PEGGY sue owens (running for Commissioner position 3)

Do you support policies that have been passed to ensure every neighborhood in the City of Portland welcomes more neighbors, by allowing middle housing (smaller, denser, lower-cost housing options like smallplexes, cottage clusters, and small-to-moderate-sized apartment complexes), via both the nonprofit and private markets? (e.g., Residential Infill Project and Design Overlay Zone Amendments)?

(checklist selections) Other. The policies are not implemented equally.

Many of the lower cost housing options seem to be in the SE & NE neighborhoods.

Should close-in, low-density neighborhoods be rezoned to allow mixed-income apartment buildings, in order to increase access to amenity-rich neighborhoods, reduce our auto dependence, and relieve displacement pressure on neighborhoods currently home to higher proportions of communities of color and working class Portlanders?

(checklist selections) Only in a limited capacity, in certain locations (near parks or transit, etc).

Its not feasible to rezone across the board. Rezoning should only be considered after extensive impact studies

What should Portland do to encourage the development of middle housing (smaller, denser, lower-cost housing options like smallplexes, cottage clusters, and small-to-moderate sized apartment complexes), via both the nonprofit and private markets?

(checklist selections) Acquire land for development of affordable middle housing. Incentivize the development of middle housing (e.g., property tax exemptions). Legalize affordable and culturally-responsive sixplex townhomes in lower-density zones. Expedite land division for affordable sixplexes to increase homeownership opportunities.

Everyone deserve the right to safe and secure housing. Supporting programs that increase ownership increases property value, safety and lower crime rates.

Should landowners be able to create historic districts that block lower-cost and below-market homes from high-opportunity neighborhoods without the permission of city council?

No, Historic Districts should be vetted. Land Owners should have a say in how their neighborhoods are developed, but allowing anyone with money to create their own districts would create and unfair advantage.

Should Portland dedicate less, as much, or more money to regulated affordable housing? (If you answered "more money," what funding mechanism(s) would you pursue to build this additional housing?)

As much money. I don't think more money is the answer, I support smarter investments and spending.

The City of Portland has a deficit of 19,804 homes affordable to people earning less than 80% Median Family Income (MFI). According to ECONorthwest: “the market has produced little rental or homeownership housing affordable to those below 80% of MFI, and almost no housing below 50% of MFI over the past 20 years. This supports the need for public subsidy to meet the needs of lower-income households.” How would you eliminate the deficit of homes affordable to people earning less than 80 percent of MFI and over what period of time?

I do not have a good answer for this question. I support programs such as HUD housing, Hacienda, low interest loans and down payment assistance.

Should affordable housing be equitably distributed across all communities in the City of Portland? In other words, should the City ensure the addition of affordable housing to neighborhoods with a lower than average share of subsidized affordable housing?

Yes. Affordable housing should be available in all areas of Portland.

What actions would you support to address the homelessness crisis in the City of Portland?

(checklist selections) Invest in permanent supportive housing; Invest in behavioral health and other supportive services; Invest in capacity of outreach workers to connect with more people experiencing homelessness; Provide supportive services to and support the self governance of self-organized homeless encampments; Remove barriers to extremely-low-cost market-rate options like backyard homes on wheels, rooming houses and vacant-bedroom rentals; Encourage the expansion of sanctioned outdoor shelters; Build new congregant shelters that sleep no more than 100 people; Ban camping in certain places.

Everyone deserves safe housing, but they also need to be held responsible for their own actions. offer a helping hand, not a hand out.

What policies would you support to advance racial equity in housing access and promote housing stability for all residents and especially Black, Indigenous, and people of color who face disproportionate barriers to housing access?

(checklist selections) Reduce other rental barriers (e.g., eviction history, credit history, etc). Support fair housing enforcement. Capacity support for culturally specific organizations interested in developing affordable housing. Expand investment in affordable housing.

What currently proposed tenant protection policies do you support that would protect tenants from unjust eviction or landlord harassment?

(checklist selections) Proposed Tenant Protection Ordinance, which would define specific behaviors as landlord harassment, impose monetary penalties onto landlords as consequences for harassment, and strengthen the Rental Services office to support vulnerable tenants who are experiencing harassment.

Optional question: Whose voices should be centered in developing housing and land use policy across the greater Metro area?

(checklist selections) People experiencing homelessness. Homeowners. Landlords.

Everyone in our community should have a say in how it is being developed.

Optional question: What else should Portland's anti-racist, pro-housing, pro-tenant community know about you & your candidacy?

I believe in equal rights, opportunities and responsibilities for All. I don't care about what color, age, gender or religion you are.

Sue Owens received an C overall from our scoring committee. See all scores for this primary election and read about our process here.