Pass the Wilsonville Equitable Housing Plan

The Wilsonville Alliance for Inclusive Community supports action to approve the Equitable Housing Strategic Plan, and wants to raise awareness to direct attention and address the following equity gaps:

People of color, and their need for affordable, multi-room homes to support multi-generational housing.

In the past decade, Wilsonville’s Latinx population doubled to 11% of the population and is growing. The cost of our multifamily housing is the higher end of the market, and cheaper homes do not have enough bedrooms to support multi-generation housing, which is common in immigrant and minority communities.

Single-parent homes and their need for affordable housing that is connected to jobs, transit, and services.

It is entirely understandable that trying to balance work and raising children is a major emotional, physical, and economic stress. Single-parent households have the largest need for subsidized housing of any other household type. If we can lessen their burden for safe and affordable housing, we make a stronger Wilsonville.

Low or fixed-income individuals and families, and their need for homeownership.

Combine the fact that only 9% of Wilsonville is middle income, with the average home sales price rising 40% in the last four years, and homeownership is a fleeting dream for many residents. Homeownership is central to American culture and a major source of generational wealth building, supported by a complex government and private market system. Not surprisingly, family wealth in America has a historic and systemic racial gap, where white families have on average 12 times the amount of wealth than black families.

People in need of emergency, transitional, or supportive housing.

Major needs in Wilsonville exist for people who are looking for shelter immediately, occasional support when they miss a paycheck or receive an unexpected bill, or long-term because of a physical or mental disability. Currently, there are 44 students in the school district experiencing homelessness and only 8 beds to serve people experiencing homelessness in all of Clackamas County.

Also, we support the Planning Commission’s recommendation to establish an on-going effort of people to oversee the implementation of equity actions. We look forward to collaborating on this effort.

Aaron Woods, Catherine Allard, Chelsea King, Dana Ramsey, Garet Prior, Heather Ingersoll, Jerry Greenfield, Kamran Mesbah, Kate Greenfield, Mary-Elizabeth Harper, Paul Diller, and Sarah Finke.