January 2018

What is the current gentrification strategy for housing in OTCT?

The presence of market rate housing is negligible now, but is seen by policy makers and planners as highly desirable. As the story goes, this housing strategy would bring "income balance" to the neighborhood. As if any neighborhood in Portland was in income balance. This priority of market rate, when the need is clearly for subsidized housing, is even called out in Prosper Portland's $58M Old Town Chinatown Five-Year Action Plan. 

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Other neighborhoods are gentrified by replacing low income units with market rate apartments. In our neighborhood, it is developing market rate apartments at the exclusion of any more affordable housing despite the high demand for it.

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Meanwhile, much needed investments in neighborhood and ethnic serving businesses won't happen until people with higher incomes move in, leaving current residents to shop elsewhere for fresh food and basic services.

See more clearly with new glasses and through a humanistic lens in your decision-making, 

pages 9-13, download Portland's Caring Community Guide.

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Read Change Things Blog article here.