Tom Sollitt's Questionnaire Answers

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Running for Portland City Council District 3

Question 1: In your view, what are the primary causes of the housing crisis?

Portland hasn't built enough housing to keep up with our needs, especially housing that working people and lower-income families can actually afford. Rents have risen beyond what many people can reasonably pay, and too many Portlanders are one rent increase or unexpected expense away from losing their homes.

Building more housing alone won't solve the crisis. We also need to protect the affordable housing we already have, build more publicly supported and deeply affordable homes, and strengthen tenant protections so people aren't constantly at risk of displacement. We need to make sure Portland is a place where people at every income level can afford to live, put down roots, and stay in their communities.

Question 2: What are the main policies that you would champion to address the current housing crisis?

I would champion four main priorities to address Portland's housing crisis.

First, I would push to overturn Oregon's state preemption on local rent control so Portland can set a lower, more reasonable cap on annual rent increases and give tenants greater stability.

Second, I would work to lower Portland's renter relocation assistance threshold from a 10% rent increase to 5%. Tenants shouldn't have to wait until an increase reaches an even higher threshold before receiving support when they're priced out of their homes.

Third, we need to make it easier to build more housing. I support the design review reforms advanced by Councilors Morillo and Zimmerman to reduce unnecessary delays and barriers for housing projects. I would push for clear timelines, better coordination, and transparent tracking of whether these changes are actually helping get homes built without sacrificing meaningful public accountability.

Finally, I want to keep working with residents, neighborhood groups, and developers on the Inner Eastside planning process. There has been significant outreach, but concerns and gaps in understanding remain. I'd help create a clear process for documenting those concerns, getting answers from the right city bureaus, and addressing infrastructure and implementation challenges as the area accommodates more housing.

We need to protect tenants from displacement while building enough housing to meet Portland's needs. I'll focus on policies with clear goals, transparent implementation, and measurable results.

Question 3: Provide an explanation of your work around the policies listed above, and why you believe they are important?

I believe local rent control is one of the most important tools we could have to keep housing affordable and give renters stability. Oregon law currently limits Portland's ability to establish its own rent-increase limits, and I would advocate for changing that so our city can respond to local needs.

I also support lowering Portland's renter relocation assistance threshold from a 10% rent increase to 5%. Oregon housing data has shown that rent increases can substantially outpace income growth, particularly for renters during periods of rapid inflation. Tenants shouldn't have to wait until a large increase puts their housing stability at risk before receiving meaningful support.

My work has focused on community engagement and understanding how city decisions affect people. I invited Eviction Representation for All to a community visioning event I hosted around the transfer of 82nd Avenue to the City to help address displacement concerns. I've also attended a Neighbors Welcome presentation on the Inner Eastside for All project and followed up with city staff to better understand the plan and community concerns.

These experiences reinforce my belief that tenant protections and housing production must move forward together. As a councilor, I would work with tenants, advocates, housing providers, and legal experts to pursue stronger protections and measure whether our policies help people remain in their homes.

Question 4: Do you rent or own your residence?

Own

Question 5: If you own, when were you last a renter?

2017

Question 6: In PTU’s most recent survey of tenants, harassment of tenants by landlords was one of the top issues faced by Portland tenants. What would you do to address harassment of tenants by landlords?

I would support passing Portland's Tenant Protection Ordinance and ensuring it has the enforcement resources to make its protections meaningful. Tenants shouldn't have to endure intimidation, repeated unwanted entry, threats, neglected repairs, or other bad-faith behavior just to stay in their homes.

We need a well-resourced Rental Services Office that can investigate complaints, track repeat violations, and hold landlords accountable. Tenants also need clear information about their rights and access to legal assistance so they can speak up without fear of retaliation. I would push for transparent reporting on complaints, resolution times, and enforcement outcomes so we can see whether the system is actually working.

PTU's renter survey found that landlord-tenant problems often go unresolved. We should take that seriously. Protections mean little if tenants cannot access them or if violations have no consequences. My goal would be to make it easier for renters to get help, hold bad-faith actors accountable, and prevent harassment from becoming a pathway to displacement.

Question 7: If elected, would you advocate to overturn the State of Oregon's preemption preventing municipalities from implementing local rent control, and work towards local rent control with a lower annual increase cap?

Yes

Question 8: Please share more about your thoughts on rent control.

Rent control is one of the most important tools we have to keep people in their homes. When rents rise faster than incomes, people are forced out of their communities. I would advocate for overturning Oregon's preemption so Portland can establish its own, lower annual rent-increase cap. Rent control isn't a substitute for building more housing, but we shouldn't force tenants to wait for new housing to be built while they're being priced out today.

Question 9: If elected, would you support the right of tenants to collectively bargain their leases?

Yes

Question 10: Please share more about your thoughts on tenants' right to collectively bargain.

Tenants should be able to organize and negotiate together with their landlords. One renter on their own has very little leverage, but a whole building speaking together is harder to ignore. I support giving tenants legal protections to organize without fear of retaliation and a real seat at the table when decisions affect their rents, fees, repairs, and living conditions.

Question 11: 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

Question 12: 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 haven't signed the pledge because I've committed not to sign policy pledges or receive endorsements from organizations that work to influence or inform policy, but I support evaluating its proposals on their merits. Three priorities for me are lowering the rent-increase threshold for relocation assistance to 5%, ensuring tenants have access to legal representation in eviction proceedings, and requiring more advance notice of rent increases. Renters need time to plan, a fair chance to defend their homes, and protections that reflect the financial reality they face. I'd focus on policies that provide real stability and measure whether they're reducing displacement.

Question 13: How would you ensure that policies and processes which affect tenants meaningfully include impacted renters, and reflect the diversity of the tenants affected?

I believe renters need to be involved in decisions that affect their homes, and that means more than inviting people to a public meeting. This year, I helped a tenants union from the Yards whose residents many of which deal with mobility challenges had been dealing with a broken elevator for two and a half years. I helped connect residents with the Mayor's Office and bring attention to their concerns. That experience reinforced how difficult it can be for tenants to get the right people to listen and take responsibility.

As a councilor, I'd build on that work by making sure renters from different backgrounds, income levels, and living situations have a real opportunity to shape housing policy. That means working with tenant unions and community organizations, making participation accessible, and ensuring residents can get answers when they raise concerns. The people living with the consequences of a policy should help shape it, and they deserve to know what happens after they speak up.

Question 14: 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

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

I want to make sure the City's housing investments are actually preventing displacement, not just measuring how much money we've spent. I'd push for better tracking of affordable housing preservation, publicly funded housing projects, and displacement trends so we can identify gaps and direct resources where they're needed most.

I'd also work to preserve existing affordable housing before it disappears, strengthen coordination between city bureaus when tenants face serious problems, and make it easier for renters to navigate the services and protections already available to them. Too often, people are left trying to figure out which office can help while their housing situation gets worse.

We need to be proactive about displacement, not wait until people have lost their homes to respond. That means listening to affected communities, identifying problems early, and holding the City accountable for whether its policies are making housing more stable and affordable.