Housing Instability and Houselessness are created due to policy choices.  We cannot solve the issue of Housing Insecurity at the same level it was created.  We must find new ways of protecting our citizens and keeping them housed while respecting the investment that landlords make in our community. 45.48% of households were renters according to Census ACS data in the year of 2019. 

Without immediate intervention, our community will continue to suffer from housing instability leading to increases in the number of unhoused persons in the community at a large financial cost and emotional toll to our community. The end result could be a workforce that either reclocates causing a "brain drain" and loss of service workers and increased carbon emissions as residents of the county relocate to areas further away from the core and commute.  We must act swiftly to avoid the continued destabilization of Multnomah County residents and workforce.

 

This thoughtful approach begins to chip away at one of  the root causes of housing insecurity, rapidly increasing rents, without placing the economic burden on any one group.  Individuals, landlords and government all play a role in helping to alleviate our current housing crisis. The stabilization of the Multnomah County housing market will decrease the number of people that become unhoused each year due to rising rent and increase the opportunity for a balanced workforce to live work and play here. This includes the opportunity for our much needed first responders, teachers, day care workers, nurses CNA's and service workers to live within the county they serve.  This is an important step in changing the housing market for the better.

Leasing Rights and Responsibilities in Multnomah County- Proposal R.A. Dixon

Multnomah County should require that each prospective tenant be offered a TWO YEAR LEASE by the prospective Landlord. The prospective tenant may decline the term if desired by signing a statement waiving the right to enter into a 2 year lease agreement.  At each subsequent offering i.e. lease renewal, the same requirements must be met.  A 2 year lease must be offered by the Landlord and either accepted or declined in writing by the tenant In the absence of any reasonable, discernible cause for the Landlord to not make the unit available for 2 years.

If the Landlord is not able to offer a 2 year lease to the tenant for any reasonable legal reason, the Landlord shall provide a statement to the prospective tenant stating why the unit is not available for the entire 2 year period.  This statement must be be provided to the prospective tenant in written form at least 72 hours before the signing of any lease. The landlord and tenant may enter into any agreement with less than a 2 year offering with a signed statement stating that the tenant was provided with a reasonable, legal reason the unit was not available and that the tenant found this acceptable. 

 

REASONING

Short term leases of 1 year or less have a destabilizing effect on the entire rental market making it more likely that a tenant and family may become unhoused due to rising rents and lack of housing availability.

Short term leases causes disruption in not only tenants housing but cause disruptions in work, transportation and create addition stressors for family life. 

Tenants may enter into leases for shorter terms of 1 year, expecting to have the possibility of having the term extended which may not align with the landlords undisclosed plans.

Tenants may be forced to come up with large amounts of money to enter into new lease agreements when relocating causing additional financial strain in a housing crisis. 

Tenants may be forced to move when the cost of the unit increases at the end each term creating increased risk for the tenant to become unhoused or rent burdened.

Tenants who have deposits from ending leasing may not have deposits returned in  a timely fashion to be able utilize funds for securing new living situations potentially leaving them unable to obtain housing.

Tenants, especially those on fixed income as SSI, Social Security Disability and tate benefits and retirees  are adversely affected.  They do not receive large yearly increases but must often continue to live in the county due to their reliance on care of local family members for their wellbeing.

Tenants, include minors  occupants who must face additional challenges of transferring schools causing loss of learning with mid year school transfers.

Schools face hurdles of integrating children into classroom after staffing plans have already been made for the school year.  This may result in classroom being larger or smaller than planned and giving School systems and educators increased difficulties in managing educational resources.  It isn't either or, under our current economic system, it must be "and".  As in how do we protect the wellbeing of our citizens and our community by creating a stable housing market in which renters are valued as part of what allows our community to grow.  

Landlords incur additional expenses with the frequent turnover of properties including repairs and general cleaning and restoration of paint, carpet and flooring that must be passed on to tenants or incur loses.

 

In closing, we affirm the right to live in a community that recognizes stable  housing as a critical part of the infrastructure of our county and at the core of achieving a healthy thriving community.  Housing is a human right.

Both, the Multnomah County Joint Office of Houseless Service  and it's Director Shannon Singleton, 

The entire body of the Multnomah County Commissioners:

Multnomah County Chair

Deborah Kafoury

District 1 Commissioner

Sharon Meieran

District 2 Commissioner

Susheela Jayapal

District 3 Commissioner

Jessica Vega Pederson

District 4 Commissioner

Lori Stegmann

The Mayor of Portland, Ted Wheeler and the entire Portland City Council have the opportunity to make changes. They must act now in the best interest of our community to make Multnomah County an equitable place to live and thrive.

 

Respectfully Submitted, 

Rachelle Dixon