Mayor Adams continues his disgraceful unabated efforts to promote the discredited and abhorrent public policy of UNLIMITED Neighborhood Concentration of Public Housing in St. Johns as he recently did with the N. Newell Street public housing project in the Portsmouth neighborhood. His Request For Qualifications for the downtown St. Johns Brownfield Project (see below) REQUIRES PUBLIC HOUSING in direct contravention of the Bureau of Housing's published goal to, "Discourage the concentration of low- or no- income households in any one area of the city." The fact that the Portsmouth and St. Johns neighborhoods already are OVERLOADED with Public Housing is irrelevant to our mayor, Sam Adams.
Sam Adams, who used to agree that you can't make good public policy without good public data and twice sought Public Housing Statistical Data from the Housing Authority of Portland as a city commissioner, albeit unsuccessfully and inexplicably without challenging HAP's appointed leadership (can you imagine "shadow mayor" Leonard accepting that poke in the eye without a fight?), has morphed into some unrecognizable political creature that now deliberately blocks all attempts by taxpayers and candidates for public office to rightfully, legitimately and legally acquire Public Housing Statistical Data.
Without Public Housing Statistical Data St. Johns Brownfield Project RFQ Is INVALID
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR DOWNTOWN ST. JOHNS BROWNFIELD PROJECT
http://www.portlandonline.com/bes/index.cfm?c=42251&a=267590
HOUSING
In general, the housing portion of the development should align with the citywide housing policy (See Below). In addition, housing should serve to increase the density of St. Johns that will create a more vibrant commercial district and healthy business.
General Goals
Brownfield
A mix of market and below market rates to the extent financially feasible
St. Johns Racquet Center
A mix of market and below market rates
BONUS - Brownfield and St. Johns Racquet Center
Rental - Mix of incomes available to those below 50% Median Family Income for
rental units [Public Housing = Means Test + Government Subsidy + Rental Agreement]
BUREAU OF HOUSING LOCATION POLICY GOALS
The goals of the location policy are to:
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; [That would be St. Johns, Portsmouth and other neighborhoods in North Portland.]
3. Encourage the creation of additional housing resources for low-income households
integrated throughout the community.
Unless and until mayor Sam Adams instructs the Housing Authority of Portland and the Bureau of Housing, over which he has total control, to release authentic, accurate, complete and timely Public Housing Statistical Data the citizens of North Portland, especially those living in St. Johns, will be without the resources necessary to discuss and debate how the requirement for Public Housing in the St. Johns Brownfield Project RFQ, which inherently decreases disposable income in a neighborhood, can possibly meet the stated goal that, "housing should serve to increase the density of St. Johns that will create a more vibrant commercial district and healthy business."
The Interstate Corridor Urban Renewal Area Advisory Committee, The Portsmouth Residents Action Committee and the North Portland Business Association support Equitable Distribution of Public Housing and asked mayor Adams to agree to the requests made by the ICRUAAC to stop new funding for Public Housing in St. Johns' adjoining neighborhood, Portsmouth, and set a cap of 15% public housing clients in all ICRUAAC neighborhoods. Adams not only denied he ignored the well reasoned, justified request.
For the next six months as a declared candidate for the North Portland House seat in the May 2010 Democratic primary I will be discussing the rights of taxpayers and voters, especially those in North Portland, to have access to authentic, accurate, complete and timely Public Housing Statistical Data to help them make an informed choice between:
1 - A candidate, Richard Ellmyer, who supports Equitable Distribution of Public Housing
AND
2 - A candidate, Tina Kotek, who supports Sam Adams' Public Housing Statistical Data COVERUP and a public policy of UNLIMITED neighborhood concentration of Public Housing.
Richard Ellmyer will make every effort to stop mayor Adams from illegitimately forcing more Public Housing on St. Johns and every neighborhood in North Portland unless and until Adams can defend his decisions based on authentic, accurate, complete and timely Public Housing Statistical Data.