Measure 26-210
Referred to the people of the Metro Region by the Metro Council
BALLOT TITLE
Supports homeless services through higher earners’ tax, business profits tax.
Question: Should Metro support homeless services, tax income over $200,000/$125,000(joint/single), profits on businesses with income over $5 million?
Summary: Measure funds supportive housing services to prevent and reduce homelessness in Washington, Clackamas, and Multnomah counties within district boundaries. Prioritizes services to address needs of people experiencing, or at risk of, long-term or frequent episodes of homelessness. Services funded by a marginal income tax of 1% on households with income over $200,000 (over $125,000 for single filers) and a business profits tax of 1%. Income tax applies to resident income, and to non-resident income earned from sources within district. Exempts businesses with gross receipts of $5 million per year or less.
Declares funding for homelessness services a matter of metropolitan concern, directs regional funding to local services agencies, requires community engagement to develop localized implementation plans. Allocates funds to counties by estimated revenue collected within each county. Establishes community oversight committee to evaluate and approve local plans, monitor program outcomes and uses of funds. Requires creation of tri- county homeless services coordination plan.
Requires performance reviews and independent financial audits. Metro administrative and oversight costs limited to 5%. Requires voter approval to continue tax after 2030.
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
The greater Portland region is facing a severe housing affordability and homelessness crisis. Rents and housing prices have risen faster than wages, making it especially hard for people living on fixed retirement or disability incomes to afford housing. While it is difficult to accurately estimate the number of people experiencing homelessness, or at risk of becoming homeless, according to a February 2020 report by EcoNorthwest, an estimated 38,263 people (24,260 households) experienced homelessness in 2017 in Washington, Clackamas and Multnomah counties; thousands more were at risk.
Homelessness disproportionately impacts people with disabilities, people of color, and seniors. For people who experience homelessness, disabling conditions such as mental illness, chronic medical conditions, and addiction are made worse, and become barriers to housing placement.
Providing supportive housing services is a widely demonstrated approach to effectively end homelessness for individuals who have experienced prolonged and repeated homelessness, and protecting families from becoming homeless with prevention assistance. Supportive housing services include case management, mental healthcare, addiction and recovery treatment, employment services, rent assistance, and other care as needed. Despite state and local efforts to increase investment in supportive housing services, the need in greater Portland exceeds local capacity.
This measure will authorize Metro to establish a regional supportive housing funding program, providing the resources to address unmet needs of people experiencing or at risk of experiencing long-term or frequent episodes of homelessness in the greater Portland region. The measure will result in a substantial increase in the delivery of supportive housing services.
Supportive housing services will be funded by a marginal personal income tax of 1% on households with taxable income over $200,000 (or taxable income over $125,000 for individual tax filers) and a business profits tax of 1% with an exemption for small businesses that have gross receipts of $5 million or less per year. The personal income tax will be assessed on residents of the Metro district, and on non-residents who have income earned from sources within the district. Only income above $200,000 ($125,000 individual) is taxed.
In each county a local implementation plan will be developed to describe how supportive housing services will be prioritized and delivered to address local needs. Local plans must be developed using comprehensive community engagement that prioritizes those most directly affected by the homelessness crisis.
A regional oversight committee with broad geographic representation will review and evaluate each local plan, monitor local implementation, and review spending. The oversight committee will report every year to Metro Council on program outcomes and areas for improvement, and annual performance and financial audits of funding for supportive housing services will be conducted. Metro administrative costs are limited to 5% and must be reviewed annually. The measure requires voter approval to continue after 2030.
On Behalf of:
Metro Council President Lynn Peterson
Councilor Shirley Craddick
Councilor Christine Lewis
Councilor Craig Dirksen
Councilor Juan Carlos Gonzales
Councilor Sam Chase
Councilor Bob Stacey
Submitted by:
Carrie MacLaren, Metro Attorney
Metro
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
HOMELESS SERVICE PROVIDERS URGE EVERYONE TO VOTE YES ON MEASURE 26-210
Imagine having to tell someone there is no warm bed for them to sleep in that night. That it will be at least two years before their family can move into a safe home. That there is no laundry detergent, even though the shelter has a washer. There is no toilet paper to be used, even though the shelter has a bathroom. That the hot meals provided that day are all gone. That your case is number 100 or higher on a case manager’s desk.
We, as service providers, have these conversations with our clients every single day. In the tri-county area, we serve thousands of people experiencing homelessness each month, and we do not have the resources to help the thousands more in need.
As human beings, we cannot accept this state of affairs. As a community, we must do better.
We KNOW what solves people’s homelessness. Housing first, and then the flexible supportive services necessary to meet the needs of each individual experiencing homelessness. Some people may need mental and physical healthcare; some may need addiction treatment services. Some people may need job training; others may need help claiming benefits for a steady income.
We MUST have the resources needed to scale up our efforts to provide the supportive services necessary to ensure those without homes are sheltered.
We urge you to vote. It will provide the much-needed supportive services for people of color, seniors, youth, women escaping domestic violence, LGBTQIA+ community members, and veterans, among others, experiencing or at risk of experiencing chronic and episodic homelessness across the Metro region.
“People on the street age 20 years faster than their housed counterparts. We can, and must, do better to support the health and well-being of everyone in our community.” - Dr. Rachel Solotaroff, President and CEO, Central City Concern
Continued.
(This information furnished by Cole Merkel, HereTogether)
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
HOMELESS SERVICE PROVIDERS URGE EVERYONE TO VOTE YES ON MEASURE 26-210,
continued
Adelante Mujeres
Asian Pacific Ame
ASSIST Disability Program
Bradley Angle
Care Oregon
CASA of Oregon
Cascade AIDS Project
Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare
Catholic Charities of Oregon
Central City Concern
Centro Cultural
Clackamas Service Center
Clackamas Women’s Services
Coalition of Communities of Color
ColumbiaCare Services Community Action, Washington County
Community Alliance of Tenants
Community Partners for Affordable Housing
DoGood Multnomah
Easterseals Oregon
Care Oregon
Luke-Dorf
Metropolitan Alliance for the Common Good
Nathan Teske, Executive Director, Bienestar
National Alliance on Mental Illness, Clackamas
Native American Youth and Family Center
New Avenues for Youth
Northwest Family Services
Northwest Housing Alternatives
Northwest Pilot Project
Operation Nightwatch
Oregon Energy Fund
Oregon Food Bank
Outside In
Outside the Frame
p:ear
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon
El Programa Hispano Católico
Hacienda Community Development Corp.
Healthshare of Oregon
Homeless Solutions Coalition of Clackamas County
HomePlate Youth Services
HOPE Food Pantry @ 1st Baptist Church
Housing Oregon Human Solutions
Immigrant Refugee & Community Organization
Impact NW
Innovative Housing
Interfaith Alliance on Poverty
JOIN
Latino Network Living Cully
Love INC of Clackamas County
LoveOne
Portland Homeless Family Solutions
Prism Health
Project Homeless Connect
Proud Ground
REACH Community Development
ROSE Community Development
Sequoia Mental Health
St. Mary's Home for Boys
Stone Soup PDX
Street Roots
The Father's Heart
The Rosewood Initiative
Transition Projects Unite Oregon
Welcome Home Coalition
Winter Shelter of Forest Grove and Cornelius
YWCA of Greater Portland
(This information furnished by Cole Merkel, HereTogether)
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
VOTING YES ON MEASURE 26-210 FOR SUPPORTIVE HOMELESS SERVICES WILL HELP PEOPLE LIKE ME
I became homeless because my partner shot me.
The services we need funded right now are vital. I know because they saved my life
I was born and raised in Portland. Growing up here, I never imagined that I would see so many people living in tents in our neighborhoods, or that I myself would face homelessness due to domestic violence.
No one teaches you to prepare for homelessness. And I promise no one chooses it over better alternatives.
I can say with experience that facing housing insecurity is as traumatic as getting shot in the chest by someone you love and trust. When I was shot, my support network was lacking due to the trauma of domestic violence. So not only was I recovering from a gunshot wound, but I was also dealing with the shame that I could not house myself in the city where
the African American side of my family had managed to be homeowners for 4 generations. Together, this created my recipe for disaster.
The organizations providing the services needed for those dealing with housing insecurity are broke, but it is not a broken system. We need the funding to support the services we know work in combating our homeless disaster. People not experiencing housing insecurity call it a crisis. Those that have lived experience know it's a disaster. It is time for us as a community to help our vulnerable neighbors rebuild their lives.
It took four years to rebuild my life, thanks to the supportive services available. I am now a certified Peer Specialist, having volunteered nearly 500 hours in the shelter I once lived in.
Please VOTE YES on Measure 26-210 to continue funding the lifesaving work of the organizations that helped prevent ME from living on the streets of Portland.
Jennifer Langston, Portland
(This information furnished by Cole Merkel, HereTogether)
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
Homelessness is solvable. We know what to do. We just need your help.
There’s no greater prescription for the health of the individual and our community than having safe and secure housing.
As healthcare providers, we understand that everything we do to try to secure or repair health challenges is dependent on having a stable home. Nowhere has this become more clear than in the coronavirus challenge. There are many in our community who are left with literally no place to shelter safely. People with disabilities and existing medical conditions are disproportionately represented among them; people without severe medical conditions who experience homelessness soon develop them.
Measure 26-210 will ensure increased access and critical services needed for people currently experiencing homelessness, and will help prevent people with existing medical concerns - such as veterans, seniors, and people with disabilities - from experiencing homelessness due to their age and condition.
“Too many people are forced to choose between rent, groceries, or medicine. And the truth is, these needs are all inter-related. Once someone is safely housed, they are more likely able to put food in their bodies several times a day, get restful sleep, and take medications correctly. Shelter, food, and water are foundational basic needs.”– Imelda Dacones, MD, President and CEO Northwest Permanente, on behalf of Kaiser Permanente Northwest
“We believe the recovery process begins with a safe, affordable, and healthy place to live. With this foundation, individuals can focus on their health, connect with families and friends, and move forward in shaping a productive and meaningful life.” - Dr. Derald Walker, President & CEO, Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare
We urge you to vote yes by May 19.
Care Oregon
Cascade AIDS Project
Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare
Central City Concern
Healthshare of Oregon
Kaiser Permanente
Legacy Health
Luke-Dorf
Outside In
Prism Health
Providence Health & Services - Oregon Sequoia Mental Health
(This information furnished by Cole Merkel, HereTogether)
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
Building a Stronger Community
The affordable housing crisis in the Portland metro region is pushing low-income families to the financial brink. Sometimes the only option is unsafe or over-crowded housing conditions that put everyone at risk of eviction; they even end up homeless.
Every night in our community, thousands of people are sleeping on the streets; thousands more are in shelters or their cars. While we do our best to provide affordable housing opportunities for people to stay safely housed and to transition back into housing, every day more and more people experience homelessness for the first time.
Our community did the right thing by passing affordable housing construction bonds. We need to do the right thing again. Measure 26-210 will allow us to maximize the success of low-income housing dollars and help more families get the supportive services they need to transition from the trauma and instability of being unhoused to the stable life of having a place to call home.We are committed to engaging underrepresented communities and building strong community partnerships that promote equitable public policies. Measure 26-210 does both of these things to provide essential supportive services for people to successfully stay in their homes.
Please join us in voting YES by May 19 on Measure 26-210.
Catholic Charities of Oregon
Central City Concern
Community Development Partners
Community Partners for Affordable Housing
Hacienda Community Development Corporation
Housing Oregon
Human Solutions
Innovative Housing
Nathan Teske, Executive Director, Bienestar
Northwest Housing Alternatives
Proud Ground
REACH Community Development
ROSE Community Development
Transition Projects
(This information furnished by Cole Merkel, HereTogether)
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
Oregon Business Leaders say YES to Regional Homeless Services VOTE YES on Measure 26-210
Homelessness is the number one concern of businesses throughout the region, as we understand that the Portland metro region is currently experiencing both an affordability and a homelessness crisis.
Everyone in the community suffers when people experience homelessness. We are proud to be part of the community, as individuals and as business leaders, supporting this measure that will provide the solutions for ending people’s homelessness.
The 1% tax on local profits from large businesses is a reasonable and fair approach—and the need is undeniable. That is why, as business owners in our region, we urge voters to join us in saying yes to Measure 26-210
“Like so many in the local business community, the Portland Thorns and Timbers deeply understand that those two words — business, and community — are intertwined,” says Mike Golub, Portland Timbers and Thorns. “Supporting the HereTogether measure is a critical step toward making a major difference in the lives of tens of thousands of our neighbors.”
Avenue Agency
Blackbird Benef Collective
Bozz Media
Business for a Better Portland
CareOregon
Cascadia Partners
Community Development Partners
Downtown Development Group
Ear Trumpet Labs
Eickhof Creative Shop Foundation
Fubonn Shopping Center
Fuze7 Marketing
Gard Communications
Health Share of Oregon
Holst Architecture
Kaiser Permanente
Lara Media Services
Legacy Health
Love Portland Group, Realtors
Marigold Coffee
Neighbors Realty
Neil Kelly Co
Pixelspoke
Portland Business Alliance
Portland Timbers and Thorns
Providence Health & Services - Oregon
Reichard and Associates
Ride Report
Rosenbaum Financial
Russell Fellows Properties
Salazar Architect
Smith + Connors
Titan Freight Systems
TMT Development Worksystems
Individuals
Brett Schulz, Architect PC
Chris Bonner, Principal Realtor Broker
Dick Clark, CEO of The Portland Clinic
Gun Denhart, Founder Hanna Andersson
Hilary Bourassa, Realtor Maxwell Pratt,
Realtor Ross Lienhart
(This information furnished by Cole Merkel, HereTogether)
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
OREGON EDUCATORS AND TEACHERS ARE VOTING YES ON MEASURE 26-210
Oregon has the highest number of children experiencing homelessness in the nation.
The untold secret of Oregon’s homeless children is that they’re the least likely to be seen on the streets. Their families are living in shelters, in vehicles, or doubled-up with others; still in locations where parents do not control the roof over the heads of their children; still in insecure and unsafe environments.
Across the metro region, over 7,000 students experience homelessness every school year. Portland Public Schools and the Beaverton School District have the greatest number of homeless students, more than 1,500 in each district, one in ten students in the Reynolds district has experienced homelessness.
Many of our students come to school worried about where their family will sleep that night. Children are especially vulnerable to lifelong impacts of housing instability.
It is crucial that families and children experiencing homelessness receive the services and supports they need to stay housed and transition from homelessness to housing as soon as possible.
We must support our community’s most vulnerable members - our future leaders - so that the strain of simply surviving is no longer at the forefront of their mind. Instead, children are allowed to be children, to be students, and to focus on simply growing up to be their best selves.
Vote YES for supportive homeless services.
Vote YES on Measure 26-210.
Portland Association of Teachers
Beaverton Education Association
Hillsboro Classified United, American Federation of Teachers Local 4671
Andrea Valderrama, Chair, David Douglas School Board
Carla C. Piluso, Member, Gresham-Barlow School Board
Mitzi Bauer, Member, North Clackamas School Board
Kathy Wai, North Clackamas School Board
Martha Spiers, Member, Oregon City School Board
Elizabeth Durant, Member, Parkrose School Board
Ricki Ruiz, Reynolds School Board
Michelle DePass, Director, Portland Public Schools Board
Ruth Adkins, former member, Portland Public Schools Board
Pam Knowles, former member, Portland Public Schools board
David Wynde, former member, Portland Public Schools board
(This information furnished by Cole Merkel, HereTogether)
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
JOIN US IN VOTING YES ON MEASURE 26-210
Adelante Mujeres
Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO)
Centro Cultural
Coalition of Communities of Color
El Programa Hispano Católico
Hacienda Community Development Corporation
Immigrant Refugee & Community Organization
Latino Network
Living Cully
Native American Youth and Family Center
Nathan Teske, Executive Director of Bienestar
Unite Oregon
“This measure will pair proven solutions and community based expertise with the affordable housing necessary to change the lived reality of our neighbors experiencing homelessness, ensuring enough care and resources are there to support communities of color and other historically marginalized communities in this time of need.” - Marcus C. Mundy, Executive Director, Coalition of Communities of Color
People of color have historically been targeted by systemic injustices and discriminatory policies, leading African and African American, Asian and Asian American, Hispanic and Latinx, Indigenous and Native American, Middle Eastern, Pacific Islander, refugee, and immigrant people to be disproportionately represented in the metro region’s homeless population.
For people of color, the recent coronavirus only reinforced our understanding that we are both disproportionately represented among the very poorest and homeless and among the frontline service providers that our entire society depends upon.
Communities of color have also historically come together to create strong, resilient communities in the face of such systemic injustices. We will do so again now, as a health crisis and an affordability crisis is causing an excessive number of our community’s members to experience homelessness.
Measure 26-210 will increase access to case managers and social workers, mental and physical health professionals, addiction treatment, job training, and other services necessary for ensuring our siblings, children, and families of color living on the street, in their car, or doubled-up with people already struggling financially are successfully living stable and productive lives again.
Please join us and vote YES for Measure 26-210 by May 19.
(This information furnished by Cole Merkel, HereTogether)
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
METRO REGION FAITH LEADERS SAY VOTE YES ON MEASURE 26-210
TO HELP OUR MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITY MEMBERS
As leaders in our faith communities, we follow our religious teachings of kindness, compassion, and loving our neighbors as ourselves. Some of our neighbors need specific supports, like food, clothing, and shelter, which we provide through food pantries, homeless shelters, and clothing drives. Unfortunately, the number of our neighbors in need of help too often exceeds our capacity for doing so.
Over 5,000 people are sleeping on our streets every night. Up to 30,000 people are sleeping on the streets, in cars, or doubled-up in places not meant for sleeping. And 56,000 households are one missed paycheck away from slipping into homelessness too, many of them for the very first time.
Now more than ever, the coronavirus highlights the need and opportunity for us to live our values. It is not for us to understand why everything happens, but it is important to understand that how we respond says everything about who we are and the strength of our faith and community.
There is something we all can do to make sure that so many people are not again placed in such a precarious and vulnerable position in the first place. We hope you will join us in not only supporting this measure but making sure none of our friends and neighbors turn their backs on the homeless community, especially now.Join us in our support of Measure 26-210, and show your faith in humanity by voting YES.
Ainsworth United Church of Christ
Augustana Lutheran
Church Catholic Charities of Oregon
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon
First Unitarian Church Committee on Hunger and Homelessness
Havurah Shalom
Interfaith Alliance on Poverty
Metropolitan Alliance for Common Good
Portsmouth Union Church
Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie
Rev. Adam Ericksen
Rev. Dr. W. J. Mark Knutson
Rabbi Debra Kolodny
Rev. Heather Riggs
Rev. M. Lynne Smouse
(This information furnished by Cole Merkel, HereTogether)
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
We must ensure that hard-working people can meet their basic necessities, both while housed and should they be experiencing homelessness.
Vote YES on Measure 26-210
If you are gainfully employed, you should never have to choose between paying rent, buying food, and accessing medical care, and yet for far too long, the hardworking families of the Portland metro area have been forced to do just that.
Our unions represent more than 60,000 members across the metro area who work in both the public and private sector. Our members provide the essential services that make our communities work. We are teachers, nurses, janitors, bus drivers, social workers, retail clerks, public servants, and other people in service industries.
As more and more families pay more than half of their income to rent, bills pile up, stomachs are hungry, vehicle problems can’t be fixed, school supplies go unpurchased - families slip into homelessness. We must have more supportive services to keep this situation from occurring, and if it does, to ensure that families stay together and have the resources they need to get back on their feet as soon as possible.
This measure will provide:
- More case managers for individual service to help people navigate the systems of services efficiently and for maximum assistance
- Increased mental, physical, and addiction health services for individuals and families in need of such care
- Programs such as job training, rent assistance, and other prevention and transitional services that help people stay stably housed and improve their economic situation
We support Measure 26-210 and ask that you vote YES by May 19.
AFSCME Local 3580
Beaverton Education Association
Hillsboro Classified United, American Federation of Teachers Local 4671
Portland Association of Teachers
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555
(This information furnished by Cole Merkel, HereTogether)
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
Our Region’s Health Care Providers Support Measure 26-210
As leading nonprofit health care providers in the Portland metro region, we know that housing is health.
Without a safe, stable place to call home, it’s nearly impossible for our patients to focus on basic health and medical needs, and for our doctors and nurses to keep them healthy.
Patients who are homeless have a higher rate of hospital admissions and emergency room visits, while also suffering from poorer health outcomes and higher mortality rates. This disparity is even more devastating during the COVID-19 public health crisis we are confronting.
While some of us are business competitors, we are all in the business of keeping people healthy. That’s why we support Measure 26-210 - we are all in this together, to serve people experiencing homelessness in our community.
In Oregon and across America, we and other health care organizations are investing in housing development, supportive services, safety-net clinics, community health workers, and much more.
Here in the metro region, we are working collaboratively with government and nonprofit partners to address a key driver of health - housing instability and homelessness - to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve.
As major health care systems, we won’t back down from our commitment to helping house and care for vulnerable people in our community. But with thousands of families and individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness across the region, we know our efforts cannot meet the entire need. We urge a Yes vote on Measure 26-210 so that together, our region can make a historic investment in the health and well- being of the entire community.
CareOregon
Health Share of Oregon
Kaiser Permanente Legacy Health
Providence Health & Services - Oregon
(This information furnished by Cole Merkel, HereTogether)
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
MULTNOMAH COUNTY IS VOTING YES ON MEASURE 26-210 FOR SUPPORTIVE HOMELESS SERVICES
Everyone in our community is affected by the homelessness crisis. Especially here in Multnomah County, the impact of homelessness is present around us every single day. Please join us in voting YES on Measure 26-210 by May 19. Together, we can support our most vulnerable Multnomah County community members with the supportive services they need to transition into safe and stable homes, or stay in their safe and stable homes, and keep our community healthy here, together.
Governor Kate Brown
U.S. Senator Jeff Mer
Congressman Earl Blumenauer
Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici
State Treasurer Tobias Read
State Legislators:
House Speaker Tina Kotek
Senator Shemia Fagan
Representative Alissa Keny- Guyer
Representative Rob Nosse
Representative Carla C. Piluso
Former Senator Chip Shields
Mult Co Commission:
Chair Deborah Kafoury
Commissioner Susheela Jayapal
Commissioner Sharon Meieran
Commissioner Lori Stegmann
Commissioner Vega Pederson
City Electeds:
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler
Portland City Commissioner Chloe Eudaly
Wood Village Mayor T. Scott Harden
Gresham City Councilor Eddy Moralez
School Board Members:
Michelle Depass, Portland Public
Andrea Valderrama, David Douglas
Ricki Ruiz, Reynolds
Organizations:
Bradley Angle
Business for a Better Portland
CareOregon
Cascade AIDS Project
Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare
Central City Concern
DoGood Multnomah Downtown Development Group
Fubonn Shopping Center Hacienda CDC
Health Share of Orego Human Solutions, Inc.
Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization
Impact NW
Interfaith Alliance on Poverty
JOIN
Kaiser Permanente
Latino Network
Legacy Health
Living Cully
Love Portland Group
Native American Youth and Family Center
New Avenues for Youth
Northwest Pilot Project
Operation Nightwatch
Portland Oregon Food Bank
Outside In
p:ear
Portland Association of Teachers
Portland Business Alliance
Portland Homeless Family Solutions
Portland: Neighbors Welcome
Portland Timbers and Thorns
Providence Health & Services
- Oregon Street Roots
The Rosewood Initiative
Transition Projects, Inc.
Unite Oregon
Welcome Home Coalition
YWCA of Greater Portland
(This information furnished by Cole Merkel, HereTogether)
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
Schell, Gould and Walta Statement of Support for Metro’s
Supportive Housing Services Ballot Measure
It is essential to vote YES on Measure 26-210 to address the Portland metro area’s homelessness crisis with concrete solutions.
As professionals with medical and administrative law experience, we have spent three years independently studying the homelessness situation in the Portland metro area and statewide. We recently published a report with our 22 recommendations as a result of our study, for what can be done to address the homelessness crisis, all of which can be found at homelessnessoregon.com.
One of the key recommendations in our report is for voters to approve Measure 26-210. This measure would raise about $250 million a year for ten years, to be divided among the three counties, to increase supportive services that are essential for addressing the Portland metro area’s homelessness problem.
We support Measure 26-210. All of our independent research suggests that voting YES on Measure 26-210 by May 19 is the most effective way we can all come together to fund the solutions necessary for solving people’s homelessness in our community as soon as possible.
Dr. Douglas Walta, MD
John W. Gould, JD
Steven R. Schell, JD
(This information furnished by Cole Merkel, HereTogether)
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
JOIN US IN VOTING YES ON MEASURE 26-210
We are HereTogether
HereTogether is a coalition of more than 150 organizations, including nonprofit service providers, people of color, people with lived experience of homelessness, elected officials, faith communities, business leaders, and other members of our community. We have been working for more than a year to structure an effective measure that will enable real, impactful solutions for our region’s homelessness crisis.
Measure 26-210 will provide the services necessary to support our neighbors, siblings, children, and families experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness.
Please join us and vote YES for Measure 26-210 by May 19.
State/Federal Elected Leaders
Governor Kate Brown
U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley
U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer
U.S. Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici
State Treasurer Tobias Read
City Leaders
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler
Portland City Commissioner Chloe Eudaly
Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle
Forest Grove Mayor Peter Truax
Gresham City Councilor Eddy Morales
Happy Valley Council President Brett Sherman
Lake Oswego City Councilor Theresa Kohlhoff
Wood Village Mayor T. Scott Harden
Clackamas County Commissioners
Chair Jim Bernard
Commissioner Sonya Fischer
Commissioner Ken Humberston
River Water Commissioner Naomi Angier
Metro Councilors
President Lynn Peterson
Councilor Bob Stacey
Councilor Christine Lewis
Councilor Craig Dirksen
Councilor Juan Carlos Gonzalez
Councilor Sam Chase
Councilor Shirley Craddick
Milwaukie City Councilors
Mayor Mark Gamba
Council President Angel Falconer
Councilor Kathy Hyzy
Councilor Lisa Batey
Councilor Wilda Parks
Multnomah County Commissioners
Chair Deborah Kafoury
Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson
Commissioner Lori Stegmann
Commissioner Sharon Meieran
Commissioner Susheela Jayapal
State Legislators
House Speaker Tina Kotek
Representative Alissa Keny- Guyer
Representative Rob Nosse
Representative Carla Piluso
Senator Shemia Fagan
Senator Elizabeth Steiner Hayward
Senator Michael Dembrow
Dave McTeague, Former State Representative
Chip Shields, Former State Senator
Washington County Commissioners
Kathryn Harrington, Washington County Commission Chair
Commissioner Dick Schouten
West Linn City Councilors
Council President Teri Cummings
Councilor Richard Sakelik
(This information furnished by Cole Merkel, HereTogether)
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
HereTogether Coalition Endorsers, cont.
Education
Portland Association of Teachers
Beaverton Education Association
Hillsboro Classified United, American Federation of Teachers Local 4671
Andrea Valderrama, Chair, David Douglas School Board
Carla C. Piluso, Member, Gresham-Barlow School Board
Mitzi Bauer, Member, North Clackamas School Board
Kathy Wai, Member, North Clackamas School Board
Martha Spiers, Member, Oregon City School Board
Elizabeth Durant, Member, Parkrose School Board
Michelle DePass, Director Board of Education, Portland Public Schools
Ruth Adkins, Former Member, Portland Public School Board
Pamela Knowles, Former Member, Portland Public Schools Board
David Wynde, Former Member, Portland Public Schools Board
Ricki Ruiz, Reynolds School Board
Jamie McLeod-Skinner, Member, Jefferson County Education Service District
Faith Leaders
Interfaith Alliance on Poverty
Catholic Charities of Oregon
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon
First Unitarian Church Committee on Hunger and Homelessness
Ainsworth United Church of Christ
Augustana Lutheran Church
Havurah Shalom
Metropolitan Alliance for Common Good
Portsmouth Union Church
Rabbi Debra Kolodny
Rev. Adam Ericksen
Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie
Rev. Dr. W. J. Mark Knutson
Rev. Heather Riggs
Rev. M. Lynne Smouse López
Other Endorsing Organizations
Adelante Mujeres
AFSCME Local 3580
Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon
Assist Program Avenue Agency
Blackbird Benefits Collective
Bradley Angle
Brett Schulz, Architect PC
Business For A Better Portland
CareOregon
CASA of Oregon
Cascadia Partners LLC
Cascade AIDS Project
Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare
Central City Concern
Centro Cultural
Chris Bonner, Principal Broker, Hasson
Clackamas Service Center
Clackamas Women's Services
Coalition of Communities of Color
ColumbiaCare Services
Community Action, Washington County
Community Alliance of Tenants
Community Development Partners
Community Partners for Affordable Housing
Creative Arts Recovery
Dick Clark, CEO of The Portland Clinic
DoGood Multnomah Downtown Development Group
Dr. Ben Ware
Dr. Douglas Walta
Ear Trumpet Labs
Easterseals Oregon
Eickhof Creative Shop
El Programa Hispano Católico
Evan King, LCSW, Realtor Foundation
Fubonn Shopping Center
(This information furnished by Cole Merkel, HereTogether)
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
HereTogether Coalition Endorsers, cont.
Fuze7 Marketing
Gun Denhart, Founder Hanna Andersson
Hacienda Community Development Corporation
Healthshare of Oregon
Holst Architecture
HomePlate Youth Services
Homeless Solutions Coalition of Clackamas
Housing Oregon
Human Solutions
Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization
Impact NW
Innovative Housing
JOIN
Kaiser Permanente
Kate McNulty LCSW
Lady Dutchman Leathers
Lara Media Services
Latino Network
Legacy Health Living Cully
Liz Fuller, PBA Board Member
Love INC of Clackamas County
Love Portland Group
LoveOne
Luke-Dorf
Marigold Coffee
Maxwell Pratt, Realtor
Mitchell Hornecker, Former PBA Board Chair
Nathan Teske, Executive Director, Bienestar
National Alliance on Mental Illness, Clackamas
Native American Youth and Family Center
Neighbors Realty
Neil Kelly Company
New Avenues for Youth
Northwest Family Services
Northwest Housing Alternatives
Northwest Pilot Project
Operation Nightwatch Portland
Oregon Energy Fund
Oregon Food Bank
Oregon Trails Coalition
Oregon Working Families Party
Outside In
Outside the Frame
p:ear
PixelSpoke
Portland Business Alliance
Portland Gray Panthers
Portland Homeless Family Solutions
Portland Timbers and Thorns
Portland: Neighbors Welcome
Prism Health
Project Homeless Connect
Proud Ground
Providence Health & Services - Oregon
REACH Community Development
Reichard & Associates
Ride Report
ROSE Community Development
Rosenbaum Financial
Ross Lienhart
Russell Fellows Properties
Salazar Architect
Sequoia Mental Health
Smith + Connors
St. Mary's Home for Boys
Bozz Media
Steve Rudman
Stone Soup PDX
Street Roots
The Father's Heart
The Rosewood Initiative
TITAN Freight Systems
Transition Projects Unite Oregon
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555
Welcome Home Coalition
Winter Shelter of Forest Grove and Cornelius
Worksystems, the Portland Metro Workforce Development Board
YWCA of Greater Portland
For the complete list visit weareheretogether.org
(This information furnished by Cole Merkel, HereTogether)
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
A YES vote on Measure 26-210 will provide housing stability to thousands of vulnerable community members.
Portland Voters:
MEASURE 26-210 and COMMISSIONER CHLOE EUDALY:
For safe, stable, and affordable housing!
"Housing is a basic need and a human right, but due to unaffordability, it's out of reach for thousands of people across our region. Supply is only part of the equation. We must stabilize people in their existing homes and provide necessary supports to ensure they stay housed, in addition to increasing the affordable housing supply." -Commissioner Chloe Eudaly
Measure 26-210 is a critical step toward ensuring vulnerable community members get housed and stay housed. Across the Metro region, over 5,000 people are sleeping outside or in shelters every night. Several thousand more, sleep in their cars or doubled up with friends and family. Oregon ranks #1 in the nation for unsheltered families with children. This is unacceptable. We can do better.
Our current housing crisis began in 2010. It's not just a Portland problem, it's an Oregon problem, and a national crisis. We must stem the tide of homelessness and human suffering across the Metro region.
Commissioner Eudaly has worked diligently on housing issues since her election:
- Passed The Mandatory Rental Relocation Ordinance (or "Relo"), stabilizing thousands of Portland renters and protecting them from price-gouging and unfair evictions.
- Passed The Fair Access in Renting (or "FAIR") Ordinance, lowering barriers to housing
- Serves as second chair on Joint Office of Homelessness Services
She also supported $1 billion for affordable housing construction measures in 2016 and 2018 passed by Portland and through Metro. However, these measures alone are
not enough. We need funding for the services and supports necessary to get and keep people housed.
See www.votechloe.com/housing for more on Chloe's housing platform.
Vote YES on Measure 26-210 and Vote Chloe Eudaly for Portland City Council for safe, stable, and affordable housing.
(This information furnished by Chloe Eudaly)
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon Urges YES Vote
We need to address Oregon’s worst-in-the-nation rate of children and youth homelessness.
Far too often in our region, if a student experiencing homelessness asks her school’s homelessness liaison for help, she will not receive a housing voucher, and she will not receive a bed at a shelter. Because of a lack of federal, state and local investment in housing supports, school staff will hand the student and her family one of these - a tent.
Nationally, at the state level and regionally, we have failed our children and youth. Last school year, in the
- Beaverton School District, over 1,900 students experienced homelessness;
- In Portland Public Schools, that number was over 1,200 students;
- In Reynolds School District, nearly 900 students experienced homelessness.
- In fact, every school district in our region has similarly tragic numbers of houseless students.
A survey conducted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors stated that “the most frequently cited reasons for family homelessness are a lack of affordable housing, poverty, and domestic violence.” The National Center on Family Homelessness reports that: “Children without stable homes are more than twice as likely as others to repeat a school grade, be expelled or suspended, or drop out of high school. A quarter or more of homeless children have witnessed violence.”
Nationally:
- Latinx youth have a 33% higher risk of reporting homelessness.
- African American youth have an 83% higher risk of reporting homelessness.
- LBGTQIA+ youth have a 120% higher risk of reporting homelessness.
These inequities and terrible figures reflect the reality of far too many of our neighbors in this region.
In embrace of our responsibility for one another, EMO urges a YES vote on Metro Measure 26-210.
* EMO is an association comprising of 15 denominations and over 150 congregations, organizations, and interfaith partners, connecting hundreds of thousands of diverse members of the faith community all across the state.
(This information furnished by Britt Conroy, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon)
ARGUMENT IN OPPOSITION
6 ways Oregon is attracting homeless from across America and overwhelming our local shelters.
Nearly 1 of 3 Portland homeless come from other states (OPB 3-13-18).
In 2019 most states saw a decline in homelessness, but Oregon’s numbers soared. Why? Because homeless populations left others states to come to Oregon to take advantage of our unique benefits.
- The word is out. “People are coming here because we make it comfortable to be homeless” as quoted by a Portland homeless advocate in the national City Journal Magazine. (Winter 2016)
- Multnomah County wasted tax dollars putting homeless people in expensive hotels ($3,318 a month) before it had to cancel the program because it became too popular. (OPB 3-13-18)
- Oregon allowed food stamp use for 5 years—that’s 3 years longer than other states. The Atlantic called Oregon a “Welfare Utopia”. (5/31/16)
- Multnomah County’s risky “no-refuse” shelter guarantee attracted too many out-of-area takers, which overwhelmed the system and led to it being cancelled. (OPB 3-13-18)
- Portland’s “sleep anywhere” policy allowed widespread trespass-camping on private property. This led to the Springwater Corridor campsite, at 500 campers, was the nation’s LARGEST homeless camp. (Heritage Foundation 10/18/19)
- When Portland failed to enforce basic laws, homeless people discovered they can do things they couldn’t do in other cities. Not enforcing minor laws led to breaking more laws. Portland homeless accounted for the MAJORITY of police arrests in 2017. (Oregonian 6/27/18).
No amount of taxes will fix the problem as long as our backward policies continue to attract homeless from other states.
Stop measure 26-210. It’ll only fund homeless from other states. Please fix the bigger problems first.
Taxpayer Association of Oregon Urges No on 26-210
—Please follow us online at OregonWatchdog.com. We’ve been fighting government waste, fraud, and abuse for more than 20 years.
(This information furnished by Jason Williams, Taxpayer Association of Oregon)
ARGUMENT IN OPPOSITION
No New Taxes until they stop wasting existing tax dollars. Tax $$$ wasted on rewarding pot smoking, drug use
- Portland awarded $125,000 of our tax dollars to two pot shops. These business assistance funds come at a time when Oregon has a staggering six-year surplus supply of marijuana, which is making the drug even cheaper. This doesn’t help our homeless drug abuse crisis. (Portland Business Journal 1/22/19)
- A Tigard meth house was given a $30,000 taxpayer- funded housing assistance grant even as it was racking up neighborhood complaints and multiple police drug raids. (KGW-TV 6/14/18)
Tax $$$ wasted on homeless boondoggles
Portland wasted nearly $250,000.00 in tax dollars building a modular homeless shelter it NEVER used. (Oregonian 9/13/18)
- Multnomah County wasted $700,000.00 turning a former strip club into a Gresham shelter that lasted barely a year before it was evacuated as an emergency health hazard. (Gresham Outlook 2/28/18)
- Portland wasted millions on the Cannady affordable housing project only to have it sit mostly VACANT a year later due to ongoing problems and possible violations. (Willamette Week 2/6/19)
Tax $$$ wasted on blocking good solutions to help homeless
- Politicians wasted $58 million building the never-used Wapato Jail and now have actively blocked private citizens from turning it into a homeless shelter. This is a stunning example of how politicians can throw away $58 million in tax dollars as if it was nothing and then stand in the way of people trying to help. (KGW 10/10/19)
Pouring a quarter-billion dollars in higher taxes into more boondoggles and government waste will not help the homeless, but instead make it worse.
Taxpayer Association of Oregon Urges No on 26-210
—Please follow us online at OregonWatchdog.com. We’ve been fighting government waste, fraud, and abuse for more than 20 years.
(This information furnished by Jason Williams, Taxpayer Association of Oregon)
ARGUMENT IN OPPOSITION
Don’t raise taxes in an economic crisis!
Front page of the Oregonian March 20, 2020: “Jobless claims surge 3,200% this week” “Unemployment rate could rise as high as 20%” “Nearly 50,000 people would be looking for work”
On March 20, the Portland Tribune editorial warned: “This is not the time for more taxes… Raising taxes by that amount [$230 million] in the face of a global recession is poor public policy.”
Thousands of family-owned restaurants and small local shops are on the brink of closing. They need income to hire people. They need paying customers to keep afloat. The massive 26-201 tax robs small business owners of both their income and their customers.
The politicians have plenty of money.
The State of Oregon already has an $84 billion biennial budget that could be tapped into to help the homeless. The state spends more tax cash per capita than 46 other states. The money is there.
The METRO government already has $680 million in just- approved (2019) property taxes going for affordable housing to help the homeless. Now they want more?
It comes too late.
The Portland Tribune said the tax “would not even be collected until 2021. So, in fact, this measure would do nothing to address the immediate 2020 crisis.” (3/20/20)
The damage caused will be lifelong.
The #1 poverty cure is a job—why tax jobs?
The small businesses owners destroyed by 26-210 will become homeless, bankrupt, or on welfare.
The family restaurants destroyed by 26-210 will be replaced by low-wage corporate chain restaurants.
Vote No on Measure 26-210
Don’t throw more local businesses into bankruptcy with a massive tax increase
To prevent the expected 20% jobless rate, businesses need money—not taxes.
Taxpayer Association of Oregon urges No on 26-210
—Please follow us online at OregonWatchdog.com. We’ve been fighting government waste, fraud, and abuse for more than 20 years.
(This information furnished by Jason Williams, Taxpayer Association of Oregon)
ARGUMENT IN OPPOSITION
The Oregon Small Business Association Vote No on 26-210
COVID-19 caused the worst economic shock since the Great Depression.
It will take months or years to recover family wage jobs lost during what Gov. Kate Brown appropriately declared a State of Emergency.
COVID-19 is causing unparalleled shutdowns and slowdowns as many local small businesses are forced to make painful layoff choices in order to preserve cash and survive. Many families consequently are in financial crisis as they go without regular paychecks. This measure is the wrong tax at the worst possible time.
For those mall businesses still hanging on and trying to make payroll or hoping to hire back valued former employees, this additional demand on scarce cash flow could be a death knell.
We also must consider the accumulation of new expenses imposed by state and local governments on small businesses, such as the new state gross receipts tax that forces payments even when a business has had huge losses – as many have because of COVID-19.
The best solution against homelessness is a job. Small businesses want to hire – but can’t if you drown them in new taxes.
Instead of reducing homelessness, Metro’s proposed tax likely increase homelessness by slowing down a post-COVID recovery.
Please vote NO on Measure 26-210
(This information furnished by TJ Reilly, Oregon Small Business Association)
ARGUMENT IN OPPOSITION
VOTE NO ON 26-210: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
Metro is at it again. Last November, Metro raised taxes $475 million for parks and nature. Now, Metro wants $2.5 billion for housing services. This November, Metro has plans for $3.8 billion in taxes to expand light rail. That’s nearly $6.8 billion in new taxes—in one year alone.
Families are losing jobs. Businesses are closing. Our region is in a recession.
We can’t afford Metro’s reckless spending. We can’t afford Metro’s new taxes.
VOTE NO ON TWO NEW INCOME TAXES
Measure 26-210 punishes struggling families and businesses with two new income taxes. Many small and medium sized business owners will be taxed twice by Metro’s measure. First on their business income, then on their personal income.
Measure 26-210 imposes thousands of dollars in new taxes on struggling families. Families who can’t make their mortgage, can’t afford their car payment, can’t afford their student loans. In these tough times, Measure 26-210 may create more homeless than it helps.
Metro doesn’t care. Metro had a chance to pull this measure once it learned how COVID-19 would destroy families and businesses. Instead, Metro chose to go full speed ahead with its punishing taxes.
VOTE NO ON METRO’S MISSION CREEP
Metro’s mission is land use and transportation planning. How’s that working out for you? You’re stuck traffic and our housing market’s a mess.
Measure 26-210 expands Metro’s mission to include rental subsidies and homeless services. Metro wants you to pay for their mission creep. Given Metro’s history of misplaced priorities, do you trust them to get it right this time?
VOTE NO ON CHAOS AND CONFUSION
Measure 26-210 was thrown together in under a month. And it shows. Metro has no idea who will actually have to pay the new taxes or how the taxes will be collected and enforced. Metro has no plan to reduce the number of actual homeless.
VOTE NO ON 26-210
(This information furnished by Eric Fruits Ph.D., Cascade Policy Institute)
ARGUMENT IN OPPOSITION
LOCAL CHAMBERS URGE NO VOTE ON METRO’S $250 MILLION TAX INCREASE
Tualatin Chamber of Commerce
Gresham Area Chamber of Commerce
Beaverton Area Chamber of Commerce
North Clackamas Chamber of Commerce
Oregon City Chamber of Commerce
Metro-area Chambers have a long track record of supporting local tax measures to fund critical public services. However, we urge voters to oppose Metro’s new $250 million tax increase out of concern for the health of our economy during a global pandemic and inevitable recession.
VOTE NO ON METRO’S MEASURE 26-210
- The COVID-19 “coronavirus” crisis has devastated thousands of local businesses and working families. Millions of dollars in new taxes at this time will make the situation worse.
- Measure 26-210 is a blank check to the Metro government. Metro leaders have failed to articulate a plan to ensure that the $250 million raised by this tax is managed in an accountable manner.
- Metro’s Measure 26-210 was developed in a backroom without adequate public input from key community leaders.
METRO RESIDENTS ARE TAXED ENOUGH ALREADY
Portland-area businesses and residents are already trying to keep up with billions of dollars of new taxes recently passed by the state and local governments. Measure 26-210 adds uncertainty at a time when our communities are looking for economic stability. Stacking additional taxes on the same dollar, especially during this time of crisis, will make it difficult for businesses to survive and leave Oregon families paying higher prices. We must work to stabilize the local economy in the wake of COVID-19, not add millions of new taxes.
SMALL BUSINESSES FACE DOUBLE TAXATION UNDER MEAURE 26-210
Measure 26-210 unduly hurts small and medium-sized businesses. Most small businesses register as S-Corps or LLCs and will be very impacted by the 1% personal tax increase on income over $125,000. These same taxpayers could also face the 1% business tax increase. Double taxation is the wrong approach.
REJECT MEASURE 26-210: OUR COMMUNITIES CANNOT AFFORD IT
(This information furnished by Amanda Dalton, Alliance for an Affordable Metro)
ARGUMENT IN OPPOSITION
Vote No on Measure 26-210
Today is different than yesterday. Our area employers are barely keeping their doors open.
It’s time to rebuild. Not pass new taxes.
We simply can’t afford it.
The tax increases contained in Measure 26-210 will nearly double the rate of the brand new Commercial Activities Tax (CAT) just taking effect this year. There is no doubt that this measure will increase the costs of basic needs including groceries, housing and utility bills.
At a time when we can least afford it.
Long-term funding for homelessness is critical and needs to be addressed. This hastily drafted Measure is not the answer and will put what jobs are left at risk while raising the cost of basic necessities for current residents making it even less affordable to live in the Metro area.
Do not give Metro a $250 Million blank check for the next 10 years. It’s simply too costly and risky with no guarantees for a return.
Can Metro families really afford more?
We cannot consider these new personal and business taxes in a vacuum. Any new tax must be considered based on the cumulative effect of taxing the same dollar. In 2020 alone Metro residents will be asked to consider a slew of new, stacking taxes:
- $250 million Metro business income and personal income tax increase
- $16 million City of Portland gas tax renewal
- 3.9% personal income tax increase to fund universal preschool
- Multnomah County business income tax increase
- $3 billion Metro transportation tax package
- $1.4 billion Portland Public Schools bond
- $405 million Multnomah County library bond
At a time when we can least afford it.
We simply can’t consider adding new business and income taxes during this unprecedented time of crisis. Our employers must focus on rebuilding, keeping their doors open, shelves stocked, and paychecks signed.
Vote No on Measure 26-210
It’s time to rebuild. Not pass new taxes.
(This information furnished by Amanda Dalton, Alliance for an Affordable Metro)
ARGUMENT IN OPPOSITION
Oregon Farm Bureau Federation and Oregon Association of Nurseries OPPOSE Measure 26-210
The Metro area is home to thousands of acres of family farms and nurseries. They’ve grown our local produce, Christmas trees and garden plants for many generations. These farms need certainty that they can keep operating during the COVID- 19 crisis and afterward, when they are rebuilding from the economic damage of the crisis, not new taxes.
Metro’s family farms can’t afford another tax
Long-term funding for homelessness is should be prioritized. However, this hastily-drafted measure will reduce cash flow for local farm families at a time when they are struggling to keep their doors open. Many nurseries compete against growers from other states with lower cost burdens. This tax harms the ability to ship environmentally beneficial products across the country.
Farmers need a break, not more taxes
Farm net income is down 50% over the last four years, even before coronavirus. This tax will nearly double the rate of the brand-new corporate activities tax (CAT), which taxes low margin businesses, like farms and nurseries, even if they don’t make a profit.
Measure 26-210 makes the current situation much worse. In addition to taxing businesses based on their business income, it also taxes personal income, which for most family farms means double taxation. Most farms and nurseries are LLCs and S-Corps; they pay personal income taxes on their business earnings, even after they pay business income taxes.
Metro can’t afford this tax either
Countless businesses will be struggling to stay afloat as we recover from coronavirus. A new tax on family business will make that even harder. This measure risks putting family farms and nurseries out of business. We don’t know the long- term consequences of the coronavirus crisis, but we do know this is the WRONG time for a new $250 million tax.
VOTE NO on Measure 26-210 It’s a LOSE-LOSE situation for family farms and nurseries
(This information furnished by Amanda Dalton, Alliance for an Affordable Metro )
The printing of these arguments does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the arguments.