land use reform to encourage infill development in city neighborhoods to increase the supply of housing stock. However, one local vulnerability that few people are currently discussing is the looming cliff of local affordable housing funding. Both the City of Portland’s housing bond and the Metro Regional housing bond are almost tapped out. In 2025 there will be no local funding for new construction of housing for the households in our community with the lowest incomes. This is a ticking time bomb and an issue I will be sounding the alarm on with partners as a Multnomah County Commissioner.

What are your top priorities for advancing tenants rights? Please list one to three policies or initiatives you are or will be proactively championing, and provide an explanation of a. your work around this/these policies, and b. why it is/they are important.

Durrell Javon Kinsey Bey (Mayor): My top priorities for advancing tenants' rights are:

- Work: I will actively work with community organizations, legal advocates, and city officials to draft and advocate for this bill, ensuring it reflects the needs of tenants.

-Importance: It addresses the power imbalance between landlords and tenants, ensuring basic rights like affordable rents, timely repairs, and fair lease agreements.

-Work: I plan to work with local policymakers to create and implement this tax, ensuring that it promotes greater housing availability while discouraging speculative property holding.

-Importance: This policy is critical to increase housing supply and curb the practice of landlords holding onto vacant properties for profit while tenants face housing shortages.

-Work: By collaborating with city planners and sustainable building advocates, I will push for zoning changes that allow for innovative construction methods and infill development.

-Importance: Increasing affordable housing options is key to tackling the housing crisis, ensuring long-term housing stability, and promoting sustainability in our communities.

These initiatives prioritize tenants' rights and housing affordability, addressing the urgent need for security, equity, and sustainability in housing.

Mingus Mapps (Mayor): My top priorities for advancing tenants’ rights in Portland focus on three critical areas: affordability, stability, and fairness. These policies reflect my commitment to ensuring that renters have safe, stable, and affordable housing.

1. Expand Affordable Housing Through Tenant-Led Development

2. Strengthen Rent Control and Tenant Protections

3. Increase Legal Support and Tenant Advocacy Resources

Sharon Nasset (Mayor): Adding housing keeps rent low, variety and locations.

Candace Avalos (D1): I believe we need to address homelessness by preventing it in the first place — and this means supporting tenants in their current housing. Reports show that more than 30% of families in Multnomah County are struggling to meet their basic needs. As our city continues to grow and develop we need to ensure strong anti-displacement policies are in place. I would direct the City to fully fund rental assistance and continue to ensure renters have safeguards like eviction protection and relocation assistance. In addition, both renters and landlords benefit when educated on rental laws and protections. We must fully fund the Rental Services Office to publicize landlord-tenant laws and to provide resources and guidance to both landlords and tenants.

Doug Clove (D1): I'm totally in favor of boosting tenants' rights. Everyone deserves a safe, clean, and affordable home. Tenants shouldn't have to worry about retaliation when they bring up problems with their place. When repairs are needed, they should be done quickly and without any extra costs. If things aren't fixed in a reasonable time, tenants should get some compensation. Plus, we really need to put a stop to landlords slapping on late fees and other harsh charges when rent isn't paid on time. No one should feel like they could be kicked out of their home at any moment.

Jamie Dunphy (D1): Codifying protections and rights for tenants.

Enacting a vacancy tax on corporate landlords who allow available units to sit vacant for extended periods of time to maximize rent levels.

Timur Ender (D1): One of the things the City of Portland could do, which Seattle has already done, is unbundling parking from rent. This allows tenants to decide whether they want to pay for parking. If they don’t have a car, this has the effect of immediately reducing housing payments. This can be supported by other city efforts such as the Rose Lane program which speeds up transit speed and reliability, neighborhood greenway/bikeway infrastructure, and transportation wallet programs which provide low-income residents vouchers for multi-modal trips on scooters, transit, bike share, and streetcar.

David Linn (D1): I have worked with other Democrats to push for caps on rent increases. We fought hard to get people elected that cared more for our low income neighbors than landlord profits. I would fight to cap rent increases to 5% and create protections from increasing rent on homes that do not meet code and are unsafe to the families living there. We need to ensure protections for tenants who fear reporting their landlord or fighting for what they deserve.

Chris Olson (D2): A top priority of mine is the Renters’ Bill of Rights, which I’ve championed since day one. Not only would the bill lower housing costs and help to keep people housed, it would also provide other necessary protections for renters. One key point in the bill is a universal Right to Counsel program, which would ensure tenants have legal representation in eviction court. Currently, 90% of tenants lack representation in eviction court, but pilot programs show that legal aid keeps low-income tenants housed.

Jennifer Park (D2): I am a day-one signer of the Portland Democratic Socialists of America Renters' Bill of Rights. It is a vision statement of nine policy priorities that we have the opportunity to champion. I would like to see us be very methodical and intentional about how we bring these renter protections to light. For example:

"9. Link rent to the minimum wage such that all full-time workers can afford a 1-bedroom apartment with no more than 30% of their income"

Nat West (D2): Support state-level advocacy for an Oregon minimum wage tied to the average cost of a 1-bedroom apartment. Require code improvements before rent increases and increased funding of inspection programs to ensure this. Set up a tenant representation office.

Chris Flanary (D3): The Rental Services Office needs more staff, more authority, and more publicity. Let’s stop outsourcing tenant rights support to nonprofit organizations. My day job is at the Housing Bureau and I have seen the impact these workers have had in the few years they have been a team and supported the implementation of renter protections.

The rising price of housing must also be addressed, and I am open to multiple avenues to the same goal - whether it’s an incentive program, a mandate, or a public housing option.

Patrick Hilton (D3): I want to limit evictions due to demolition of existing housing resulting from up-zoning of our neighborhoods and advocate and create policies that make it easier to add new buildings around or in addition to existing buildings so we can limit renter and cultural displacement in our city. New apartment complexes need to be added strategically to our neighborhoods to maintain the stability and character of our neighborhoods and to maintain our existing renter residents. I have been involved in this effort throughout the years and have testified to stop large scale upzoning in our city. I believe that preservation of housing is a progressive value. New York City and Chicago both have housing preservation policies and so should we. Working class renters in up-zoned areas are being displaced. This is important because neighborhoods need to have families of mixed incomes living as neighbors in order to have a healthy community. There needs to be stability to keep lower income renters there. Up-zoning stratifies income levels into clumps and apart from each other.

Tiffany Koyama Lane (D3): As I mentioned above, I support a Renters’ bill of rights. I think one of the most common-sense things we can do is prevent landlords from raising the rent while there are outstanding code violations. I also believe that families with school-aged children should not be evicted for late rent during the school year. As an educator who has seen students lose housing in the middle of the year and have to commute long distances to get to school, I have seen just how disruptive and destabilizing it is for families in this position. Teachers are on the front lines of this crisis, and are often in the position of connecting families with resources.

Angelita Morillo (D3): I am proud to have signed the Renters' Bill of Rights and, among the policies put forth, will prioritize establishing a right to counsel in eviction court, legalizing local rent control statewide, and capping extra fees (e.g. pet fees, late fees, laundry fees, etc.). These are important measures to take to protect tenants and keep people from becoming unhoused. I have pushed for these measures on the Rental Services Commission and will continue to do so on City Council.

Cristal Azul Otero (D3): 1. Protecting Chloe Eudaly’s Tenant Protections – Relocation Assistance Ordinance:

Theo Hathaway Saner(D3): Strengthening Rent Control: Portland needs stronger rent control policies to prevent rent hikes that displace vulnerable tenants. Just Cause Eviction Protections: Expanding protections so tenants cannot be evicted without a legitimate reason will ensure housing stability for low-income renters. Tenant Representation and Advocacy: I will work to create systems that give tenants a stronger voice in policymaking, including funding for tenant legal services and supporting tenant unions. At PCRI, I’ve worked with tenants navigating housing challenges and seen firsthand the impact of housing insecurity. These policies are critical to ensuring all Portlanders have access to stable, affordable homes.

Olivia Clark (D4): There are components of the list that have promise: a longer notice requirement, capping fees and requiring action on health & safety code violations.

Mitch Green (D4): Top of mind for me is working quickly to pass tenant stabilization measures as outlined in the RBOR, while exploring every legal pathway to limit rent increases beyond the state limit, which is too permissive. We have an urgent need for regulations that limit the ability for landlords to bully tenants into moving. Additionally, establishing a social housing program in the city that embodies governance commitments to explicit tenant representation is key. We need to give renters a voice in the policy-making world.

Chad Lykins (D4): 1. Increase in funding for eviction protection - Legal counsel is very effective in preventing evictions due to inability to pay. We don't fund enough of it for lawyers to be available 5 days a week. A relatively small infusion could change this dynamic.

2. AI in the rental market - I am extremely concerned about the use, misuse, and abuse of AI in the rental market. RealPage is a rental price-fixing cartel and I hope that US DOJ and Oregon DOJ manage to shut it down. Additionally, I've been hearing that landlords and property management companies have been using AI on the front end of the process to screen applicants, especially for income. AI is not awful at verifying income from employment but pretty bad at verifying income from SSDI and other sources, and discrimination based on source of income is illegal. I'd like to put a stop to this use of AI.

Andra Vltavín (D4): I am an advocate for the Renters' Bill of Rights, which would protect tenants from rental increases without notice, mandate relocation assistance, protect children and education workers from evictions for late rent during the school year, protect renters from evictions during extreme weather, cap rental fees, require that code violations be resolved before rent increases, provide legal defense for renters in eviction court, allow for rent control, and link rent to the minimum wage such that all full-time workers can afford a 1-bedroom apartment with 30 percent of their income.

Shannon Singleton (Mult Co D2): Fair Housing enforcement– we continue to see disparate treatment for renters and if renters do not know their rights, they don’t make the appropriate complaint. There is also significant risk to making a complaint as property management companies often have multiple properties and complaints could affect the person’s ability to rent a different apartment. I have personal experience of this as a former renter and was able to get my money back due to my understanding of my rights. Renting is already difficult but violations of fair housing make it impossible.

Please share more about your thoughts on the Tenant Protection Ordinance.

Durrell Javon Kinsey Bey (Mayor): I have to be honest—it’s frustrating to read all the data on inequality and see how much influence businesses, lobbyists, PACs, and the ultra-wealthy have over renter's rights and well-being, more so than government officials. It’s especially disheartening to see officials leave public service only to work in the private sector, deregulating industries for personal gain. This needs to stop. Groups like PTU and long-standing activists in Portland must be not only part of the conversation, but they also need to be a part of a city renter's rights advisory council. There needs to more integration with the community and government so "The People" have a fighting chance against the private sector permanently at least in Portland. Too often, we elect people disconnected from the real struggles. Whether or not I get elected, I believe I've already won by speaking the truth, as my campaign slogan says: "Truth Will Unite Us." We must stop pretending those who aren’t truly for us will deliver real change.

Mingus Mapps (Mayor): I support the intent behind the Tenant Protection Ordinance and share PTU's concerns about tenant harassment and constructive evictions. However, I believe that for this ordinance to be effective, it must be fully developed with clear, enforceable guidelines. Here’s how I would approach it:

Tenant Empowerment: I will also prioritize ensuring that tenants are aware of their rights under this ordinance and have access to the legal and advocacy resources necessary to defend themselves.

Sharon Nasset (Mayor): I believe that housing is to expensive and that focusing on boarding and rooming house would maximize our current housing stock providing more alternatives and less expensive housing. For those who do like to socialize, need cheaper housing or living help shared house works for them. The more housing on the market lower the cost of all and can keep rent from raising

Martin Ward (Mayor): It seems interesting, I am mainly focused on government ownership of apartments, mobile home lots, and potentially condos in order to bring prices down.

Candace Avalos (D1): We’ve made strides in the past several years to protect our tenants, but there is still work to be done. I look forward to the opportunity to address the issues raised in the Tenant Protection Ordinance, and it is notable that the Rental Services Commission, a body of the City, has endorsed the ordinance. I also look forward to strengthening the Rental Services Office with more capacity to educate landlords and tenants about our laws and hold landlords accountable.

Doug Clove (D1): Tenants who are less financially stable as their landlords need some sort of protection from overzealous landlords with deep pockets.

Jamie Dunphy (D1): For a right to exist, it must be written down. Currently renters, who are nearly half of all residents of Portland, have very few protections from an out-of-control housing market that does not have their best intentions in mind. I believe the first step is codifying a renters bill of rights, and adequately staffing enforcement of those rights.

Timur Ender (D1): The Tenant Protection Ordinance would ensure that tenants are protected from mold, loud noise, dust, debris, and constructive eviction. These are important protections to ensure residents are able to reside in quiet and peaceful living arrangements.

David Linn (D1): I support the Tenant Protection Ordinance and would work with my fellow councilors to get it passed. I have been a renter faced with sub-standard housing but would not confront the landlord about it because of the fear of retaliation. Tenants should not fear harassment and retaliation when they are working in good faith to uphold their part. We should ensure legal protections to ensure landlords cannot intimidate tenants into giving up their rights.

Chris Olson (D2): I think the Tenant Protection Ordinance is a great idea. Through talking to renters, I know that most of their problems go beyond what the Renter’s Bill of Rights can address. The TPO responds to a lot of day-to-day concerns that renters have regarding livability and habitability.

Jennifer Park (D2): It is critical that tenants be formally protected from harassment by their property owners and/or managers. This is a critical public safety issue. The city must create the levers to hold property owners, managers, and even developers accountable to discriminatory and even inhumane actions. The success of a TPO or Bill of Rights, or even increasing the effectiveness of inclusionary housing, will require the implementation of a robust safety and accountability division that ensures protective, equitable, and accountable oversight.

Nat West (D2): I was not aware of the TPO until this questionnaire but I look forward to more research when elected.

Chris Flanary (D3): This type of regulation is needed and we need a plan for enforcement. For us to create these additional protections we will need to invest in staff time at the rental services office.

Patrick Hilton (D3): Overall I think it is really good. I think we need policies like TPO to provide stability to renters and our communities. Having said that I would also like to see landlords being involved with the TPO to ensure that their needs are also met in order to limit liabilities and loopholes that unethical tenants could use that could damage the effectiveness of the TPO for ethical tenants.

Tiffany Koyama Lane (D3): This is not something I was previously familiar with, but I see that it is backed by data from other cities, supported by many amazing organizations (many of which have endorsed my campaign), and the Rental Services Commission. This seems like a common-sense measure to protect tenants from retaliatory actions by landlords who are no longer able to raise rents without any restrictions.

Angelita Morillo (D3): As a current member of the Rental Services Commission, I am proud that the organization wrote a letter in support of the ordinance and will fight to make it law when I am elected.

Cristal Azul Otero (D3): During my direct service experience working with people experiencing homelessness, I witnessed far too many situations where individuals were living in uninhabitable conditions while still paying rent. Many were afraid to ask for repairs out of fear of retaliation or eviction. This wasn't limited to private landlords—I've seen the same issues with organizations operating affordable housing.

Theo Hathaway Saner (D3): The Tenant Protection Ordinance is an essential tool for safeguarding tenants from sudden rent hikes and unjust evictions. I support strengthening these protections by expanding the ordinance to include more comprehensive rent caps and stronger penalties for landlords who violate tenants' rights.

Olivia Clark (D4): I need to learn more about it.

Mitch Green (D4): Markets do not exist in nature - they are the result of institutions that reflect the political power of those with vested interests, and therefore shape the distribution of income and wealth as reflective of that power dynamic. The Tenant Protection Ordinance is one method of addressing the power imbalance between the landlord and tenant, allowing for tenants to live without fear of harassment and allow for the greater possibility for collective bargaining between landlord and tenant.

Chad Lykins (D4): I support commonsense protections for tenants against harassment and intimidation.

Andra Vltavín (D4): I just signed the petition! Thank you for all this important work that you do.

Shannon Singleton (Mult Co D2): I fully support public policy that protects tenants from harassment. A tenant should never have to choose between keeping their home or enduring harassment.

Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

Durrell Javon Kinsey Bey (Mayor): Rent control is a crucial first step in supporting renters, but it’s just the beginning. The Office of the Ombudsman should be more accessible to renters, ensuring they can access government resources. Many of these valuable services remain underutilized due to a lack of public awareness and transparency. Improving access and communication about available services is essential for enhancing our community’s well-being.

Mingus Mapps (Mayor): I believe rent control is an important tool in the broader effort to protect tenants and address housing affordability. However, it must be part of a balanced approach that includes both rent regulation and the expansion of affordable housing options.

In addition to regulating rent increases, I believe we must also:

Expand tenant protections to prevent no-cause evictions and harassment, and Invest in building more affordable housing to increase supply and provide long-term stability for renters.

Sharon Nasset (Mayor): I believe rent can go and stay lower by upgrading current houses add housing stock this keeps rent money local. Shared utilities better for the pocket book a and economy

Martin Ward (Mayor): God damn you ask the same questions twice

Candace Avalos (D1): I believe our current regulations are more about preventing rent gouging than actual rent control. That is, they only protect people in the most severe of situations. We also saw how a huge increase in inflation across the economy left many people unprotected because our limitations on rent increases are tied to inflation. We need meaningful ways to stabilize people’s rents and we need to give people a predictable idea of their housing costs. Local communities know their residents the best and need the power to craft solutions that will work for them.

Doug Clove (D1): Rent control should be implemented to stop landlords from overcharging their tenants. It’s important that it’s done in a fair and transparent manner that both parties can agree on.

Jamie Dunphy (D1): Rent control has been proven to be effective in some jurisdictions, while in others it has not been. Portland unfortunately has a long track record of voting for progressive, forward looking pieces of legislation, and then failing on implementation. The details matter, and I would like to see a lot more empirical work done on the specific Portland rental market and how best to achieve lower rents.

Timur Ender (D1): I see rent control as one of many levers that can be used to address affordability. I would support rent control if it was part of a comprehensive, well informed and well communicated strategy to ensure affordability. My interest and concern with rent control as a policy tool relates to how other parts of the housing strategy come together and fit under this umbrella. I am committed to increasing housing production which will remain my north star. To the extent a rent control program works in service to increasing housing production, I would be proud to support it.

David Linn (D1): I have long supported rent control and other measures to keep people in their homes. In 2019 I fought hard to get Shemia Fagan elected over a landlord incumbent but was disappointed with the watered down bills that were negotiated with the landlord lobby. I support lifting the preemption on local rent control. I support using ballot measures for important issues like this when the legislature cannot or will not act. I also support campaign finance reform to break the undue influence business lobbies have in Oregon.

Chris Olson (D2): I strongly support rent control. To achieve this in Portland, we must first lobby the state legislature - working through the Legislative Relations Office - to abolish the current ban on rent control. Then we can implement rent control policies tailored to Portland’s needs or establish a committee to conduct research on the best approach. A rent board would then oversee rent increases, ensuring fairness and affordability for all tenants.

Jennifer Park (D2): We must establish more aggressive rent caps that align with ensuring people who work here can continue to live here. This should also include removing limitations of building types that are included in rent control laws. The Portland City Council needs to advocate at the state level to have laws changed that open the door for us to meet our local needs that are unique to Portland

Nat West (D2): Rent control is one tool among many that can help improve the quality of life for residents, but it needs to be discussed within the bigger picture of housing availability and development. Too often, rent control raises prices for all tenants who don't enjoy living in a controlled apartment, and reduces the incentive to build more units. My aim is to ensure that we don't unintentionally create barriers or disincentives for building new homes. My focus will be on shaping policies that thoughtfully connect rent control to our broader objectives of expanding housing options and accessibility.

Chris Flanary (D3): Housing costs have skyrocketed and there are predatory practices being revealed like price fixing real page stuff. It’s clear that the free market is not self-regulating and it is our responsibility to step in.

Patrick Hilton (D3): I think a practical rent control with limited raises in rent makes sense. I believe that home ownership is the best way to increase stability and family wealth but long term renters should have as many benefits similar to home ownership as possible.

Tiffany Koyama Lane (D3): I know there are arguments in other large, unaffordable cities like San Francisco about the role of rent control, and I know that some people believe it prevents housing construction. I think we need to ask if a system where all of our housing supply is contingent on a profit motive and the needs of developers is working. I believe that in a city like Portland, where you would need to make at least $28 per house to afford the rent on a two-bedroom apartment, we need some form of cap or control on rents. We simply will not have anyone living in this city, especially people who work everyday jobs that make the city run, if there is not some baseline effort to keep costs under control. I support and am supported by the State legislators, including Rep. Chaichi and Rep. Gamba, who are working on overturning the local rent control ban at the state level.

Angelita Morillo (D3): Rent control needs to be coupled with increased housing production to be effective or else it ends up being a tax on new residents, which can have knock-on effects on young professionals, domestic violence victims, senior citizens, or families needing to downsize or upsize their living space. However, it is a critical tool for local jurisdictions to ensure that rents stay affordable and that rent increases from year to year minimize their impact to tenants.

Cristal Azul Otero (D3): I believe rent control plays an important role in protecting tenants from skyrocketing rent prices that can lead to displacement, particularly for households earning less than $75K. However, rent control alone isn’t enough to solve the housing crisis—it’s just one tool in a larger strategy to ensure affordability and stability for renters.

Theo Hathaway Saner (D3): Rent control is vital for stabilizing the housing market and preventing rent increases that push families out of their homes. While rent control alone won’t solve the housing crisis, it is a necessary tool to protect tenants from price gouging and ensure affordability for all. I support stronger, more equitable rent control measures citywide.

Olivia Clark (D4): As a housing advocate early in my public service career, I organized statewide workshops on rent control at then Governor’s housing conference to explore the issue. I need to know more about the state pre-emption and how it is currently working.

Mitch Green (D4): As an economist I know the arguments again rent control, which more or less reduce to the general claim that rent control ultimately hurts rents. The reality is that price controls paired with industrial policy is a fairly common approach to market governance in the history of market societies, even the United States, if the objective is to provision resources without creating adverse distributional effects (e.g., price gouging). It was long ago that the generally held view among economists was that the presence of a minimum wage would only hurt workers, however well intended, but that view has now been discredited. Like incomes policy, the impact of rent control (or its absence) on the quality and availability of affordable housing depends upon our institutions and how the public sector commits its resources in relation to the market.

Chad Lykins (D4): The current cap of ten percent is so high as to not often get triggered in a way that helps renters. We ought to be able to have a discussion as a community and come to a consensus that protects renters without reducing the rental inventory.

Andra Vltavín (D4): I'd like to see rent capped at 30% of a person's income. I find it frustrating that the State disallowed local rent control policies, as each locality is going to have a different demographic and context.

Shannon Singleton (Mult Co D2): I would like to see the state’s regulation improve rather than create a more diffuse system where the effectiveness of a rent control measure for tenants would be wholly dependent on the local leadership and local advocacy in communities across Oregon.

Please share more about your thoughts on tenants’ right to collectively bargain.

Durrell Javon Kinsey Bey (Mayor): Every renter deserves a voice, and the relationship between renters and their representatives must be equitable for real success. Additionally, there should be a safety net if large businesses choose to leave the city, fostering a connected approach to social equity and prosperity. I believe that implementing a framework for collective bargaining could transform renter-landlord dynamics, and if elected, I will champion this change. Regardless of the outcome, I remain committed to supporting efforts to reimagine these relationships.

Mingus Mapps (Mayor): I am open to considering the idea of tenants having the right to collectively bargain their leases and rents, but I believe we need to explore this concept further. While there are some examples internationally, and limited cases of tenant associations in cities like New York organizing around rent issues, I haven’t seen many formal examples of collective bargaining for rents in American cities.

If elected, I would work with tenant advocates, legal experts, and housing stakeholders to explore the feasibility of this idea and see how we might make it a viable option for Portland renters.

Sharon Nasset (Mayor): Private people who own a few monitor themselves. Large rental companies that are focus only on profit must have additional collectives to keep a balance and not let them control a large part of the market and drive price up and then others follow. I still believe flooding the market with alternative to "apartment" complexes provide a less stressful living space.

Martin Ward (Mayor): Government ownership.

Candace Avalos (D1): I see collective bargaining as a necessary first step that can lead to longer-term solutions like collective ownership. I am interested in tenant opportunity to purchase policies. I know that in D.C., what made their tenant opportunity to purchase policy work was the funding that the city provided to low-income tenants for the down payment they need to buy their building. I welcome the opportunity to work with tenants’ rights organizations on collective bargaining and collective ownership.

Doug Clove (D1): I’m always in support of the people’s right to collectively bargain, in any sense.

Jamie Dunphy (D1): I am in favor of collective bargaining in almost any context in order to empower people against economic markets that are designed to exploit them.

Timur Ender (D1): If collective bargaining allows tenants to avail themselves to safe and healthy living arrangements in a cost effective manner where other government protections have fallen short or been unenforced I am open to having this be a tool that is available to achieve those policy goals.

David Linn (D1): As a community organizer and former union steward, I know the power and leverage of collective action. I also know that there are people who must rely on others to advocate for them and we can do that together as a group. I support recognized tenant groups as long as there are safeguards against any fraud or abuse.

Chris Olson (D2): I fully support tenants’ right to collectively bargain. As I outlined above, implementing laws both strengthening and protecting tenant unions is one of the key ways we can balance power between landlords and tenants in this city. Without tenant unions, the fight for affordable housing and good living conditions will be lost.

Jennifer Park (D2): Yes, just like a labor union, a tenants union allows the community that holds less power to pool their collective influence, balancing the scales. It is a critical movement in ensuring the safety and the success of fighting against bad -- or worse, abusive -- actors in property management and ownership.

Nat West (D2): This is the kind of market-driven action that I will encourage.

Chris Flanary (D3): As a union officer, I believe in the power of collective bargaining. Whether you’re an employee, a contractor, or a tenant, the cards are stacked against you if you’re an individual who has competing interests with a company. Collective action is the best way to level the playing field and build power.

Patrick Hilton (D3): The reason I live affordably is because I have a fair, ethical, local landlord. We wouldn't want to drive small local landlords from the business and only be left only with large corporate landlords. I lived in a large, corporate apartment complex once and I would like to keep it that way.

Tiffany Koyama Lane (D3): As a rank and file union member I always support the rights of people to collectively bargain! I come from an organizing background, and I view organizing as one of the most important tools we have to make change. I had not thought about it in this context but it makes sense and would be a way to build strong communities as well create more fair conditions for renters.

Angelita Morillo (D3): Collective bargaining is one of the most important rights that we have and has shown its ability to make a momentous difference in the labor sphere. By protecting the rights of tenants to do the same, we can start to take power back from landlords and developers and create real change in the housing sphere.

Cristal Azul Otero (D3): I strongly support tenants' right to collectively bargain because it gives renters a stronger voice in shaping the policies and decisions that directly impact their living conditions. Collective bargaining empowers tenants to negotiate for fair rent, timely repairs, and improved living conditions, which can be particularly important in affordable housing units where tenants often feel powerless against large property management companies or unresponsive landlords.

Theo Hathaway Saner (D3): Tenants’ right to collectively bargain is essential to leveling the playing field between landlords and renters. Collective bargaining empowers tenants to negotiate for better living conditions, rent terms, and protections, ensuring their voices are heard. I support enshrining this right into law to provide tenants with more control over their housing situations.

Olivia Clark (D4): I need to learn more about this idea.

Mitch Green (D4): The starting position for any analysis of markets must identify economic power: who has it, how did they get and what are the consequences of it? The boss in the labor market and landlord in the housing market are the agents with economic power. In the case of the labor market, it's labor unions acting collectively that creates countervailing power against the boss and and the same is true for the landlord tenant relationship. The case of Woodspring in Tigard is instructive in this regard.

Chad Lykins (D4): With private equity controlling an increasingly large section of the rental market, renters are at an overwhelming disadvantage and risk eviction if they use their voice. Some sort of collective entity can allow them to advocate with less personal risk.

Andra Vltavín (D4): This would be like a tenants' union, which I think would be very powerful and motivating in all the right ways.

Shannon Singleton (Mult Co D2): I don’t know much about this concept but am intrigued and look forward to learning more.

Please share more about your thoughts on Renter’s Bill of Rights. What are two or three policies that you are particularly passionate about?

Durrell Javon Kinsey Bey (Mayor): The renter-landlord relationship should be based on mutual agreement, but it often becomes predatory, with many abuses occurring. Landlords must recognize their responsibility in providing a service to the public. Currently, the contract feels one-sided, full of legal loopholes that exploit vulnerable tenants.

To address these issues, I propose the following policies:

1. Right to Counsel: Include legal counsel services in the down payment for first and last month’s rent, ensuring tenants have support in eviction court.

2. Statewide Rent Control: Advocate for local rent control throughout Oregon, creating a scalable model that could be replicated nationally, especially in light of foreign entities owning property in Portland.

3. Link Rent to Minimum Wage: Ensure that all full-time workers can afford a one-bedroom apartment with no more than 30% of their income. This can be achieved through developing ecological living spaces, such as food forests, and promoting economic and workforce development to empower communities.

Mingus Mapps (Mayor): I believe the Renter’s Bill of Rights reflects many important protections that can help ensure housing stability and affordability for Portland’s renters. While I don’t sign pledges, I support the underlying goals of many of these policies. There are two elements of the Renter’s Bill of Rights that particularly stand out to me:

1. Establishing a Right to Counsel in Eviction Court

2. Requiring Code Violations to Be Resolved Before Rent Increases

These policies are important because they address the power imbalance between landlords and tenants, helping to ensure that Portlanders have access to safe, stable, and affordable housing.

Sharon Nasset (Mayor): 4.-5 displacement and a balance with the owner who has bills, fund may need to be established to keep everyone whole

Martin Ward (Mayor): 1. Government owned apartments 2. Government owned mobile home lots 3. Potentially government owned condos.

Candace Avalos (D1): I support most of the policies in the Renter’s Bill of Rights. I haven’t signed it because some of the policies are not within the jurisdiction of the City, and while I will work with the State and other jurisdictions to achieve these outcomes, I only want to commit to promises I know I can keep. I also want to make sure the Bill of Rights has been fully vetted by our most marginalized community members and the organizations that represent them, so we make sure their needs are addressed. That said, some of the policies I am particularly passionate about are:

2. Mandate relocation assistance when rent increases more than 5%: Relocation costs are a small price for landlords to pay when they’re raising the rent beyond what their tenants can afford.

Doug Clove (D1): I’m on board with pretty much all of the Renter’s Bill of Rights. I just feel like we should differentiate between small-time landlords who might have a house or an accessory dwelling unit and the big companies that own tons of large properties with many units. I totally support holding those big players accountable when they mistreat their tenants.

Jamie Dunphy (D1): If you care about something, call it by it’s name and pay someone to work on that issue. Renters deserve rights around notification times for increases, ways to resolve conflict with your landlord, and protections for children and teachers. The government should care that people are able to afford rents in their cities for the wages that are being offered, otherwise economic imbalances will overwhelm the largely unregulated market.

Timur Ender (D1): I'm excited about regulations that would cap pet fees, laundry fees, and other excessive fees. I also support policies that tie rent increases to resolving city code violations.

David Linn (D1): For years I have advocated for local rent control and lifting the state preemption. High rent drives so many other issues and problems for families. We already have too many people living in their cars and suffering because they can't afford the rents in Portland. I am very passionate about fighting the exploitation of renters by for-profit corporations. I am also very supportive of eliminating various fees and deposits charged by landlords to get around rent increases. Deposits should be tied to actual charges and the landlord should be mandated to give the tenant information about what the law requires. There should be stiff penalties for landlords who violate those protections or are manipulative in communication with the tenants.

Chris Olson (D2): I was the first city council candidate to include a renters’ bill of rights in my platform, and I’m proud to be a day-one signer of the bill proposed by DSA. The three parts I’m particularly passionate about are:

- 5% annual rent increase limit before relocation assistance is required. Currently, landlords can raise rent by up to 10% without penalty, and many do so every year. This policy would provide much-needed relief for renters facing these unsustainable increases.

- Protections for families of students and teachers from eviction due to late rent during the school year. No child should have to worry about housing when they should be focused on their education. Housing instability disrupts learning and leads to poorer life outcomes. Extending these protections to teachers is not only humane but may also help make teaching a more stable and attractive profession, especially in light of the current teacher shortage.

- Capping excessive fees like pet rent, late fees, and laundry fees. These fees are often just another way for landlords to extract money from renters without contributing to property upkeep. Limiting these extortionate charges—like banning outrageous $300/month pet rents—is just common sense.

Jennifer Park (D2): As discussed above, #9, tying housing costs to minimum wage as a mechanism for ensuring everyone who works here can afford to live here.

Also as noted in a previous question, lobbying at the state level for Portland to have more flexibility around rent control in our area (#8).

Item #6, "require that code violations be resolved before rent can be increased" to me aligns valuably with the TPO, as a method protecting from coercion and constructive evictions.

I would very much like to see us find a path to capping or eliminating extraneous fees such as 'pet rent' and other excessive charges (#5).

Chris Flanary (D3): I would like to support it and I agree with it in spirit. It’s in line with my values. I don’t yet see how to turn it into successful policy, but I would like to get more concrete ideas about how to implement it.

Patrick Hilton (D3): I really like the 6 month notice of rent increase, capping limits on extra fees like "pet rent", and the requiring code violations to be taken care of before rent can increase.

Tiffany Koyama Lane (D3): As I mentioned above, ending school-year evictions for children with families for late rent, and preventing rent increases when there are outstanding code violations.

Angelita Morillo (D3): I am especially passionate about establishing a right to counsel in eviction court, legalizing local rent control statewide, and capping extra fees (e.g. pet fees, late fees, laundry fees, etc.).

Cristal Azul Otero (D3): I’m a strong advocate for a Renter’s Bill of Rights because it lays the foundation for fair and equitable treatment of tenants, particularly those who are often most vulnerable to exploitation in the housing market. There are three policies that I’m particularly passionate about:

1. Stronger Eviction Protections: Tenants should have the right to stay in their homes unless there’s a legitimate cause for eviction. Too many renters, especially those in District 3, live in fear of being displaced through no-cause evictions, even if they’ve always paid their rent on time. I believe we must strengthen protections against no-cause evictions, much like those established by Chloe Eudaly’s Relocation Assistance Ordinance, which provides financial compensation to renters facing eviction without cause. This ensures tenants have some financial recourse when they’re forced to leave their homes through no fault of their own.

2. Rent Stabilization and Affordability Guarantees: A key part of any Renter’s Bill of Rights must include rent stabilization to prevent rent from skyrocketing unpredictably, which is a huge problem in Portland. With nearly 16,000 households in District 3 severely rent-burdened, we need to keep rent increases manageable and predictable. This would help ensure that families are not constantly on the brink of displacement due to sudden and extreme rent hikes.

3. Right to Safe and Habitable Living Conditions: Every renter should have the right to live in a safe, habitable home. Far too many people are paying rent for housing that is unsafe or in disrepair, and they often feel powerless to demand improvements, fearing retaliation from landlords. We need stronger enforcement of housing standards and protections against retaliation for tenants who report unsafe conditions. This includes holding landlords accountable to provide prompt repairs and ensuring that affordable housing organizations are not exempt from these responsibilities.

These policies are essential to creating housing stability, preventing displacement, and ensuring that renters are treated with fairness and dignity in the housing market.

Theo Hathaway Saner (D3): I am passionate about including universal rent control and just cause eviction protections in a Renter’s Bill of Rights. Additionally, I support the right to legal representation for tenants facing eviction. These policies would create a more just and equitable housing system, providing tenants with the stability and protections they need to thrive.

Olivia Clark (D4): I need to learn more about it.

Mitch Green (D4): I am particularly passionate about the pledge driving candidates elected to office to fight for rent increase caps at 5%, because it is a statement that we do not need to accept that the best we can get is a world in which the distributional costs of inflation are pushed onto tenants and those with the least amount of economic power. That will be a difficult fight but it's worth having and getting creative in how we do it.

Additionally, I like the explicit mention of capping fees like "pet rent." My cat only has one job and it's to jump on my keyboard when I'm trying type, and he doesn't get paid for this work.

Chad Lykins (D4): I really like many of the ideas in the Renter's Bill of Rights. #4 re: no evictions during extreme weather is probably my favorite. I am also on record, here and elsewhere, in favor of removing the state preemption on local rent control (#8). I worry about the unintended consequences of some of the other provisions.

Andra Vltavín (D4): I am all for it. I am very in favor of rent control, ban on evictions during extenuating circumstances, and limits on rent increases (with six-month notice).

Shannon Singleton (Mult Co D2): I have concerns about #10– “Link rent to the minimum wage such that all full-time workers can afford a 1-bedroom apartment with no more than 30% of their income” for a couple of reasons. When we explored similar policy while I worked at the state, attorneys came to the legal opinion that this would likely constitute a “taking” and, in effect, the government would need to subsidize the remaining rent that the landlord could collect at market rate. I’d want updated information to understand what it would take to get this done and if a better path is social housing. I also see challenges with this in respect to families. Limiting to a 1-bedroom leaves out whole communities, particularly Black and brown communities that often have a single income to support the whole family. This could exacerbate the already existing deficit we have in family sized units in the Portland Metro Region. I support everything else in the renters bill of rights.

How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

Durrell Javon Kinsey Bey (Mayor): To ensure that policies impacting tenants meaningfully include those affected and reflect their diversity, I would advocate for targeted protections for specific groups, including disabled individuals, veterans, single parents, and college students.

1. Engagement and Representation: I would prioritize engaging with these communities to understand their unique challenges and needs. This could involve hosting regular town hall meetings, focus groups, and surveys to gather input directly from renters.

2. Tailored Protections: Policies should specifically address the vulnerabilities of these groups. For example, creating safeguards for disabled renters to ensure reasonable accommodations and support services, as well as establishing flexible payment options for single parents and students who may face fluctuating incomes.

3. Access to Resources: I would work to ensure that all available resources—such as legal aid, financial assistance, and housing services—are easily accessible to these groups. This might include simplifying application processes, providing multilingual support, and promoting awareness of available services.

4. Integrated Services: It’s important to foster a holistic approach that integrates all services aimed at supporting these populations.

Mingus Mapps (Mayor): To create policies that truly support and protect renters, we must center the voices of those most directly impacted by housing instability. I believe that inclusive, equitable policymaking means bringing tenants to the table from the very beginning and ensuring their experiences shape the solutions we pursue. Here’s how I would approach this:

1. Prioritize Outreach and Community Engagement

2. Use Data to Inform Equitable Policies

By prioritizing diverse perspectives through outreach and grounding policies in data, we can build a housing system that truly reflects the needs of all Portlanders.

Sharon Nasset (Mayor): I am all about Environmental Justice with meetings, education and helping set-up alternative housing and working or getting state and federal funding to construct the housing additions and seeking HUD and other housing funds to cover the rent that currently go to apartments to be used boarding and rooming houses

Martin Ward (Mayor): By bringing prices down.

Candace Avalos (D1): I have a strong track record of building and strengthening relationships with these communities, and I have been this person until recently. I intend to continue working with these communities once I’m on City Council. I’ve served on the boards of the Coalition of Communities of Color, Street Roots, and Portland: Neighbors Welcome. I currently serve as the executive director of Verde, where I work in coalition with Living Cully. I build community with everyday Portlanders like my neighbors and people I meet in our parks and public spaces. When I’m in office, I’ll carry these relationships with me and build new ones.

Doug Clove (D1): I would implement policies that affect all tenants, regardless of how diverse they are. When it comes to the diversity of tenants, it’s the tenants that are lower income that need to be protected.

Jamie Dunphy (D1): This requires diligence and trust and building relationships directly with elected officials, especially with the new form of district representation coming to the Portland City Council. Additionally, I would support ensuring a dedicated seat at the table for renters on oversight bodies related to bonds, public policy, or investments made by Portland Housing Bureau and Prosper Portland.

Timur Ender (D1): I am committed to uplifting the voices of tenants and moving forward specific policies that materially improve the lives of renters. I will champion efforts to hold focus groups where renters have the ability to provide input on city policies in a safe, confidential, and empowering setting. I would ensure tenants are compensated for their time providing input to the city and that barriers to participation, such as childcare, are addressed.

Additionally, when appointing people to boards and commissions the city has, whether it relates to parks, housing, or transportation, I will always seek to bring the perspective of renters.

Also, if code violations are reported, I will work to ensure those are investigated quickly so that residents have access to safe, healthy, and habitable housing

David Linn (D1): I have spent over 20 years in community organizing and the various ways in which the Portland City government listens to some voices and not others. East Portland has been ignored for decades and we will ensure that we bring the community to city hall with us. That means making sure that each and every policy making body that involves housing or development includes specific seats for Portlanders who rent their home. We must ensure that those people come from all parts of our district and reflect the diversity of the community. We need to decentralize city offices and create more opportunities where Portland government is out in the community meeting people where they are.

Chris Olson (D2): First, I would like to establish a tenant advisory board for the city comprised of renters from various backgrounds and communities, which would allow for a direct line of communication between renters and policymakers and ensure that tenant voices are heard when making housing policies. Second, supporting and legally recognizing tenant unions is a good way to empower them to advocate for their rights, negotiate with landlords, and organize collective action. Through this self-determination, we ensure that their concerns and desires actually affect the housing landscape without being watered down through bureaucracy. Finally, I would regularly consult with renters in policy development, holding public hearings and community meetings specifically for tenants. This way, in addition to the advisory board, we can make the policy-making process accessible to those who are most affected, including low-income renters, people of color, families, and seniors.

Jennifer Park (D2): Equitable and effective community engagement is an underpinning of my campaign. I want to see our city council ensure the community is making the decisions that impact their lives. Our councilors are the leaders elected to *represent* our interests, they need to make the space for the community to participate in the process.

Nat West (D2): When appointing individuals to the city's boards and commissions, whether they focus on parks, housing, or transportation, I will prioritize including the voices of renters. Renters bring valuable perspectives and lived experiences that are often overlooked in decision-making processes. Ensuring their representation will help shape policies that address the realities and challenges faced by a significant portion of our community. By actively seeking out and appointing renters, we can create more balanced and inclusive policies that truly serve the needs of all Portland residents.

Chris Flanary (D3): When the City is making policy decisions, there is generally a body of citizens lending their perspective and expertise. I believe deeply in the idea of “nothing about us without us” and would want those impacted most to have a seat at the table.

Patrick Hilton (D3): I think the best way is to have outreach to let tenants know the rights that they have. I think that it would be great if when you sign a lease it is required that the tenant gets a copy of the policies of the city that involve renters rights and where they can get help if an issue arises.

Tiffany Koyama Lane (D3): I will work to make sure that we bring tenants and impacted renters from diverse backgrounds to the table when discussing these policies! I’ll use my background as the lead external organizer of my union to make sure that we are reaching out and engaging the community meaningfully, asking "Who is in the room? Who is not?" and making it my job to meet them where they are.

Angelita Morillo (D3): As someone who has had their rent illegally raised and has been evicted because of my race, I know that renters who are members of marginalized communities face added difficulties in finding and keeping housing. Ensuring that city policies on renters' rights and tenant protections are constructed in tandem with renters from across the city that represent diverse groups will be the best way to ensure that the policies we implement will have the best possible impact. "Nothing about us without us" is my guiding principle in this and in all other situations involving policy impacting specific groups--everything meant to help and serve these groups needs to be led by them.

Cristal Azul Otero (D3): To ensure that policies and processes affecting tenants meaningfully include impacted renters and reflect their diversity, we need to embed tenant voices directly into housing decisions, both through formal structures and equitable practices.

1. Dedicate 5% of New Developments for Tenant-Led Councils: A key initiative I would champion is dedicating 5% of all new developments in every neighborhood for tenant representation in decision-making. This means reserving 5% of housing in new projects for tenants who serve on local tenant councils, ensuring they have a direct say in how developments affect their communities. These councils would review new housing proposals, advocate for tenant protections, and work to ensure that developments are aligned with the needs of diverse renters in the area. By embedding this representation directly into the housing process, we create a built-in mechanism for ongoing tenant influence.

2. Build Inclusive and Accessible Engagement Processes: It’s essential that engagement processes include renters from all backgrounds, including low-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities. This means creating accessible, inclusive spaces for feedback, like offering virtual and in-person meetings in multiple languages and removing barriers such as transportation or childcare. To truly reflect the diversity of our city’s renters, we need to hold these meetings in community hubs that people trust, such as local nonprofits and tenant advocacy organizations.

3. Prioritize Equity in Policy Development: We must approach every housing policy decision with a racial and economic equity lens. By actively analyzing how new policies impact marginalized communities, we can ensure that tenants most at risk of displacement—such as low-income renters, communities of color, and seniors—are protected. This includes collecting data on the impact of policies and adjusting them when they disproportionately harm certain groups. Continuous evaluation and tenant feedback will be central to making sure policies remain equitable.

Theo Hathaway Saner (D3): I would create advisory councils made up of tenants from diverse backgrounds to ensure their voices are included in policymaking. It’s essential that we hold community meetings in accessible locations and languages, and create feedback loops where impacted renters can engage directly with policymakers. I also support funding tenant organizing efforts to empower residents to advocate for their own needs.

Olivia Clark (D4): Have an open door to listen and learn.

Mitch Green (D4): My approach to policy development is to invite into the process from inception the active participation of labor, climate, student and tenant movements. If we wait until late in the development cycle, we miss the opportunity to craft policy that reflect their interests.

Chad Lykins (D4): I'd start by listening to organizations like PTU and CAT - you all have ears to the ground on this. I want to know more about the required composition of the Rental Services Commission and make sure there are good conduits from there to the Council.

Andra Vltavín (D4): We, as city councilors, need to be reaching out to the impacted communities directly to hear what they think. My suggestion would be to focus on NGOs and nonprofits that are led by and serve diverse communities.

Shannon Singleton (Mult Co D2): I subscribe to the philosophy of “nothing about us, without us.” To meaningfully include any impacted party, engagement needs to happen early in a process. Too often advocates and coalitions are brought in on the back-end of policy-making, making engagement almost meaningless, and resulting in policies that miss the mark. That is not who I am. I will be a commissioner who seeks, not just engagement, but authentic relationships, so that I can learn and shepherd the best legislation to serve the people.

Are there other ways, besides those you have already mentioned, that you will champion housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement?

Durrell Javon Kinsey Bey (Mayor): Yes, in addition to the previously mentioned initiatives, I will champion housing affordability by advocating for:

1. Incentives for Affordable Housing Development: Offering tax breaks or grants to developers who create affordable housing units to increase supply.

2. Community Land Trusts: Supporting the establishment of community land trusts to keep housing affordable and prevent displacement by allowing communities to own and manage land collectively.

3. Tenant Education Programs: Implementing educational programs to inform tenants about their rights and resources available to them, empowering them to advocate for themselves.

4. Strengthening Anti-Displacement Measures: Advocating for policies that protect long-term residents from being pushed out due to rising rents or development, such as relocation assistance and enhanced tenant protections during redevelopment.

These actions will help create a more equitable housing landscape, expand tenant rights, and combat displacement effectively.

Mingus Mapps (Mayor): In addition to the policies I’ve already mentioned, I would champion several other initiatives to ensure that housing remains affordable, tenants are protected, and Portlanders are not displaced from their homes:

1. Support Community Land Trusts and Cooperative Housing Models

2. Increase Rental Assistance Programs

3. Incentivize Affordable Housing Development with Targeted Policies

Sharon Nasset (Mayor): I do not support large housing project using commercial properties that can be economic anchors for a community. When those building can be medical, or other offices bring clients into the community to spend money. New construction cost the most, individual electric, takes tax money from vital service and the high rent and utility causes a need for more vital service.... One house one utility cheaper and more environmentally friendly

Martin Ward (Mayor): New homeless shelters. Lower property tax. I have more extreme solutions to bring the cost of houses down that I will have on my website www.martinward4mayor.com at some point.

Candace Avalos (D1): Please see my full platform at candaceforportland.com/priorities.

Doug Clove (D1): I think I’ve addressed plenty, but I’m always open to new ideas. After all, I work for those tenants, and not the corporations who spend their money buying politicians like most of my opponents.

Jamie Dunphy (D1): No

Timur Ender (D1): I am proud to be a pro-housing candidate who will fight to unlock housing opportunities by legalizing missing middle housing, increasing the supply of housing, streamlining permitting, and increasing height limits so more people can continue to afford to live in Portland. I’m proud to support Portland: Neighbors Welcome “Inner Eastside for All” campaign which seeks to increase density in inner Portland in areas well served by transit, high tree canopy, and have a low displacement risk.

-including community based organizations in the planning stages of infrastructure projects so that needs, concerns, and possible solutions can be brought to light early in the process.

-project labor agreements which help ensure people of color are included in the workforce and that the people building infrastructure in our neighborhoods reflect the diversity of East Portland.

-a commitment to local hiring so that people living along the corridor are prioritized for employment opportunities in their neighborhoods.

-aligning zoning policies to mitigate displacement. I’m a proud supporter of Portland: Neighbor’s Welcome “Inner Eastside for All” campaign which seeks to increase housing opportunity between Fremont, 60th, Powell, and 12th- an area well served by transit, tree canopy, and has low displacement risk. Policies such as this make a difference because they increase the overall supply of housing and reduce the displacement pressure that East Portland faces.

-Ensure Prosper Portland’s tax increment financing proposal for East Portland works to support community goals around preventing displacement.

-Incorporate public art that is reflective of the culture of 82nd Avenue.

In short, residents must see that these infrastructure projects are for them. The best way to do this is to ensure it meets their needs by stabilizing their community, providing job opportunities, and seeing themselves reflected in the infrastructure that is being built.

David Linn (D1): I have been very involved with the proposed Tax Increment Finance (TIF) districts being proposed in East Portland, Parkrose, and along 82nd Ave. We have organized with other residents to push Prosper Portland to include more community priorities and more community voices in the decision making. Many East Portland residents have already been displaced from other urban renewal projects and don't want to be priced out of here. They should use all the leverage of local dollars to protect our low-income and vulnerable populations. We are fighting against their habit for squandering vital public dollars to subsidize profit making enterprises.

Chris Olson (D2): I think that’s everything!

Jennifer Park (D2): I am a proponent of implementing a vacancy tax to reduce the ways in which housing and commercial vacancies negatively impact our markets. This, like all of the policies discussed here, must be implemented in a very intentional way so as to not mistakenly burden our vulnerable and underserved communities. As an example, I would begin by targeting multi-unit buildings and commercial spaces with over a reasonable percentage of vacancy rates, and property owners keeping affordable inclusionary units offline.

Nat West (D2): I am proud to have the endorsement of Portland Neighbors Welcome and HOME PAC.

Chris Flanary (D3): One of the issues for developers is that Portlanders don’t make enough money for them to charge the rents they need to make their projects worth their investment. This is why living wages are essential — they would not only benefit Portlanders, but could tip the scales on housing development. That’s one reason living wages is the cornerstone of my policy priorities.

I would put forward the data driven policies that the City has already committed to in the 2035 Comprehensive Plan and look for more anti-displacement strategies.

Patrick Hilton (D3): Yes. Fighting displacement and moving policies forward that lead to workforce housing ownership are my main passion. I want to work with owners of under-used strip malls and commercial buildings to work jointly with local and state government to create walkable, beautiful places where a housing unit can be affordably bought. I think land trusts can also be created in order to provide ownership housing to lower income families. I also think there should be some kind of time equity program where renters in Portland can earn equity points each month that can accrue and be used for down payments on mortgages or down payments for their next apartment. As a renter myself I know how precarious the situation is and I will focus on creating more stability for renters in our city.

Tiffany Koyama Lane (D3): One thing I think a lot about is the lack of strong standards around wages for providers receiving public dollars from JOHS, Measure 110, and HB4002. While the latter are routed through the County, the City has a big role in determining how our public dollars are spent on homelessness, and right now we have a workforce crisis–people who are doing the critical and very challenging work of connecting people with housing are often in situations where they are needing to work two jobs. We have burnout and high turnover, and this affects the general livability of the city. I want to fund a workforce that can tackle these challenges with the energy required and with the support these essential workers deserve.

Angelita Morillo (D3): I have championed renters' rights my whole career, and, if elected, would be proud to continue doing so on City Council as one of the only renters to have the opportunity to serve.

Cristal Azul Otero (D3): Yes, beyond the initiatives I’ve already mentioned, a key strategy I will champion to address housing affordability, expand tenant rights, and fight displacement is building coalitions on City Council. Collaboration is essential to achieving lasting change, and my experience working in regional coordination at the Joint Office of Homeless Services has prepared me to bring together different perspectives to find common ground.

Theo Hathaway Saner (D3): In addition to tenant protections, I will advocate for community-driven development that prioritizes affordable housing, invest in public housing, and push for tax incentives for landlords who offer below-market rents. I will also work to protect existing affordable housing from being converted into market-rate units and promote cooperative housing models that give tenants collective ownership.

Olivia Clark (D4): I began my career as a housing advocate and achieved legislative results to broaden the state’s role in housing. I also co-founded a non-profit to build farmworker & affordable housing (CASA). I am open to learning from current advocacy organizations on ways to address these issues.

Mitch Green (D4): I briefly mentioned social housing, but it's worth emphasizing that if we do mixed-income public development we can directly create affordable housing at all income levels and keep that housing outside of the market.

Chad Lykins (D4): With respect to fighting displacement, I support policies that support folks (and especially Black folks) who were displaced from N/NE Portland in returning to those neighborhoods.

Andra Vltavín (D4): I'd like to limit AirBnBs in the city such that there are more opportunities for permanent tenants.

Shannon Singleton (Mult Co D2): Beyond what I have shared, I will be eager to learn more from my colleagues on the Board and also from staff at Multnomah County about where they see opportunities for the County to lead. As compared with local municipalities which occupy most of the residential land in Multnomah County, the County has relatively limited direct authority in these matters. So it will be as a community leader and using the bully pulpit where I think we can be most effective. I am always happy to lead the charge, but I know I am far more effective when we act as a coalition. This is one of the many areas I am hoping to shift on the Board when I win my seat.

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Leeor Schweitzer published this page in PTU's work 2024-08-15 16:35:59 -0700