Secure Portland: Housing Our City

Our sense of personal and household security is contingent upon access to high quality, affordable housing. Yet here in Portland, the demand for housing consistently outstrips the available supply, and more than 44% of renters and 25% of homeowners experience housing cost burdens exceeding 30% of their household income (2015-2019 American Community Survey). As part of a strategy for addressing housing issues in the city, Portland’s Plan establishes a vision where all who work in Portland also have the option of living in Portland, and calls for the creation of 2,557 new dwelling units by 2027. The plan strongly encourages that a substantial portion of new units be affordable to Portland’s workforce, identifying a suite of new and existing regulatory tools to promote the creation of affordable housing. As we begin the work of ReCode Phase II, we are taking a look at our progress towards our housing goal and key characteristics of our new housing stock, with an eye towards better understanding how land use policy can shape current and future housing trends.