Workshop Scheduled to Establish Income Guidelines for Affordable Housing Set-Aside

The Portland Development Commission (PDC) will sponsor a public workshop on Wednesday, January 24, 2007 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. to discuss the establishment of income guidelines for the affordable housing set-aside in urban renewal areas (URAs). The information will be used by PDC staff in developing their final report for the PDC Commission and ultimately Portland City Council. The workshop will be held at the Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs (OAME) located at 4134 N. Vancouver Avenue.

PDC and City Council have adopted a plan that calls for “setting aside” a minimum of 30 percent of urban renewal fund in certain URAs for affordable housing goals. This would affect the newer urban renewal districts including the Interstate Corridor, Gateway, Lents Town Center, North Macadam and South Park Blocks URAs. Separate percentages will be used for the Downtown Waterfront, Oregon Convention Center and Central Eastside URAs.

The next step in this process is the establishment of income guidelines for the tax increment financing (TIF) dollars allocated to affordable housing. PDC’s intent is to tailor the income guidelines to the various URAs respecting each area’s housing policy goals, current projects, and forecasted budget.

At the workshop PDC staff will provide a review of the process to date, including a brief synopsis of the implementation policy adopted by PDC and Portland City Council. Attendees will move into small groups to review the draft proposal for income guidelines, review urban renewal area specific housing policies, types of units and how to achieve home ownership goals. The large group will reconvene to hear reports from the small groups.

A preliminary report with recommendations on income guidelines has been developed by housing program and policy managers at PDC, City of Portland the Bureau of Housing and Community Development. Staff is now seeking input from the PDC Board, City Council and general public in January to develop a final recommendation. This will be presented on February 14, 2007 to the PDC Board for consideration, and following that, City Council.

More information about the TIF set-aside is available on PDC’s web site at www.pdc.us/tifsetaside.

PDC was created by Portland voters in 1958 to serve as the city’s urban renewal agency as laid out in Chapter 15 of the City’s Charter. PDC provides comprehensive housing, development and economic development programs within the Portland region

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Portland Development Commission | 222 NW Fifth Ave | Portland, OR 97209-3859
Phone: 503-823-3200 | Fax: 503-823-3368