East Portland is home to 25 percent of the city's residents—many of which are low-income or immigrants. The East Portland Action Plan aims to protect the community as a wave of gentrification approaches.
According to an article by Andrew Theen, residents of east Portland are mobilizing in the face of the city's red-hot rental market and record low vacancy rates. "In emotional testimony Monday, immigrants, low-income residents and advocates said Portland's leaders can and must do more to ensure that they aren't pushed out of their neighborhoods and the city itself as gentrification moves east," according to Theen.
The mobilization has an official vessel, in the form of the "East Portland Action Plan"—a city-funded project to generate a list of proposed policy actions. Policy recommendations include: 1) homeowner protections and new homeownership opportunities, such as co-ops, 2) increased renter protections, 3) ending the statewide ban on inclusionary zoning and allowing density bonuses, 4) broadening the practice of community benefit deals for development projects, and 5) focusing economic development projects in the area. A full list of recommendations is also available online [pdf].
The article includes additional background on a variety of the residents that participated in the East Portland Action Plan Process.
Hat tip to Kelsey E. Thomas at Next City for sharing the article.
FULL STORY: East Portlanders see gentrification coming, call for action
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