In many ways, this week’s question was built for this race—the race to replace Commissioner Erik Sten. Indeed, we even drop Sten’s name in the question:

Portland is in year three of the 10-year plan to end homelessness, and the city council is about to lose that plan’s biggest advocate, Erik Sten. Can homelessness actually be ended, and is the 10-year-plan on track to accomplish that goal?

Sten’s chief of staff Jim Middaugh was the first to reply:

Jim Middaugh
Position sought: Commissioner #2
Website: middaughforportland.com
Public financing status: Filed request for certification last week

The goal of Portland’s Ten Year Plan is to end chronic homelessness — to ensure that no one in our community remains homeless for years at a time. I believe we can and must end chronic homelessness.

As commissioner I will fight to maintain Erik Sten’s legacy of success. As Erik’s chief of staff I know how much has been accomplished and what needs to be done to continue our success.

There were about 1,800 chronically homeless people on Portland’s streets when we launched the Ten Year Plan in December 2004. And, these folks were using a vast proportion of the City’s homelessness resources – emergency medical care, police, services, etc.

Today, thanks to the 10 Year Plan, two very extensive street counts document that homelessness in Portland decreased by 39 percent between January 2005 and January 2007. If we keep on moving people directly into housing, building supportive housing for chronically homeless adults, and working with Multnomah County to provide services with housing, I’m confident that we can end chronic homelessness by 2015.

But maintaining our momentum will require activism, guts, leadership and passion because there is still a lot more work to be done. I will not compromise my commitment to our city’s most vulnerable.

Check out the rest of Middaugh’s response, and those of his opponents, after the cut.

I will fight to ensure that the hundreds of people who have moved into housing have incomes, either through jobs or through benefits if they are disabled. Providing jobs and benefits to those who we’ve moved off the street is the next big priority for the Ten Year Plan.

Providing jobs and benefits will require an ongoing commitment for the City’s general fund. I’m proud of my work to increase the amount of dedicated money for ending homelessness and I will continue that work on the Council. I’ll also lobby hard to win adequate support from our state and federal partners and to restore money taken from the poor by the current administration in Washington.

I will also focus on the thousands of Portlanders who experience homelessness for several weeks or months each year. Nearly half of these people are in families with children. That is unacceptable in our great City.

Fortunately, the City and County are working to quickly find homes for people who need short term help to weather a tough stretch. Thanks to this coordinated effort nearly 1,500 people in families and 2,000 adults have found a place to live during the last three years.

My work on Portland’s Schools, Families, Housing Initiative was a part of that success. Through the initiative the City Council provided rent assistance for families with school-age children. The initiative also provides important financial backing to support home ownership loans for families. When I am on the Council I will fight to keep the initiative going.

I also will work to provide resources for at-risk families and singles to prevent future chronic homelessness. I’ll fight to provide the affordable housing and living wages people need to be stable and healthy. Ensuring our economy remains strong and our housing affordable are key to preventing homelessness and will be priorities for me on the City Council.

Ending homelessness doesn’t mean that we can end every individual or household crisis that may spiral people onto the streets. But we can end the notion that homelessness is inevitable in this City and that seeing people living on the streets is acceptable. I am convinced that this transformation of our City and of people’s lives can be accomplished.

Ed Garren
Position sought: Commissioner #2
Website: edforportland.com
Public financing status: Participating, 21 contributions as of 1/23

The 10-year plan is dependent upon many variables, at least one of which is not included in the plan. That variable assumes relatively stable economic opportunity and stable prices on rental housing stock.

Both of those issues are changing as I write this. There is a very big question mark looming on the economy, and the demand for rental housing is increasing.

People who are already in rental housing are getting significant rent increases every year. Many people I talk to are struggling to pay the rent every month. With 5% to 8% rent increases every year, many people will become homeless in the next few years if rent increases aren't moderated.

Most cities with a certain level of population density have some form of rent stabilization. As Portland grows and becomes more densely populated, we need on here as well. The time appears to be now to enact one.

So the first thing I would do if elected is form an advisory group to draft a rent stabilization ordinance for the city. Such an ordinance would cap rents to a certain percentage each year. It would allow a landlord with specific capital expenses (a new roof, or significant plumbing or other structural work) to amortize that expense and distribute it among the renters as an additional charge if improvements were necessary.

And it would stop arbitrary rent increases based upon projected "market value" of rental properties. The cost of administering the program could be carried by a small surcharge on the rents each month, about $5.

Portland has a dynamic, creative and thriving population of people under 35, who help to make the city the center for creativity that it is. Most of these young people work jobs that offer moderate pay. If rents continue to skyrocket, these young people will be forced to either move away, or demand more wages at work, often from a small business person who is operating a business on a budget as well.

In addition, we have an aging "boomer" population, many of whom are discovering that once one turns 50, or even 45, getting and keeping a job becomes very challenging.

So the issue of price stability in the housing stock, like most of "The Commons", affects everyone, not just those directly affected.

The other item the city plan lacks is the creation of more residency hotel space for single persons and couples.

Many people in our city live alone. A large number of homeless people are single or in couples. Most singles and even couples can live quite comfortably in less than 300 square feet.
Yet the housing policies of the city continue to focus on the creation of much larger units to house persons who are homeless.

If the city had a larger stock of small unit housing, both "studio" or even "bachelor" (no full kitchen) apartments for rent, many more people could be housed affordably.

These hotels would not be just for subsidized housing, but available to everyone, the newly single person, or the person who has just moved to the city, etc. They are a convenient way to offer the social and mental health services that many homeless people need, while integrating them into the larger community life.

I have worked with homeless clients, and their issues are complex and difficult. There are ways to assist them, and create housing opportunities, but only if adequate housing stock exists.

For more details, go to my web site, www.edforportland.com

Nick Fish
Position sought: Commissioner #2
Website: nickfish2008.com
Public financing status: Not participating in program

In his recent essay, Sam Chase, the Executive Director of the Community Development Network, asked, “who will step up to lead the charge for affordable housing?” I am running for Portland City Commissioner because I have the background, experience and record of actually delivering affordable housing to make an immediate impact on the City Council.

As Commissioner of the Housing Authority of Portland, I played a leadership role in supporting the revitalization of the former Columbia Villa, now known as the New Columbia; the adoption of a no-net loss policy in downtown Portland, ensuring that affordable housing units are replaced as development proceeds; the redevelopment of the former St. Francis Hotel in Museum Place; and the initial planning for Rosa Parks Elementary School, a unique collaboration between Portland Public Schools, the City of Portland, HAP, and Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

I believe the centerpiece of the City’s housing strategy must be addressing the needs of our most vulnerable citizens, people making between 0 and 30% of the median family income for a family of four (roughly $20,350). A comprehensive program of affordable housing with supportive services is one of the best, most cost-effective way to address poverty.

We have within our reach a historical opportunity to end homelessness in our community. I support the visionary 10-year plan to end homelessness, a joint city-county initiative. I am committed to working with Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler to raise additional private dollars to support the public dollars which have been dedicated to ending homelessness.

I support the efforts to establish a comprehensive one-stop center for the homeless in Old Town/China Town. I was pleased that the Oregonian recently spoke out in favor of Block 25, the so-called “dirty duck block,” the current home of Blanchet House. While I am sensitive to concerns raised by neighborhood leaders about process and about concentration of affordable housing, I believe this proposal will in fact alleviate, not contribute to, the perceived problem, while providing model services to homeless families and individuals.

I will hold PDC accountable on the requirement that it allocate 30% of its resources, or approximately $160 million, to affordable housing. A significant chunk of this money must be dedicated to the poorest of the poor. I am running for City Council to fill the affordable housing gap following Commissioner Sten’s resignation. I am grateful for the support of housing activists throughout our city, including Sam Chase, Steve Rudman, Susan Emmons, Jeff Bachrach, Margaret Van Vliet, Lee Moore, Denny West, and Howard Shapiro. They are among the many heroes in this movement, and I will be their champion on Council.

Harold C. Williams Two
Position sought: Commissioner #2
Website: none
Public financing status: Not participating in program

Anything is possible but only time will tell. But until then we can continue to work toward ending homelessness while promoting the services that are available for the citizens of Portland who are in need.

Tamara DeRidder
Position sought: Commissioner #2
Website: home.earthlink.net/~tdr4pdx
Public financing status: Participating, no contributions reported yet

Did not respond by deadline

Nick Popenuk
Position sought: Commissioner #2
Website: popenukisportland.com
Public financing status: Participating, 15 contributions as of 1/22

Did not respond by deadline