Thread by @PNWelcome

It’s the second day of testimony on the Residential Infill Project.

We’re here (well, across the street at city hall) and live tweeting. #HousingChoices

If you want to watch at home the session is streaming here

Written testimony will be taken until Friday the 17th, at 5PM

First up is a representative from the state Department of Land Conservation and Development. He notes the “excellent understanding” of HB 2001 by @PortlandBPS staff.

Next up is Katie Larsell, a member of the Planning and Sustainability Commission, who voted “no”.

“I am not against this plan”. She is looking for mitigation for East Portland, such as ways to help low income homeowners take advantage of the proposal, as a way to grow wealth.

Commissioner Hardesty is noting her support for the recommendations of Anti-Displacement PDX. Larsell agrees that those are some of the things she is looking for.

Maureen Andersen, a nurse at OHSU, is here with her son Barney. The last time she was here was 4 years ago. Living in an ADU means her family is not outbidding another family, setting up a chain of displacement.

Her son Barney gets to on the same lot as his best friend, Neil, who lives in the main house.

Liz Getty, a realtor who is part of the Small Developers Alliance urges the council to move forward without further delay (she was also here 4 years ago).

Daniel Bergman (?) from Cully is speaking about how he is able to rent his ADU at rates that people who have been displaced from other parts of the city are able to afford.

Nancy Hess, an architect and educator, says "economic diversity is enriching to all of us".

"This is not about neighborhoods. This is about neighbors shaping the city, one lot at a time."

.@ChloeEudalyPDX says she's seen Nancy's ADU and thinks it's incredible. She notes that many Portlanders don't have access to the kind financing options that make this kind of small scale development possible.

@ChloeEudalyPDX A survivor of domestic violence describes how she found stable housing via the @ULPDX. She notes support for the Residential Infill Project, as a way to support low income tenants. She also supports a Tenant Opportunity to Purchase.

The Mt Scott Arleta Neighborhood is supporting the Residential Infill Project, says Matchu Williams. "This is not the be and end all, but the beginning of a conversation."

"Twenty minute neighborhoods that we all love should not only be for those who can afford $700,000 homes."

The Land Use and Transportation Chair of Mt Scott Arleta Neighborhood, @sarahforpdx, describes how the project will mitigate the urban heat island effect.

@sarahforpdx "We support continued investments in anti-displacement at the top of *every* city policy," she says.

.@ChloeEudalyPDX notes that removing off-street parking requirements means fewer driveways and fewer curb cuts, meaning more space to plant trees.

"Would you support a delay in adopting the project?" asks @ChloeEudalyPDX.

"We voted in support of the project, and want it passed with urgency," says Matchu. Encourages adoption of the Anti-Displacement PDX recommendations.

@ChloeEudalyPDX Alison Lucas from NE Portland supports the project, because it supports the bikeability and sustainability of the city. Middle housing lets people live nearer their destinations, making it easier walk and bike.

@ChloeEudalyPDX Leslie Carlson, a homeowner in Richmond and business owner, notes how her staff are being pushed to the fringes of the city. They're not able to live in the neighborhoods where they work.

@ChloeEudalyPDX @ashleyhenrypdx from @biz4pdx, a group mostly made up of small-to-medium sized companies, notes that the ban on middle housing is adversely affecting its members. Employers are having a harder and harder time attracting talent.

@ChloeEudalyPDX @ashleyhenrypdx @biz4pdx "My opportunity to work on these issues is afforded by the fact that I live in a home that is illegal under current zoning" says Henry.

@nlienhart feels lucky to have grown up on the boundary of Sabin and Irvington, when they were economically and ethnically diverse. The physical characteristics of those neighborhoods hasn’t changed much, but who can afford to live there has.

@MadelineKovacs is presenting the @PNWelcome testimony. (Hey, that’s us!)

This project is not a very low income strategy, but it does take pressure off the housing occupied by low income people.

Yessica is a @proudground homeowner. She wants other families, especially families of color, to have the the opportunities that her family has had.

@proudground @SchonbergerBen from Housing Land Advocates says that the project supports affordable housing. There's a cost of inaction: we could face the "Palo Alto-ization" of Portland, where modest bungalows sell for over $1,000,000.

@vivianherself from @Verde_NW says we are starting from behind, and notes how we need to clear about what policy tools can achieve what goals. She supports the project and gives yet another voice of support to the Anti-Displacement PDX recommendations.

“Housing policy is climate policy” says Anna Kemper from @SunrisePDX. Notes how attached housing is more energy efficient, and more transit supportive.

Ben Carr, an architect who has worked on affordable housing development, says that the status quo prioritizes “thoughtless” development.

Leon Porter of Sullivan’s Gulch lives in a 12-plex. Supports a deeper affordability bonus and describes how it can reduce the amount of subsidy required for new affordable housing.

Charlie Burr, a twelve year resident of the King Neighborhood, says how much he loves it. "We have musicians, we have teachers.... but that is changing, for all the reasons that everyone here is acutely aware of."

Rebecca Small of Kenton notes that Portland didn't build a lot of housing during the great recession, but welcomed many new residents. That set up a displacement 'game of chairs' that we are still seeing the effects of. "It's time to make more room at the table."

@itlu4climate is here on behalf of @350_PDX. "Increasing housing density contributes to the urban economies of scale that reduce carbon emissions." The project is a "key long term strategy."

First outright opposition of the evening!!!! The testifier is [correctly] noting that the R10 and R20 parts of the West Hills are excluded, and believes this is inequitable.

The city does however have to include them to come into compliance with HB 2001.

Another organizer from @SunrisePDX is noting how carbon intensive single family housing is. He lives in an old home that was split up into smaller in WW2. "There is a precedent for how to do denser housing in single family areas in this city."

@SunrisePDX Rick Johnson from Buckman is in opposition. "A lot of the inner city renters are transient and single." Complains that there are "homeless camps everywhere."

@robertmhemphill is a renter, who has lived in two shared houses and recently moved into a studio. He would love to be able to move into a fourplex or a sixplex.

Tom Karlocky (?) from University Park says his neighborhood originally developed to support the University of Portland. They support the project in general, but asks for TDM plans for fourplexes and greater accessibility. Also has concerns about infrastructure.

@tedwheeler says he appreciates University Park Neighborhood Association for their "trying to get to yes" position.

@tedwheeler The Community Alliance of Tenants says that SB 608 (the rent control bill) did not go far enough. They believe the Residential Infill Project can help reduce upwards pressure on rents.

"If my kids and I are pushed out of St Johns it will be devastating to my small family."

CAT supports Tenant Opportunity to Purchase.

Jake Antles from Cully grew up in Olympia, and as a kid noticed how neighborhoods were segregated, but at the time didn't think about why. Urges adoption of policies that reduce segregation in Portland.

People are holding signs saying “Yes to RIP [Residential Infill Project] | Yes to TOP [Tenant Opportunity to Purchase]”

Testimony in English and Spanish being given by tenants who have found housing through @LivingCully.

@LivingCully "If a building is going to be sold, renters should have the opportunity to work with an nonprofit housing providers to make their homes affordable" says an organizer in favor of a Tenant Opportunity to Purchase.

Trish Patterson of Foster-Powell dreams of owning her own home one day, but thinks that impossible given current housing prices. Says she would love a home in a fourplex.

@Intersection911 from Sabin says he's seen his neighbors displaced far too often; and recently received a no-cause eviction himself. He supports a Tenants Opportunity to Purchase and providing more housing choices in our single family homes.

Matt Kelly lives with his wife in a rental apartment in Buckman.

His parents live in rural Michigan, and need to drive everywhere. They would like to live in walkable Ann Arbor, but can’t afford it. We need to give more people the opportunity to get around without a car.

@tedwheeler is saying that his office is hearing the calls for amendments, and is directing his staff to work with the other commissioners' offices.

Edith Casterline says not to give into the fears of property owners. Says to take to heart what groups like @catoregon are saying.

Elena Akamian from @SunrisePDX notes how urgent it is to deal with the effects of climate change. “The housing crisis is an environmental crisis.”

Luke Norman lives in Irvington, where he and his wife “can take walks in the evening and meet neighborhood cats”.

They can live there, because NE Hancock has a mix of single family home and low rise apartments. He hopes with legalized fourplexes they could one day buy a home.

Soren Impey has rented in Portland for 20 years. Says he’s disappointed the project discourages new rental housing. Thinks we can go further in incentivizing affordable housing.

THERE ARE STILL ABOUT 50 PEOPLE LEFT WHO HAVE SIGNED UP!

@pfrazier is using cans of soda as an illustration of how we could fit more housing on one lot

@axoplasm says he can’t say anything that hasn’t already been said, but he supports the project

@rjsheperd, the co-chair of @bikeloudpdx, is here to show their support of the project. Bike Loud wants to make biking available to everyone, but if that’s only available to the wealthy they’re not doing their job.

@StuckeyDuck draws an analogy with how @PBOTinfo points out that bus lanes and bike lanes can move more people per hour. By opening our neighborhoods to middle housing we let more people live there.

Luke Kanies of @PuppetLabs (speaking on his own behalf) says that the story Portland tells about itself is not true. He wants to protect the character of our neighborhoods, talking about the people who live in them (not the buildings).

@PuppetLabs Jose Mikalauskas, who was homeless living in a van last year, urges adoption of the Residential Infill Project with additional anti-displacement measures.

Phil Longacre (?) urges adoption as a way to undo a legacy of exclusion.

We’re now going down to 1 minutes 20 seconds each for testimony. Live tweeting is going to hard, y’all.

Raymond Cunningham is pursuing a Masters at PSU, and can’t imagine owning a home here. How have we got to a place where privileged folks like him can’t afford homes, he asks, let alone those with much less privilege.

Brooke Best from the Portland Coalition for Historic Resources is talking about the "unintended consequences" of the project. Says to tread lightly.

Robert Archer from Southwest Portland, a "renter and landowner", says opponents from Southwest are unconvincing. Believes more density can bring transit and biking improvements with the,

Dane Wilson, also from Southwest, says that he's proud of Portland's Urban Growth Boundary and believes we need to live up to the spirit of that.

Homeowner from Woodstock says this is a win-win-win.

Jim Gorter, a member of the original Residential Infill Project stakeholder committee, is opposed. Says allowing duplexes, triplexes and fourplex is "one size fits all" and that it's "scattershot densification". Argues against density bonuses for affordable housing, I think?

Commissioner Fritz sounds excited that someone spoke in opposition for a change.

Bruce, an architect from Eastmoreland, is opposed. Compares allowing fourplexes to New York. "Will reduce the architectural quality of Portland."

Ana Azizkhani is opposed. Says there's already a lot of middle housing in her neighborhood, but the new dense housing she's seeing is too expensive.

She is handing over the petition from Stop Demolishing Portland, who want a vote on the Residential Infill Project.

Garlynn Woodsong was part of the original committee, and urges adoption now. Says he hears stories of people who want to live in Portland, but can't, and that in Trump's America we need to be welcoming.

@owensmike, a civil rights attorney, talks about how he was able to start a law firm straight out of college because he qualified for low-income housing. He doesn't see he could now own a home—and he can't, how could other people with less privilege than him?

Someone in opposition says high property taxes are a sign of how desirable some neighborhoods are? Not quite sure that’s how Measures 47/50 work.

Says triplexes and fourplexes will overburden the infrastructure and that families won't want to live in the neighborhoods after they're built.

John Liu of Laurelhurst is presenting the Portland Coalition for Historic Resource's testimony.

Says we don't need to the project to accommodate growth; that it won't produce affordable housing; that it will create displacement. Name checks @Intersection911 (who was in support).

Commissioner Fritz wants to see the remaining slides after Liu’s time ran out. He says the project is “one size fits all.”

Liu argues for triplexes and fourplexes only in R2.5 zones.

(In what is surely a coincidence, this would exclude Laurelhurst, Eastmoreland and Irvington from allowing most types of middle housing).

Fritz wants to add the PCHR recommendations as potential amendments. Hoo boy.

Constance Beaumont from NE Portland is also against. Says the Residential Infill Project is "scattershot densification"—a common talking point of those against.

Doug supports the project "for many of the same reasons as our soda wielding friend [@pfrazier] earlier".

“If RIP passes, my children won’t be able to own any of the homes in the neighborhood,” says someone opposed.

(Every single young person has been in support tonight.)

An employee of Portland Public Schools, speaking on his own behalf, says he's seeing the impacts of gentrification on the demographics of the schools. Says we have a segregated city and we need to address that.

Tamara DeRidder from Rose City Park is speaking. The neighborhood conducted an online survey of their existing residents, which—shockingly—came out opposed to the project. Says the project is a "land grab".

Shane is a queer witch who talks to trees, and says the trees will grow back. We need to prioritize housing for vulnerable LGBT people.

Fritz wants to invite residents of areas with skinny lots back for a special council session.

@adamszman encourages adoption of the project as-is, with a second phase for the amendments that have been proposed. "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good."

@adamszman Pam Phan is reading testimony from Daisy Quiñonez, a Planning and Sustainability Commission member who voted "no". She says voted no, because the Commission didn't have the tools to address displacement. Urges council to vote yes *with* anti-displacement measures.

This is awkward. My old boss, Rick Potestio is testifying against. (—@maccoinnich).

Says the project may not result in more people sleeping in a block every night, because of smaller unit size.

That’s a wrap of public testimony.

Fritz, speaking by phone, is opposed. Says we shouldn’t make policy based on “gut reactions”, which is frankly beyond patronizing.

Says she feels like the four years she spent working on the Comprehensive Plan were a waste.

Despite strong support of the project from @SunrisePDX, Fritz is saying we shouldn't adopt the project because of the climate crisis.

This speech is basically the same as the one she gave when voting against Better Housing by Design, which had strong community support.

Stony silence in the room....

@ChloeEudalyPDX says she'll make her remarks short, and will share longer remarks later on social media.

Says she's generally in support, and excited to see the project come to council. Notes history of exclusionary zoning, and how income is a proxy for race in exclusion.

@ChloeEudalyPDX @ChloeEudalyPDX also notes history that we can't just ignore, including who gets to benefit from redevelopment.

Hearing loud and clear community desire for the project—and strong anti-displacement measures.

@JoAnnPDX thanks the public for showing up in force.

Where are we today? We’re a city where if you work full time, for anything less than $24 an hour, you can’t afford to live here.

@JoAnnPDX @JoAnnPDX: I am determined that Portland not be a city where your income determines your ZIP code.

RIP is not the solution, but it is a part of the solution.

@JoAnnPDX @JoAnnPDX: we, all of us, have an obligation to make sure Portland is a city where all can live.

"I admire you all so much", she says of @PortlandBPS. "This is not something that has been rushed! Four and a half years is not too quick!"

@JoAnnPDX @PortlandBPS @JoAnnPDX thanks everyone who's still here, at 8 PM on a weekday evening.

@tedwheeler says he’s supportive. “This is not just about neighborhoods or houses. It’s about people.”

“A lot of people do not feel included when we talk about neighborhoods.”

@tedwheeler @tedwheeler: "We're talking about long term change here. I want to put bookends around this. I don't think this will be as positive as its proponents says it will be; I don't think it will be as negative as its opponents say it will be."

@tedwheeler @tedwheeler notes the pact the Portland region made with the Urban Growth Boundary. If we want to keep that, we need to allow infill in the city, he says to strong positive reaction in the room.

@tedwheeler @tedwheeler "Allowing duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes is not a radical idea!"

Written testimony will be kept open until 5 PM tomorrow. City Council will take up the project, including potential amendments, on January 29th.

That’s a wrap from me. In case you thought I was being selective, testimony was probably 90% + in support.

Anyway, I’m off for some food and a beer. —@maccoinnich.