Legislative housing committees begin the 2021 session with an overview of the state’s crisis M ore than 4,000 Oregonians lost their homes in last summer’s wildfires. One of them was the aunt of state Rep. Lily Morgan (R-Grants Pass). Morgan’s aunt lived i ...
27 Jan 2021 - Tom Henderson
A slate of new bills could change the future of housing in Oregon I n the distant past, 12 months ago to be precise, Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland) called for declaring a state of emergency on homelessness and beseeched legislators to approv ...
20 Jan 2021 - Tom Henderson
Housing advocates plan to push for further renter protections when the Legislature’s regular session begins next month The Oregon State Legislature met in a special session Dec. 21 and extended the state’s eviction moratorium to June 30, despite concerns ...
30 Dec 2020 - Tom Henderson
Housing advocates say the legislation fails to prevent housing instability for thousands of Oregonians. Property owners say they won’t get adequate protection. Oregon lawmakers say they want renters to stay in their homes, but advocates on both sides of t ...
2 Dec 2020 - Tom Henderson
We continue to break record temperatures and hurtle toward disaster, but there have been some notable victories, too The water that runs through the canals of Venice is clear, clearer than it has been in decades. It apparently just needed a vacation from ...
17 Sep 2020 - Tom Henderson
Is the state poised to abandon Tom McCall’s environmental legacy? Oregon schoolchildren once regularly saw a documentary about the growing climate crisis in their state. “Clean water and clear air are imperatives of life itself,” narrator Richard Ross beg ...
15 Sep 2020 - Tom Henderson
Top Oregon Democrats refused to send the recommendation to the floor for a vote. The governor may still have executive authority to move forward with closures. Many prison reform activists wonder if Oregon lawmakers care more about preserving jobs than sa ...
14 Aug 2020 - Tom Henderson
A small patch of Portland looks like a war zone, but it’s the federal agents who are aggressive, an activist says The unrest in Portland is “worse than Afghanistan,” President Donald Trump said this week to justify using federal forces against protesters. ...
24 Jul 2020 - Tom Henderson
In June, the Legislature relaxed some barriers to operating shelters. More bills addressing homelessness could be on the agenda if another special session is called. Life on the street offers few advantages, but Armando Saldivar said one of them is living ...
8 Jul 2020 - Tom Henderson
Check back for updates on the status of these important pieces of legislation The Oregon Legislature adjourned its special session late Friday, June 26. Bills specifically addressing homelessness — an issue Speaker of the House Tina Kotek wanted to decla ...
26 Jun 2020 - Tom Henderson