This week, the federal administration announced potential layoffs for half of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. In Oregon, lawmakers express fear about how cuts to federal funding will affect their ability to pass bold investments in housing. For middle and low-income Americans, these cuts have already resulted in rippling effects that destabilize health and housing access and job security. The stakes are high and communities are at risk. In the face of uncertainty, we cannot lose sight of the power we hold when we participate in action-minded work together.
While the fear and threats from ICE have a real impact on the well-being of our neighbors, concerted community action has disrupted the federal government’s ability to carry out the threatened mass deportations. This is the people’s power in the face of a government that wants to make its constituents feel out of control.
Locally, people power has strengthened the housing justice movement in our region. This fall, over 400+ advocates in our network, contacted the Metro Regional Government to urge them to halt a tax cut for high-income earners in our region at the expense of our most vulnerable neighbors. This call was heard and decision-makers shifted direction to come to a larger agreement on what an improved measure for homeless and housing services could look like.
Another positive news reminder is from our neighbor up north. Just last week, Seattle voters passed a ballot initiative to fund social housing through an “excess compensation” tax on businesses in the city paying salaries of over $1 million. Social Housing is a more innovative model, used predominantly outside of the US to create permanently affordable units of housing, and is one of Welcome Home’s regional policy priorities for 2025.
As a coalition working to strengthen housing justice locally, we can not ignore how federal actions will impact our region as well. At the Federal level, there are proposed cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). We are joining the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s action to contact lawmakers to ensure these cuts are halted. NLIHC is calling on advocates to take action to protect vital HUD programs and staff. Without essential HUD resources, it will be significantly more difficult for states and communities to access the federal funding they need to build affordable housing, address homelessness, recover from disasters, and more.
Additionally, HUD recently announced it will not enforce the Equal Access Rule that prevents discrimination based on gender identity in federally funded programs. Transgender individuals, particularly those experiencing homelessness, rely heavily on federally funded shelters and housing programs for basic safety and survival. Without the protections that the 2016 rule provided, many could face discrimination or be forced into unsafe environments. We encourage you to call your congressional leaders and ask them to join forces with Maxine Waters in speaking out against HUD’s statement to suspend enforcement of the Equal Access Rule. You may also take action by following the link below to ask Congress to oppose Anti-LGBTQ attacks on the Federal budget:
Across Oregon, 31% of our budget comes from Federal Funding. The unprecedented cuts coming down from the Federal Government have put decision-makers on edge about passing the necessary investments in housing. We hope in the face of these cuts, our elected officials choose action over fear and stick to their commitments to take care of Oregonians. We have funding to invest in the basic needs of our communities. In November, Oregon’s economist predicted the state will see nearly $950 million more in revenue in the current two-year budget period than previously estimated and an extra $1.3 billion in the 2025-27 budget cycle. Because of this, taxpayers are expected to receive a nearly $1.8 billion “kicker” tax rebate in early 2026. Additionally, the Oregon Center for Public Policy reports that Oregon could raise $116 million annually by cracking down on offshore tax avoidance by corporations. In the current Oregon legislative session, Senate Bill 419 aims to address this tax avoidance. There is money to invest in community well-being, we need decision-makers to act with speed to ensure our social services systems don’t falter in the face of budget cuts.
Additionally, there are bills that do not require revenue to protect housing access for Oregonians. Yesterday, Welcome Home Members joined the Oregon Housing Alliance Day of Action to advocate for Senate Bill 599 and Senate Bill 722. Senate Bill 599 strengthens equal access to housing for every Oregonian no matter their documentation status by prohibiting discrimination based on documentation and diversifying the acceptable IDs for housing approval. Senate Bill 722 strengthens existing rent stabilization law by prohibiting AI price fixing and moving the exclusion of the 10% state rent cap on new housing from 15 years to 7 years or newer. Opportunities to testify on these bills will open in the coming weeks.
At Welcome Home, we commit to sharing engagement opportunities to ensure we can all choose action in the face of threat. We will continue to foster a space for local individuals and organizations to build solidarity to advance a region where everyone has a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home. One final way you may join us in this work is to support our organization financially through regular gifts to the coalition. This support is deeply meaningful to our ability to drive necessary changes together.