The happiest moment of my week
Oregon State Legislature sent this bulletin at 03/20/2023 02:05 PM PDT
Hello Friends,
Thank you for reading my weekly newsletter! This week we are celebrating housing wins with the Woodspring Apartments and the housing package passing the House.
Join me at my next constituent coffee
In February, we held a town hall with Sen. Woods and Rep. Courtney Neron. Last month, we held office hours at Symposium. This month, we’re holding a constituent coffee at Well & Good Coffee. You’re invited!
Location: Well & Good Coffee (7357 SW Beveland St. Suite 100, Tigard, OR 97223)
Date: 3/25/2023
Time: 11:00-1:00pm
Format: We’ll start with an overview of what’s happening in the state legislature and an update on some key priorities. We’ll then open up the floor for questions–anything I’m unable to answer, we will follow up with afterward.
We are close to a huge win for Tigard seniors
Great news: The Washington County Housing Authority is poised to purchase the Woodspring apartments in Tigard from private equity firm Hamilton Zanze. Once this gets finalized (it is not a done deal yet), this will be incredibly good news for our community–and especially for the seniors who have fought and organized for their right to age in place. Several years ago, the affordable housing complex was purchased by Hamilton Zanze, who then decided to transition the units to “market rate”--meaning a huge jump in rent (for seniors on a fixed income). With the Washington County Housing Authority purchasing the apartment complex (with a major assist from the state), seniors will be able to remain in their homes. This was by far the happiest moment of the week for me–and I think for Rep. Courtney Neron and Rep. Dacia Grayber, too, both of whom have been working on the Woodspring issue from the beginning. As for what we’re working on in the legislature, here’s an excerpt from the OPB article linked above:
“Several bills in the state Legislature are also attempting to chip away at the problem. State Rep. Ben Bowman, D-Tigard, has introduced a bill to limit rent increases for senior tenants in publicly supported housing after affordability restrictions expire. He’s also sponsored legislation to extend government affordability restrictions at a rental unit for at least three years after they expire.”
Here I am speaking at a rally to save the Woodspring Apartments back in 2021. A huge congratulations to the seniors of Woodspring who fought and organized for years for their right to age in place.
Housing Package
Last week the legislature had its first big win on housing! We passed HB 2001 and HB 5019 to invest over $200 million in affordable housing and homelessness prevention–both bills passed with overwhelming bipartisan majorities. These investments will go to supporting local governments in building affordable housing for middle class and working families. The Housing Package also helps fund the Governor’s emergency homeless response so local governments, in coordination with a statewide strategy, can connect homeless individuals with the resources they need. Youth experiencing homelessness will also be receiving critical support in the form of rental assistance, outreach, shelter facilities, and more.
Preventing Sexual Assault and Supporting Survivors
Last Thursday, I testified on HB 3456, a bill that I’m cosponsoring with Rep. Annessa Hartman and Rep. Hoa Nguyen, which would take important steps to reduce incidents of sexual assault and provide improved resources for survivors. According to the National Crime Victimization Survey, 13% of all college students experience rape or sexual assault; moreover, the Department of Justice estimates that 80% of rapes and sexual assaults go unreported. To learn more about this bill, you can watch my testimony here.
Congratulations to Tigard Chamber CEO Megan De Salvo
I want to extend a big congratulations to Megan De Salvo, who was selected as the permanent CEO of the Tigard Chamber! Megan is a familiar face for many in Tigard (she is a business owner herself and a frequent community volunteer) and has been a key partner for my office in her role as interim CEO. Congrats, Megan!
Tualatin Timberwolves Win!
Finally, I want to give a shout out to my alma mater, Tualatin High School, for winning the boys basketball state championship–for the second year in a row! My dad and I have been to just about every state championship tourney since I was a freshman in high school. It was fun to see the Wolves win two years in a row, and to see TuHS’ thriving band, dance, and cheerleading programs–larger than nearly all the other teams in the tournament. I learned a lot about leadership, teamwork, and perseverance from my time in the TuHS basketball program, which is part of the reason I introduced a bill to eliminate “pay-to-play” fees for sports and activities.
Thanks for reading,
