Is there anyone in the state of Oregon who believes that improving the quality of life in their neighborhood is achieved by OVERLOADING their own neighborhood with low-income housing?

This summer citizens of Multnomah county will have the extremely rare opportunity to speak out and influence a public policy matter normally made inaccessible to them. For the first time Multnomah county voters will have a chance to "cast a vote" in favor of a public housing policy which is transparent, understandable and accountable to taxpayers.

Below is a draft resolution that will be submitted to the Portland city council in late summer including the names of supporters and their suggestions. The intent and effect of this resolution will affect all residents of Multnomah county. So if you live and vote in Multnomah county you have standing to participate in this unusual exercise in citizenship and public policy making. Please share this opportunity with your family, friends and neighbors.

Every registered voter in Multnomah county is invited and encouraged to send in their responses to 3-6-9@goodgrowthnw.org . Your supportive comments will be published on the http://www.goodgrowthnw.org web site.

Please use this form to respond:
Neighborhood: [You MUST list your neighborhood]
Name: [Your name]
Amendments: [List additions to the 3-6-9 resolution you would like to see included]
Comments: [An explanation of why you would vote YES for this resolution if you were on the Portland city council.]
Neighborhood Officer: [If you are a board member or hold any office in your neighborhood association please note it here. Neighborhood officers will have their responses placed first under each neighborhood heading on the web site.]

The essence of this resolution revolves around the concept of neighborhoods in Multnomah county. Every neighborhood board member, and certainly every neighborhood officer in all 117 Multnomah county neighborhoods, should feel a very strong motivation, indeed an obligation, to comment upon this proposal.

Teachers of Urban Studies, Political Science, Social Work et. al. who vote in Multnomah county should tell us why they think this is a good idea and how they might present this issue to their students for debate and discussion.

HAP, PDC and HCDC board members should take this opportunity to show the voters and the elected officials who appointed them commissioners that they do, in fact, support distribution not concentration of public housing clients and also support public expenditure accountably for the organizations they control.

The supporting views of the Gresham city council, Multnomah county commissioners and the Portland Planning Commission would surely be of interest to HAP Watchers.

The Coalition For A Livable Future recently sponsored a conference promoting regional equity. Robert Liberty, who was honored at the occasion, has made regionalizing "WHERE" do we put public housing an issue in his campaign for Metro councilor. If you belong to any of the dozens of organizations that are part of CLF, from architects to bird watchers, then follow your leadership and speak up.

Many HAP Watchers are in the real estate, legal and other businesses. We'd like to hear your supportive ideas.

And last, but certainly not least, our candidates for Portland mayor, Tom Potter - Jim Francesconi, and Portland city council, Sam Adams - Nick Fish. Every voter in Multnomah county will want to know:
Would you vote YES to approve the 3-6-9 Resolution as written?
What amendments would you add to enable you to vote YES to approve the 3-6-9 Resolution?
Will Portland city commissioner Jim Francesconi, who has already said he supports the 3-6-9 goal but with possibly a higher maximum, enthusiastically submit this resolution when he is asked late this summer?
Will candidates Potter, Adams and Fish publicly request the Portland city council to accept for council consideration the 3-6-9 Resolution when they are asked late this summer?

Many of you have been reading about HAP and housing issues for years. Soon there will be a substantive proposal on the public agenda to debate and discuss.

Your Opinion Counts - But Only If You Make Yourself Heard.

DRAFT
Declare 3-6-9 Neighborhood Percentages As Transparent, Understandable and Accountable Distributive Public Housing Policy Goals

WHEREAS the city of Portland has an established policy that public housing clients should not be concentrated into a few select neighborhoods but rather distributed throughout Portland’s neighborhoods,

WHEREAS it has become necessary to quantify the policy of distribution of public housing clients in order to assure that public expenditures are being spent in furtherance of these objectives,

WHEREAS it is necessary to adopt neighborhood map based accounting as a reporting and decision making tool regarding public housing policy and expenditures.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the city of Portland shall establish as its primary public housing client goal in each Portland neighborhood a target of six (6) percent of that neighborhood’s population. Goals for minimum and maximum shall be established so that no neighborhood shall have fewer than three (3) percent and no neighborhood shall have more than nine (9) percent of its population as public housing clients.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the office of the Portland City Auditor shall coordinate the collection of data and report annually on the status of accomplishment toward the 3-6-9 goal.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the city council shall fund the City Auditor’s 3-6-9 related activities by whatever combination of funding sources from HAP, PDC, BHCD or other revenue sources it may chose.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, all appointments for PDC, HAP and HCDC commissioner shall be made during the regular city council calendar.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the mayor shall determine that all nominees to become HAP, PDC and HCDC commissioners agree to support the 3-6-9 policy goal before being formally nominated for council approval.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, during the confirmation proceedings the mayor shall publicly instruct the appointee of his or her obligation to use the office to which they are appointed to further the 3-6-9 policy goal.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, this resolution is binding city policy.