4/10/2022
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The Spokesman-Review
People for Portland homeless ballot proposal rejected
Nearly two-thirds of non-homeowners polled say affordability woes block homeownership
KHQ
KXLY
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The Spokesman-Review
People for Portland homeless ballot proposal rejected
By Nicole Hayden
OREGONIAN
A proposed ballot measure to require that most of the money that Portland- area voters designated to reduce homelessness be spent on emergency shelters has been rejected as ineligible for the ballot by the Metro regional government’s legal team.
People for Portland, a relatively new dark money lobbying group, had submitted a ballot proposal requiring that 75% of the Metro homelessness tax voters passed in 2020 be used to create or operate short-term shelters.
As written, however, the group’s petition omitted a required clause and failed to spell out the full text of all the rules it would change, Metro attorney Carrie MacLaren wrote. On top of that, People for Portland didn’t propose new legislation but rather administrative details of existing legislation – and Oregon’s constitution doesn’t allow ballot measure on administrative matters, MacLaren wrote.
It is not yet clear if People for Portland will challenge the decision in court or if they will file a new ballot proposal. The group did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. Metro communications director Neil Simon said the agency would not comment beyond what MacLaren wrote “due to potential litigation.”
People for Portland, which advocates for changes in how local government officials respond to public safety, homelessness and trash, had hoped to change how the estimated $250 million a year in tax money for homelessness services is used. It also sought to compel local jurisdictions to enforce any anti-camping rules on their books.
If it were passed, one effect would have been to divert funding from rental subsidies, supportive services and caseworkers that keep formerly homeless people housed.
HereTogether, the nonprofit that chanpioned the initial homelessness tax, praised the attorney’s decision to disqualify the measure.
“The ballot measure proposed by People for Portland would have done more harm to our unhoused neighbors who are in need of immediate resources and support, and is a disservice to everyone in our community who wants to see our region’s homeless crisis come to an end,” the group said in a statement Friday. “The proposal would be a waste of valuable, voter-approved resources.”
While the People for Portland proposal urged immediate action and solutions, building new shelters likely would have taken years, the coalition said.
“Our unhoused neighbors need to transition indoors as soon as possible. The HereTogether coalition remains committed to pushing everyone, including local governments, to remove the barriers that stand in the way of more immediate action to speed relief for our unhoused neighbors.”
The Ellington apartment complex is shown April 6 in Northeast Portland.
BETH NAKAMURA/ OREGONIAN
Nearly two-thirds of non-homeowners polled say affordability woes block homeownership
By Jeff Ostrowski
BANKRATE.COM
Home prices are still soaring. Affordability grows more challenging by the month. Even so, homeownership remains very much part of the American dream, a Bankrate survey finds.
Bankrate’s Financial Security survey for March shows that Americans place a higher value on homeownership than on any other indicator of economic stability, including a successful career and a college education.
Meanwhile, Americans who have yet to achieve homeownership say the combination of soaring home values and rising mortgage rates are holding them back.
“Non-homeowners cite insufficient income, high home prices and not being able to afford a down payment or closing costs as the most common barriers to becoming a homeowner,” says Greg McBride, Bankrate’s chief financial analyst. “High – and rising – home prices can contribute to the feelings of not having enough income or savings accumulated to buy a house.”
The coronavirus pandemic led many homeowners to reconsider their living arrangements, but most who responded to Bankrate’s survey said their current home suits them just fine.
“Nearly three in four homeowners say they would still buy their current home if they had it to do all over again,” McBride says. “Paying down debt, building savings and knowing the limits of what you can afford all provide the stable financial foundation on which no-regrets homeownership is built.”
Homeownership is front and center in the American dream
Asked to rank the hallmarks of economic prosperity, 74% of Americans say they place the highest priority on owning a home. This milestone ranks above being able to retire (cited by 66% of respondents), having a successful career (60%), owning an automobile (50%), having children (40%) and getting a college degree (35%).
Viewing homeownership as part of the American dream is common in every age group, and it’s the most-mentioned milestone among Americans 26 and older. Only Generation Z (ages 18-25) doesn’t rank it in the top spot – but Gen Z still rates homeownership (59%) a close second to achieving a successful career (60%).
The tendency to cite homeownership as part of the American dream increases with age, from 59% among Gen Zers to 87% among seniors ages 68 and up.
Most homeowners would buy the same home again
Among homeowners, 72% say they would do it all over again – they’d buy their current home, even with the benefit of hindsight. Just 18% of homeowners would not, and 10% are undecided. The sentiment is consistent across the country, ranging from 69% in the Northeast to 73% in the Midwest.
Those findings add nuance to what has been considered a nationwide scramble to move over the past two years. While remote work did indeed allow many Americans to move away from expensive housing markets, most, it seems, are content to stay where they are, according to Bankrate’s poll.
Affordability is a challenge
As a result of skyrocketing prices, it’s getting harder for Americans to afford homes. Just 54.2% of homes sold during the fourth quarter of 2021 were affordable to families earning a typical income. That number stood at 66% at the start of the pandemic, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index.
With home prices at record levels and the inventory of homes for sale hitting a record low in January, the affordability squeeze is tightening.
Among adults who don’t own a home, the primary reasons are not enough income (43%), outof- reach home prices (39%) and being unable to afford a down payment and closing costs (36%). Other reasons cited were poor credit (22%), simply not being ready (22%), mortgage rates that are too high (17%), lack of inventory of homes for sale (13%), and having too much debt (13%). Some 14% of those who don’t own a home indicate they never want to, regardless of circumstances.
Among those not owning homes, 44% of millennials pointed to home prices climbing too high while 44% of Gen Zers indicated they’re just not ready to be homeowners. A lack of sufficient income was cited consistently across all age groups and was the most-mentioned reason among Gen Zers, Gen Xers and baby boomers. Among millennials, high home prices (44%) edged out lack of income (42%).
Gen Xers (27%) and millennials (24%) were the age groups most likely to say their credit scores fall short. Never wanting to own a home under any circumstances was lowest among Gen Zers (9%) and millennials (12%) as compared to Gen Xers (17%) and baby boomers (18%).
Many who can’t afford homes are throwing in the towel
Homeowners and non-homeowners alike were asked to what extent they might go to find affordable housing. The most common response, cited by 42%, is nothing – they wouldn’t be willing to do anything to find more affordable housing. Among the steps respondents would be willing to take, 27% would move out of state, 21% would buy a fixer- upper, 20% would move farther from family and friends, 13% would move farther from work and 11% would be willing to move to a less-desirable area.
Those not willing to make any changes in pursuit of affordable housing were most concentrated in the South (47%) and least prevalent in Western states (36%). Those in the West were most inclined to move out of state (33%), followed closely by those in the Northeast (31%). Residents of Southern states (22%) and Midwestern states (25%) were less inclined to relocate out of state.
Methodology
This survey is based on online interviews of the YouGov panel of individuals who have agreed to take part in surveys. Emails were sent to panelists selected at random from the base sample. Total sample size was 2,530 adults. Responses were collected March 2-4, 2022. Figures are weighted and are representative of all U.S. adults.
Bankrate’s Financial Security survey for March shows that Americans place a higher value on homeownership than on any other indicator of economic stability.
TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
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KHQ
SPOKANE, Wash. - The Spokane Public School district is one of many nationwide facing down a shortage of bus drivers, prompting a thorough evaluation of their transportation models.
Now, a number of changes are being considered for the upcoming school year, and they're asking for the public to weigh in.
According to SPS, around 35% of the total 29,000+ student population relies on school buses to get to class. SPS contracts Durham School Services for transportation. Currently, Durham has 91 school bus routes and only 85 drivers. Prior to 2020, Durham reports having between 150 and 158 routes and averaged 170 drivers, illustrating just how dire the shortage is.
To combat this, the SPS Transportation Team has proposed five potential solutions for the 2022-23 school year:
Increase route efficiencies by reducing the number of neighborhood stops, creating safe and accessible central gathering locations, and increasing walk-distance to stops.
Changing bus arrival times before and after school to provide more time between tiers.
Increasing the walk boundary for middle and high school students to be more in line with other metro areas, from the current 1 mile up to between 1.5 and 2 miles.
Increasing high school ridership through STA partnership.
Explore alternative transportation options for students currently in additional bus service options, such as Excelsior and Choice Programs.
The SPS Transport Team spent time evaluating potential pros and cons of each of these options, laying them out in their guide for parents to consider. As well, they're considering long-term recommendations, including evaluating contract models, creating a more extensive partnership with the STA, and exploring full or partial in-house transportation.
With these solutions in mind, they're asking for feedback from the community. The survey not only asks for thoughts on the matter, it will allow you to share your opinions, rate ideas left by others, and view matters deemed important by the group. Click HERE to learn more about the proposed strategies and join the survey!
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KXLY
Posted: April 8, 2022 4:25 PM Updated: April 8, 2022 6:15 PM by Rania Kaur
SPOKANE, Wash. – Benefits, names changes, Medicare – everything you need to get done at the Social Security Administration Office had to be over the phone, online or by appointment until now.
Spokane’s Social Security is now allowing walk-in appointments for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Pamela Pulver walked out of the office on Friday after waiting years to get into her social security account.
“I’ve been abroad so that complicated things,” she said.
Pulver tried going online and calling the 1-800 number, but said she was unsuccessful in getting her questions answered.
“Everybody said ‘Oh, it’s fixed now’ and it wasn’t, so now I’m hoping it’s fixed,” Pulver said.
That phone system is something the agency freely admits will continue to be a problem. The Regional Communications Director for the SSA says people may get a busy signal or be unintentionally discounted from their call.
While the SSA wants those who can to do their business online, people can walk into the office. You can still expect some delays but can avoid some of the stress by doing your homework before showing up.
Masks are required inside and the SSA will provide you one if you do not have it when you walk inside.
Many of the seats are blocked off to maintain social distancing, so do not bring anyone with you that does not need to be there.
You can also expect to wait. Some appointments take as little as 15 minutes, but others can take much longer.
According to Reuters, the SSA is working to replace staff lost during the pandemic, but hiring has been frozen since last week. SSDI and SSI claims have also been clogged throughout the pandemic.