In a remarkable bit of good luck, simultaneous vacancies on the HAP board are open for those who would serve the interests of the city of Portland and those who would serve the interests of Multnomah county. It means both jurisdictions must come to grips with public housing policy at the same time. Richard Ellmyer has already indicated his willingness and qualifications to serve the interests of Multnomah county (see below) and now publicly expresses his willingness and qualifications to serve the interests of the city of Portland on the board of the Housing Authority of Portland. If Potter acts faster than Ted "the six months and counting/crawling timid turtle" Wheeler then the city of Portland wins the public services of Richard Ellmyer. My dear readers it does not get any better than this.
Richard Ellmyer's candidacies for the HAP board for both Multnomah county and the city of Portland are based on his public housing policy positions (see below) serving the interests of Multnomah county and the interests of the city of Portland. The problem for the Multnomah county and Portland city commissioners is that they have never publicly discussed the issue and so there is no public consensus on what exactly defines serving the interests of each public jurisdiction. All of their previous appointments have been based on private backdoor connections recruited by HAP staff. Not a single HAP appointee has ever been vetted nor chosen for a HAP seat based on their written public housing policy positions. This, of course, is where the great fun of this most public adventure in local democratic self-governance begins. Our values and identity as a community are about to be publicly tested and revealed. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it.
The Times They Are A Changing
For about a decade every elected official at Multnomah county and the city of Portland abdicated their responsibility for accountability, oversight and leadership on public housing policy issues to Portland city commissioner Erik Sten. Predictably, before Sten's council seat was cold the political vacuum caused by Sten's welcome departure began to suck in the winds of change. The Portland Development Commission reorganized housing director and Sten toady Andy Wilch out of a job. PDC commissioner Sal Kadri reemerged as the voice of reason calling on PDC to stop spending public funds to create low-income public housing ghettos in Urban Renewal Areas. Several candidates running for Portland city council were unafraid to publicly support a public policy of equitable distribution of public housing and demanded public housing statistical data from HAP. And there are plenty more actors waiting in the wings ready to speak their lines in this housing drama under the bright lights of accountability on the public stage. Those legitimate players who have been locked out for so long now find the doors to the theater thrown wide open. The old marquee which read, "Only Those Approved By Erik Sten May Enter" now says, "Everyone Welcome. Every Night Is Open Mike And All The Seats Are Free. Erik Sten And The Forces Of Darkness He Controlled Have Left The Building. Hallelujah! Let The Sun Shine In."
Mayor-elect Sam Adams, who as a sitting elected city commissioner was twice rebuffed by HAP when he responsibly made legitimate and necessary requests for public housing statistical data in order to have a basis for making sound, educated, reasonable and defensible decisions regarding public housing policy, now has the opportunity to publicly endorse the one person he can count on to give him the public data he requested and deserves. On January 1, 2009 mayor Sam Adams will have the statutory authority to remove any member of the HAP board that interferes with or objects to the regular publishing of authentic, accurate, complete and timely public housing statistical data.
At a city council meeting during his first month in office, mayor Potter announced before Sam Adams, Richard Ellmyer, three members of the HAP board - including its chair - that he had asked HAP if it could produce public housing statistical data including neighborhood designations. HAP replied that it could and Potter publicly stated that he was going to followup with a request for the public data with the neighborhood designations. Shortly after his announcement Potter not only reneged on his public commitment he refused to discuss public housing policy and access to public housing statistical data. This unexplained policy reversal and silence continues to this day. There is little doubt that an IOU to Erik Sten kept the mayor's mouth shut. Today Erik Sten is history. The debt is paid and Sten the stealthy loan shark is out of business. Potter now has a chance to redeem his legacy of self-inflicted ignorance and his silent support for the discredited and abhorrent policy of unlimited neighborhood concentration of public housing.
On 11-3-03 Oregonian columnist Renee Mitchell wrote:
Fish says he agrees with Ellmyer's philosophical point. But he would like to see all the housing-related agencies -- including the Portland Development Commission -- contribute their information to a neighborhood-based map, too. "As a matter of policy," Fish says, "I think it makes perfect sense."
Of course, at no time when Fish was on the HAP board - as he was during this 2003 interview - nor any time during the course of his campaigns for public office - has he taken any public action to support his stated position. Perhaps sooner than he expected commissioner-elect Nick Fish, like Tom Potter, will have another opportunity to take make good on his previous public housing policy position.
Commissioner Leonard is a wild card on this issue.
Commissioner Saltzman, as always, is an enigma.
Council candidate Charles Lewis has written that he endorses a public policy of equitable distribution of public housing. Council candidate Amanda Fritz, after years on the Portland Planning Commission and two runs at city hall, still hasn't decided what she thinks about public housing policy. With a runoff in November it seems unlikely that candidate Lewis will allow candidate Fritz's de facto position of support for the discredited and abhorrent status quo policy of unlimited neighborhood concentration of public housing to go unchallenged.
Amanda Fritz was informed that if, as a candidate, she wanted to gather public housing statistical data being deliberately withheld from elected officials, candidates for Portland city council and the public from the largest and most significant source she would have to confront the Housing Authority of Portland not Metro whose public housing report was already stale and incomplete to the point of irrelevance. Amanda replied, "I don't take orders from men" and then said she would seek information from Metro.
This analogy is apt. Image a male OHSU doctor with a head trauma victim telling nurse Fritz that in order to help diagnose the patient she should order a new CAT scan. Nurse Fritz tells the doctor, "I don't take orders from men" and proceeds to get a two year old foot X-ray as her data gathering solution.
Lewis could certainly make the case that for all of Fritz's so-called neighborhood credentials and her position as a board member on the Coalition For A Livable Future, Amanda Fritz's NIMBY vision for her community livability does not include opposition to the public financing and building of low-income public housing ghettos in a few select neighborhoods in North and Northeast Portland, Lents and Gresham as long as it does not include the progressive, politically correct, upper hilly neighborhood in which she and possibly Dan Saltzman live in their protected private property homes.
It's time to have a public discussion and debate of public housing policy in Multnomah county and the city of Portland.
It's time for the Portland city council and the Multnomah county commission to demand accountability, openness and the regular publishing of public housing statistical data.
It's time for the Portland city council and the Multnomah county commission to demand an end to the discredited and abhorrent public policy of unlimited neighborhood concentration of public housing.
It's time for the Portland city council and the Multnomah county commission to unequivocally support a public housing policy of equitable distribution.
It's time for the Portland city council and the Multnomah county commission to assure that the necessary yet heretofore unheard voices of property owners, business owners, neighborhoods and taxpayers are adequately represented on the Housing Authority of Portland which annually spends millions of dollars of the public treasury.
If you agree then please send the following to the council clerk:
To: Portland City Council Clerk Karla Moore-Love <kmoore-love@ci.portland.or.us>
CC: Richard Ellmyer<ellmyer@macsolve.com>
Subject: HAP Candidacy
Dear Mayor Potter:
A position on the HAP board allocated to a citizen who will represent the interests of the city of Portland has been vacant for a month. It is your responsibility to expedite the process of filling this vacancy. Your obligation is to recruit, hold public discussions, debate and then send a nomination to the Portland city council for confirmation.
The interests of the city of Portland are served when authentic, accurate, complete and timely public housing statistical data from the Housing Authority of Portland is regularly placed on the public table for consideration by elected policy makers and the citizens of the city of Portland.
The interests of the city of Portland are served when property owners, business owners, neighborhoods and tax payers have their voices heard and interests acknowledged in the competition for public housing policy decision making at the Housing Authority of Portland.
The interests of the city of Portland are served by a policy of equitable distribution of public housing throughout all of Portland's neighborhoods.
Richard Ellmyer has demonstrated seven years of commitment to these policies. I encourage you to immediately nominate him to the Portland city council for the position of HAP commissioner representing the interests of the city of Portland.
Sincerely,
Portland voter
Richard Ellmyer
P.S. For consideration of the Portland city council and the public record here are Richard Ellmyer's public housing policy positions:
1. The term Public Housing is defined as any government administered housing program that requires all three of the following conditions, means test + government subsidy + rental agreement. I promise to do everything in my power to assure that all documents generated by the Housing Authority of Portland will use the term Public Housing where those conditions are met.
2. The citizens of Portland have a right to public housing statistical data from all public entities that administer public housing programs. I have often asked the HAP board for the following public housing statistical data without success. If confirmed I pledge to make every effort to ensure that this data is available on the HAP website and updated monthly.
Report #1. HAP Public Housing Program
A tab delimited text file with the following fields: 1. Age 2. Gender 3. Income 4. Neighborhood 5. Last Modification Date, for ALL clients in this database.
Report #2. HAP Section 8 Housing Voucher Program
A tab delimited text file with the following fields: 1. Age 2. Gender 3. Income 4. Neighborhood 5. Last Modification Date, for ALL clients in this database.
Report #3. New Columbia in North Portland's Portsmouth Neighborhood Program
A tab delimited text file with the following fields: 1. Age 2. Gender 3. Income 4. Neighborhood 5. Last Modification Date, for ALL HAP public housing clients (means test + government subsidy + rental agreement) living in New Columbia as of April 1, 2008.
Report #4. HAP Affordable Housing Program
A tab delimited text file, including the total number of public housing (means test + government subsidy + rental agreement) HAP clients living in all of HAP's 32 properties in Multnomah county as of April 1, 2008, with the following fields: 1. Age 2. Gender 3. Income 4. Neighborhood 5. Last Modification Date.
3. I strenuously oppose the discredited and abhorrent public policy of unlimited neighborhood concentration of public housing.
4. I vigorously support a public policy of equitable distribution of public housing.
As a consequence of this general housing policy position:
A. I support the details and the ideas expressed in the ICURAAC letter to PDC below which sets a cap of 15% neighborhood public housing concentration on new PDC funding for public housing projects. This would include opposition to any HAP involvement in the Hacienda CDC project on N. Newell street in the Portsmouth neighborhood as well as opposition to the addition of any new public housing by the Portland Hope Meadows Corporation on the surplus city property known as the former John Ball School site.
November 7, 2007
Dear Portland Development Commission:
We, the Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area Advisory Committee, support a public housing location policy of equitable distribution of public housing (defined as requiring three components: means test + government subsidy + rental agreement). This is consistent with the public housing location policy of the Portland Bureau of Housing and Community Development's published public housing location policy which is:
1. Maximize housing choice, especially for low-income people who have traditionally been limited in the location of housing that they could afford;
2. Discourage the concentration of low- or no- income households in any one area of the city;
3. Encourage the creation of additional housing resources for low-income households integrated throughout the community.
Much of the work of the citizen volunteers on the ICURAAC involves advising the PDC on how to spend public funds on public housing. Acknowledging equitable distribution of public housing as a policy gives us the foundation upon which we can make reasonable, justifiable and defensible decisions.
As an operational imperative of a public housing location policy of equitable distribution of public housing, we have set 15% as a cap on the percentage of public housing clients in any of the 10 neighborhoods included in the Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area which would allow future PDC funding for public housing projects. The Portsmouth neighborhood, which has more than 30% public housing clients, is indisputably in this category. As a result, we, the Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area Advisory Committee, exercise our advisory responsibility by advising you, the Portland Development Commission, to stop all future funding for pubic housing projects in the Portsmouth neighborhood and redirect those funds to other Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area neighborhoods with a population of less than 15% public housing clients.
Thank you for your support of this recommendation by the Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area Advisory Committee.
Sincerely,
Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area Advisory Committee
On April 8, 2008 residents of the Portsmouth neighborhood gathered to discuss the disposition and development of the surplus city property known as the former John Ball School site. Every person in this group of about 50 who rose to speak opposed the Portland Hope Meadows Corporation plan. There was not a single voice in support.
April 22, 2008 the board of the Portsmouth neighborhood association unanimously voted for the followIng:
The Portsmouth Neighborhood Association opposes the use of the former John Ball School site for the Portland Hope Meadows Corporation. The Portsmouth Neighborhood Association wants to be more involved in finding a more suitable use for the site.
B. I support the Standards of Equitable Distribution of Public Housing Resolution below and will endeavor to promote appropriately reworded versions of it to HAP and all the other public entities that administer public housing in Multnomah county.
Declare 5-10-15 Neighborhood Percentages As Transparent, Understandable and Accountable Distributive Public Housing Policy Goals - Provide Compensation To Neighborhoods Above 15%
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.
WHEREAS it is necessary to compensate neighborhoods that shoulder greater social responsibility than other neighborhoods by including more than 15% public housing clients.
WHEREAS for purposes of this resolution public housing shall be defined as requiring means test + government subsidy + rental agreement.
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 ten (10) percent of that neighborhood’s population. Goals for minimum and maximum shall be established so that no neighborhood shall have fewer than five (5) percent and no neighborhood shall have more than fifteen (15) 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 5-10-15 goal.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the city council shall fund the City Auditor’s 5-10-15 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 5-10-15 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 5-10-15 policy goal.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, neighborhoods with more than 15% public housing clients shall be considered “overloaded” and subject to compensation according to the following schedule:
$1,000/client/year from 15%-16%
$1,100/client/year from 16%-17%
$1,200/client/year from 17%-18%
Increasing $100/client/year for every additional percentage point.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, payments for compensating 15%+ “overloaded” neighborhoods shall be made annually to the affected neighborhood associations. Compensation funding may only be used for Arts related activities e.g. purchases of artwork, performances, classes etc. Compensation funding may not be used for any social services activity or purpose.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Office of Neighborhood Involvement shall annually issue a Neighborhood Art Card to every address in those neighborhoods which qualify for “overload” compensation. The card will allow four persons to participate in any activities sponsored by the neighborhood named on the card. The card shall contain the neighborhood budget for the year of issuance and an explanation of why it has been issued.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, this resolution is binding city policy.
5. I support legislation that will transfer the power to approve HAP nominees from the Portland city council to the Multnomah county commission.
6. I support legislation that will transfer the power of the mayor of Portland to dismiss appointed HAP board members (ORS 456.110) to the Multnomah county chair.
The Housing Authority of Portland has operational status throughout all of Multnomah county. It is politically indefensible to allow Portland's mayor and its city council, who are unconnected to citizens outside Portland, to have power for which they cannot be held directly accountable by voters affected by their decisions. This political circumstance is an un-American, unacceptable variant on the theme of taxation without representation.