The purpose of this article is to communicate the importance of the draft Equitable Housing Strategic Plan and where action is needed to address equity gaps, before it goes to Wilsonville’s Planning Commission and City Council.
Click here to jump to part 2 if you want to read about equity gaps.
Click the image to view a one page PDF that explains the plan.
Why is this important?
The plan will play a pivotal role in directing city action on housing for the next two years. Through the equity label, it aims to recognize and address historic and systemic injustices in Wilsonville’s housing market.
As COVID-19 is reminding us, systemic injustice is a matter of life and death for people of color and historically marginalized groups. By planning to meet their needs, we all benefit and are a more resilient and inclusive community.
After explaining the plan, I’ll make my case for what is missing to address our largest equity gaps in Wilsonville. Whether you agree or not, I encourage you to talk about this with your family, neighbors and contact the Planning Commission and City Council with your thoughts. Diversity is our strength.
Alright, let’s jump in!
What is the Equitable Housing Strategic Plan?
Equity is giving people the resources they need to succeed. It does not mean that everyone gets the same amount, which is equality. The difference is that equity recognizes the historic and systemic imbalance for people of color and other historically marginalized groups.
Housing may seem straightforward, but it is nothing but the case. Housing is a complex system of private market developers, lenders, insurers, and touches every level of government, from President Trump to Mayor Knapp.
2 points for mentioning them both in a sentence!
Strategic plan means that it will guide action between longer range housing plans, like the Comprehensive Plan, and shorter-term actions, like the city budget or capital improvements plan.
What is in the plan?
The plan builds on a comprehensive study of regional, county, and city housing data by ECONorthwest. The City of Wilsonville also produces annual building reports on current housing trends.
Important facts from the analysis included:
The average sales price of a home in Wilsonville increased by 40% in the past 4 years and a 57% increase since 2012.
Only 9% of residents are middle income, with 40% above, and 51% below.
A person would need to make 185% of the average household income ($116,550/year) to buy an average home ($454,400) and not be considered cost-burdened (more than 30% of income towards monthly mortgage payment).
Wilsonville has the lowest homeownership rate (44%) of any city in Clackamas County.
Wilsonville has a more multifamily housing (51%) than the regional or county average, but not compared to how historically cities have been built.
Most multifamily homes are smaller one or two-bedroom units, only 15% have three-bedrooms.
Since 2000, the Latinx population in Wilsonville has doubled to 11% of the population and is projected to grow.
Single-parent households have the greatest need for subsidized housing of any household type.
People of color, immigrants, people with a physical or mental disability, or those who speak English as a second language, will bear the greatest burden.
To add to the data, City staff conducted interviews with people throughout the community and completed a tour of public meetings (3 with a task force, 2 at Planning Commission, 3 at City Council, and 1 partridge in a pear tree).
How will this plan impact Wilsonville?
Policy objectives
The plan starts with the following statements about the future of housing in Wilsonville, called policy objectives:
Maintain and expand affordable and diverse housing types
Partnerships with affordable housing developers
Expand homeownership, especially for first-time buyers
Reduce the risk of displacement
More housing with access to services and public transit
Review housing through a social equity and inclusion lens
Actions within 2 years
To achieve the policy objectives, the plan lists the following actions for the next two years:
New housing near jobs, services, and transit (Transit-Oriented Development) at the Wilsonville Transit Center.
Equity lens applied to missing middle housing regulations, which refers to housing types like townhomes, cottage courts, duplexes, triplexes, and quads.
Equity lens applied to new growth areas, like Frog Pond, Town Center, and Villebois.
Tax breaks for new homeowners and struggling renters.
Housing point person at the city to coordinate and direct action.
performance Measurements
To know whether these actions are achieving policy objectives, the plan will have performance measures, which are still to be determined. In addition to data from the annual building report, there has been discussion of the following measures:
New or expanded housing near services and transit
Number of partnerships and conversations with affordable housing developers
Number of students experiencing homelessness in the school system
Mortgage applications and denials by race
Racial and income composition by neighborhood
What happens next?
Starting in May, the proposed Equitable Housing Strategic Plan will head to public hearings at the Planning Commission and City Council. You can sign up for email updates or track their agenda on the city website.
In my ideal world, you talk about and share this article with friends, contact me with your thoughts (agree or disagree), then contact planning commission and city council in support.
Click ACTION for a draft email to the City Council and Planning Commission!
But wait, didn’t you say there were large equity gaps in Wilsonville!?!? What is missing?
Well, excellent question! Click here to read part 2 about equity gaps.