Candidate Survey 2020

Thank you for participating in our online forum discussing equity, livability, and emergency preparedness issues as they relate to Portland’s built environment. Please answer the following questions and submit when complete. Responses should be submitted by October 19, and will be made public on October 20-21 and publicized through election day. Contact us with questions.

For context on the project to document, recognize, and protect buildings and places that acknowledge the Black experience in Portland referenced in Question 1, see the City of Portland’s news article.

Questions for candidates 2020

Candidate name
What position are you running for?
QUESTION 1 - For more than 25 years, the Architectural Heritage Center has partnered with Portland’s African American community to document, recognize, and protect buildings and places that acknowledge the Black experience in Portland. This work culminated in a recent major documentation project, just approved by the National Park Service, which makes it easier to list properties associated with the Black experience in Portland in the National Register of Historic Places. What efforts would you take to strengthen historic preservation policies to further ensure the recognition of Portland’s African American places, culture, and history?*
QUESTION 2- A major earthquake could impact thousands of older and historic buildings throughout Portland, including the approximately 1,650 unreinforced masonry buildings and thousands of single-family residences that have not been seismically retrofitted. These are the buildings and homes that offer affordable places to work, play, and live. What specific ideas do you have to address the citywide need for seismic upgrades to its older buildings – including single family homes, apartments, commercial buildings, and houses of worship – that would engage all impacted community members and work toward a positive, rather than punitive solution?*
QUESTION 3 - Portland City Council will soon be voting on the Residential Infill Project (RIP). While certain to increase density, there is no guarantee that implementing RIP will increase housing affordability, and in fact, the opposite may be true. Studies have shown that lower-income residents in established neighborhoods, especially communities of color, will be forced out of rented single-family or multi-family homes, with little choice, but to either move to the suburbs or live in small apartments that lack the living and green spaces that are important parts of a thriving community. What proposals do you have to implement Portland’s Residential Infill Project that will encourage the maintenance of existing affordable housing and result in less displacement of low- and middle-income households and families with children?*
QUESTION 4 - With an incomplete inventory that is nearly 40 years old, the City of Portland has never fully documented the historic resources within city limits. This makes it difficult for anyone to understand the buildings, neighborhoods, structures, and spaces that are important to the community. At the same time, the review process for renovating historic properties currently falls under the umbrella of the City’s Bureau of Development Services. The burdensome fee structure associated with this process is highly inequitable and serves as a disincentive to preserving historic buildings and neighborhoods. How would you address the lack of recognition of historic properties citywide and the inequities in the current system in order to encourage sustainable historic preservation and make it possible for current and future generations to enjoy a more complete Portland story?*

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