Rents continue to rise in Portland, and new rules have precipitated even more raised rents for populations that can least afford the new costs.
"New rules intended to protect renters in Portland's red-hot housing market led to an unprecedented number of rent increases for low-income tenants, according to housing authority officials," report Andrew Theen.
The new rules, approved in October, require 90-day notice for rent increases of higher than 5 percent or for a no-cause eviction. The rules were designed in response to "the city's record-high rent increases and record-low vacancy rates," according to Theen, who also reported on the rule change when it received City Council approval.
Theen cites data from Home Forward, Multnomah County's housing authority, to show that landlords spiked the number of rent increases after the rule took effect on Nov. 13. "Michael Buonocore, Home Forward's executive director, called the flood of requests [for rent increases] unprecedented," writes Theen. The flood of requests means "most Section 8 voucher-holders will see rent increases this year."
FULL STORY: Portland's housing authority received 'unprecedented' number of rent increases

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

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Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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