Progress Board Committee Tuesday to Consider Changing Housing Affordability Standards.

The Oregon Progress Board is planning revisions to renter and home owner affordability measures and data sources. The planned revisions will be acted upon by the Assessment Committee at a meeting on Tuesday Sept 2nd. (If you want to listen in/participate in that Salem meeting that begins at 10 AM, the call in number is 1-877-475-9235 and the participant code is 219744).

My Comments on Renter Affordability Data Definition and Sources
I have sent my comments on the proposed renter affordability revised data standard to Progress Board staff HERE. My primary concerns

1. "Median state income" should be clarified to be "state median household income".
2. The state should include a worst case renter cost burden (50%+) measure.
3. A focus on renters below median state household income instead of renter median income will understate the rate at which lower income renters have costs burdens because "median household income" in Oregon was almost twice "median renter income".
4. It is not clear to me how the state will track renters below median state income as ACS does not to my knowledge have a table that shows rent burden using that definition of income.

New Goals:
Using the new data definition the proposed goal for renters would be revised to 60% of renters below median state household income paying no more than 30% of their income (down from 70% of renters below median renter income paying no more than 30% of their income).

In a new post tomorrow, I will provide information about a prior Assessment Committee decision to suspend the home ownership goal (which Oregon never came close to achieving).


The proposed renter affordability revised measure can be found HERE.
The proposed home ownership affordability revised measure can be found HERE.