There’s a lot of reason to celebrate this Independence Day. July Fourth is a time to look back on the founding of the United States and the documents that shape and control our democracy. We saw the system at its best during the last days of June: the Supreme Court ruled to uphold recent gains in health care access, obligations to create a housing market that is nondiscriminatory, and marriage equality.
I’ve had the opportunity to see democracy at work up close during the 2015 Oregon Legislative session, which is coming to an end July 11. It’s been a great session for housing. There has been visible and vocal advocacy from around the state, hard issues raised and more discussion of housing needs than I’ve ever seen. As all legislative sessions are, it has been messy, contentious and indirect. But we expect to see real progress toward creating housing opportunity when the dust clears — including new approaches, new funding sources, stronger policy and better oversight.
There’s also progress at the local level: new investments by Multnomah County, new investments by the city of Portland, as well as new policy tools and benchmarks. We’ve seen a redesign of the system to address the needs of folks who are homeless, with a new focus on doing things differently and reaching folks where they are. A new coalition effort is bringing energy and focus to the work, and elected officials are taking notice.
That’s all great news. But it isn’t enough. We have a long way to go before everyone in our community can declare freedom and independence.
Look closely around any community in Oregon and you’ll see evidence of a housing crisis of appalling scale. In Portland, my trip to work in the morning includes views of the new apartments in Northeast that will rent for more than most of us can afford, large numbers of folks camping along the river and women of all ages sleeping in doorways, some with only the comfort of their small curly-haired dogs. When I travel to Salem on Interstate 5, I pass rest stops that are doubling as permanent homes for some of the relatively lucky folks who at least have a vehicle to sleep in. The story is the same in Pendleton, in Albany, in Prineville.
Data show that while things are dire all around, communities of color are worse off due to years of gentrification and displacement, the patterns of discrimination in lending and access to housing and the disparity in income and wealth. And people living with mental health challenges and other health concerns are more likely to be homeless.
Because we are a democracy, we need to remember that this housing crisis reflects OUR choices, OUR values and OUR priorities. How did we get here? How is it that we have beautiful redesigned urban spaces with minimal housing for folks who most need it? And more importantly, seeing where we are and what the human costs are, how do we change it?
It starts with us. What are we willing to change in our priorities, our way of doing our work and our communities to make housing opportunity a reality? In Portland, we tax ourselves for art and for libraries; are we willing to do the same to ensure we all have a home? Are we ready to take a hard look at how we work now, what we take time to advocate for or take action on, what we stand up for?
Let’s declare our independence today from old patterns that keep us from moving forward together. Let’s be willing to look at how we have chosen to be where we are — in the midst of a housing crisis that threatens all that we want to be as a state, as a city, as a community. Let’s agree that there is no silver bullet, no simple or single answer. Let’s agree that there are no topics or ideas that are off limits, and also that no one idea or solution will be enough.
Independence requires accessible, available, affordable housing for all. Home is where everything begins, where we recharge and renew so we can engage fully in the community around us and be our best selves. Let’s aim for real independence this year for more Oregonians.
Janet Byrd is the executive director of Neighborhood Partnerships.
