SB 1582 Fast Track Housing Program for affordable housing

SUMMARY: This bill as amended creates the Local Innovation and Fast Track Housing Program (LIFT) to allow housing to be purchased or rented with state assistance making available needed housing for low-income households. Declares emergency.

Personal Choice
Increases available housing for low-income households at a large cost to taxpayers.

Fiscal Responsiblity
Authorizes the state to purchase and rent state-owned affordable housing for low-income households. Authorizes General Fund appropriation from proceeds of Article XI-Q bonds, backed by taxpayers.

An undeclosed high price tag to taxpayers that does nothing to provide jobs for the unemployed that are homeless. Oregon made headlines for 2014-15 as one of three states that declared homeless to have reached a state of emergency in their cities. Oregon’s homeless rose 8.7% in 2015, the third highest increase in the nation. This program does nothing to help the real problem that 55.9% of homeless have no shelter.

Limited Government
Sets limits on state’s legal interests in qualified property. The idea of communizing low income people in state housing is a page out of Agenda 21 (now 2030). We have our state government promoting economic segregation that will also filter down to the school. The New York Times reports that research shows middle-class schools are 22 times more likely to be high performing than high-poverty schools in segregated areas.

Housing will be available to low income individuals or families that have incomes below 60 percent of the average income in that area. Oregon’s average income from the 2013 US Census by county would mean if any of the minimum wage bills pass that only half the counties would have a qualifying low income population.

Local Control
The program has no restrictions on land purchases or local approval.
Free Markets
Allows state to interfere with the free market and own or operate qualified properties. The state should never use taxpayer funds to compete with the private sector. It interferes with the growth of the economy.