Housing PortlandJonah Watt, Ben Miller, Claudia Villar,

Hannah Rafkin, Peter Nauffts

www.mainepersonalinjurylaw.com

Research Claims and Research Goals

● Lesson of the Fed Up Honeys: Gentrification, “growth,” is exclusionary.

● Our Bottom Line: Portland has work to do to remain accessible to all, especially to those most in need.

● Access to housing is a fundamental right of the city. Equal access to housing is a matter of justice and the common good.

Data Source: City of Portland (2014)

$246,300

$123,400

$105,000

$355,900

$275,800

$338,800

$79,000

$205,000

Source Data: Social Explorer (2003-2014)

“The boundaries of social and spatial exclusion are clearly visible to longtime residents, even if newcomers are sometimes oblivious of the geography of inequality that divides their neighborhood.” 1

[1] Cahill (2006)

Source: Ibsen

Housing Case Study: East Bayside

Higher rents and/or the imposition of surcharges could result from efforts to augment returns. For individual tenants, these measures may cause declining living conditions and increased housing insecurity; the loss of affordable units due to either physical deterioration or increased rents could pose a challenge to lower-income renters collectively. 1

Social Explorer US Census Data

[1] Fields & Uffer (2014)

Affordable/Unaffordable Housing

Portland Press HeraldGothamist

Finding Affordable Housing

Craigslist lowincomehousing.us

Solution: Affordable Portland Map

Maine State Housing Authority Data

Listings

bangordailynews.com

Homelessness

Maine’s homeless: 14.6% increase Nation’s homeless: 10% drop (2010-2014)

Homeless Youth● Vulnerable to exploitation● Developmental consequences of

sleep deprivation● Less predictable circumstances

huffingtonpost.com

HOUSEportlandReal-time # bed

openings in Portlandshelters

Username and password on webpage

with linked cell # for SMS alerts

“Alert” option: push notifications and/or texts when shelter

nears capacity

Embedded maps with personalized directions to nearest shelters

Option for temporary employment notificationsCONSTRUCTION LABOR NEEDED: Tmr, Wed Nov 12; be @ Oxford & Elm @ 7AM

Empower people, especially youth, to find a temporary shelter quickly and easily

● Meeting needs beyond sleep and food to get this population on their feet, and keep them on their feet

● Get Portland’s individuals, businesses, and organizations involved to bolster these efforts

● Network of community organization - foster “social interaction and exchange” 1

Broadening the Response

[1] Mitchell (2003)

● Concerns from businesses and tourists: “Is Portland ‘too attractive’ to homeless people?” 1

● “In the city, different people with different projects must necessarily struggle with one another” 2

● Get groups and people “with different projects” talking to each other 2

Urban Dialogue

portlandmaine.com

pressherald.com

[1] Bangor Daily News (2012); [2] Mitchell (2003)

BoostPortland● App, website, and texting service● Users can both request and offer

help, and receive daily updates.● Range of individualized support.

Examples: ○ Can help teach basic computer skills, will

be at the library from 2-5 on Sunday afternoon.

○ Giving away used sweatshirts and winter coats. Reply for address.

○ Need ride to job interview at 2pm Thursday. From Preble Street to Warren Ave

● Business engagement● Accessibility concerns

handup.com

Bayside

East Bayside

Munjoy Hill

Parkside

US Census

What We Want to Avoid...

Ghettotracker.com

Million Dollar Block Project

Spatial Information Design Lab

Summary FindingsHighly desirable, but room for improvement:● Middle income earners being

squeezed out due to gentrification.● Homelessness on the rise.● Marginalization of poor, mentally

but also physically.

Improve access to the things that make it so great!

Thank you