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On May 13 there was a public hearing before the Planning Commission on the Equitable Housing Strategic Plan. This recap will explain why this was a historic meeting for addressing inequity in Wilsonville, and prepare you for action at City Council on June 15.
What is the Wilsonville doing to achieve an equitable housing future?
To address Wilsonville’s greatest civil rights issue, drastically rising housing prices, Wilsonville City Council is nearing the completion of an Equitable Housing Strategic Plan. The third and final meeting of the Equitable Housing Task Force, comprised of technical experts and community members, met on January 29.
This is an important time because the City of Wilsonville will be taking a stronger role – necessary in my opinion – to address housing needs. The measures to monitor progress are a crucial element in disrupting structural racism that is inherent in the current system.
From the discussion at City Council and the online feedback I received from the previous article, both asked for equity measures to define the problem and success.
Today’s article builds upon my coverage of public meetings (one, two, and three), to examine the assumptions and biases behind the Equitable Housing Strategic Plan, define the equity gaps, and recommend equity-based actions or measurements.
What actions should Wilsonville’s government take to address housing equity?
Speak up now before it is too late! City Council held a work session on October 21 to discuss actions on the Equitable Housing Strategic Plan (starting on page 8). Work sessions are important because they narrow the options brought before Council in the regular session public hearing. Get caught up by reading a quick recap of the meeting below or start with coverage of previous task force meetings (one and two). Then, go to the Act page and in two clicks, you can email City Council and Planning Commission with your thoughts today!
Can we achieve equity without talking about race? My answer is no.
After watching and reflecting upon Wilsonville’s second meeting of the Equitable Housing Task Force, which occurred on September 4th, I’m left wondering when the project will talk about explicitly about race and urban planning (see an example from the City of Portland’s Planning Department). As I covered in the first meeting recap, the concerns that the equity statement was defined as equality still remain.
