Candidate for Oregon Governor

Letter Grade: A

Overall Score: 67.7/72

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

rents that take 50%+ of incomes, single dwelling only zoning, little to no accountability of property management companies, little to no live where you work community structured housing built around public transit, too many living in credit card serfdom debtitude paying exorbitant interest without ever paying off principal living one financial disaster away from homelessness, low incomes (4.7/5)

2.) 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.

In my first 100 days, I will lower all rents at multi unit dwelling apartment property management companies state wide by $100 while the legislature and I work with realizing the eventual goal of 30% ratio of income to rent for those middle to low income (with much easier access less waiting times mandatory acceptance of all landlords to section 8 for low income). I will move background verification in house to be done by Oregon Housing and Community Services eliminating application fees as well as all non refundable fees be they administrative or housing related. Pets will live rent/fee free. 1st/Last months rents plus any security deposit will be calculated into rent over lease period for those who don’t/can’t afford $3K up front to move in. All expenses associated with moving due to no cause evictions will be paid solely by the landlord/property owner. All annual rental increases will be tied directly to tenants’ incomes and can be no more than 30% of tenants’ new incomes (years tenants see no rise in their incomes will be exempt from rent increases).

The measures that I will be taking are very important because they guarantee that people can actually afford to move in to their housing as well as keep their housing without the fear of losing it to arbitrary whims of their landlords or the economy. (5/5)

3.) Do you rent or own your residence? If you own your home, when were you a renter most recently?

Rent. (2/2)

4.) Are you currently a landlord? If so, in what capacity?

No. (2/2)

5.) 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?

ABSOLUTELY WITHIN MY FIRST 100 DAYS. (2/2)

6.) Portland’s relocation ordinance currently kicks in at a rent increase at 10% or above. Would you favor lowering the amount that triggers relocation payments if a rent increase forces tenants to move?

Yes (2/2)

7.) 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 (2/2)

8.) If you answered yes to #6 and #7, how would you champion or advocate for the changes needed? What are your priorities and timeline?

I will have the above mentioned measures introduced as bills in the state legislature and have them on my desk as bills to sign into law within my first 100 days. (3.7/5)

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

Yes (2/2)

10.) If elected, would you support a Right to Counsel (tenants in eviction courts are guaranteed legal counsel) and a funding mechanism to provide it?

As I will be adding the right to housing to the state constitution, I will absolutely guarantee that all tenants in eviction courts are guaranteed legal counsel paid for by the state. This will be funded with a new tax on mid to high income earning housing that refuse to allocate at least 10% of their units to low income tenants. Any/all in leu of fees already paid will be doubled as a very clear message needs to be sent affordable housing everywhere includes rich posh locations the wealthy must share. (2/2)

11.) If elected, would you ask Portland Tenants United to participate in any community engagement process that involves tenant law or housing justice issues? What other groups would you invite to the table?

YESSSS (2/2)

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

Every multi unit dwelling apartment complex needs to have a tenant advocacy committee consisting of tenants from the complex to have direct access to those in the company that set rents/rates. If the company refuses to work in good faith, tenants must be allowed to go on a rent strike while pursuing their grievances in the courts without the fear of losing their housing for standing up for their rights. (3.3/5)

13.) 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 (2/2)

14.) Landlords and lobbyists have often walked away from policy conversations when they feel that the status quo is threatened . How will you respond if landlords and lobbyists refuse to engage in good faith toward a tenant-friendly solution to a housing crisis problem?

To expand on my answer to question 12, I will ask the state legislature to give the governor emergency executive powers to allow tenants to stay in their housing rent free to force these bad faith/character landlords and lobbyists to the negotiating table/the courts to a tenant-friendly resolution. Housing is not a privilege. It is a right. Once these lobbyists and landlords know that there is a pro tenant governor in power we will change the discourse of this conversation from being all about them and their profits to not only housing Oregonians but keeping them housed affordably and reasonably. (4.7/5)

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

Within my first 100 days, I will raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. I will institute a living wage of $25 an hour on all companies reporting quarterly billion dollar profits. The more income people have the better housing they can afford with that many more options. Using eminent domain, I will seize abandoned properties and buildings giving them to organizations that can refurbish these into housing. I will make public transit fare free and operate 24/7 so we can develop within walking/transit distance communities that allow people to live and work relatively close to each other. (4.3/5)