A year ago, Portland declared an official housing emergency to ease homelessness and rising housing costs. A year later, the emergency continues.
"Portland's declared 'housing emergency' will continue through at least October 2017," reports Brad Schmidt.
According to Schmidt, earlier this week, "the City Council voted unanimously to extend the emergency first enacted last October. The declaration is supposed to ease zoning restrictions for temporary shelters and loosen design requirements for affordable-housing projects."
Schmidt also reported on the city's political debate about housing a year ago, which included the decision to declare a housing emergency and a $30 million spending proposal by Mayor Charlie Hales.
As for the progress the city has made in the meantime, Schmidt reports that 475 shelter beds have already opened or are expected to soon open, and "[o]fficials hope to open an additional 175 by June 2017."
FULL STORY: Portland's 'housing emergency' extended extra year
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