Bend community members are invited to share their experiences with housing instability and high rents with the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 9.
According to American Community Survey estimates for 2017-2021, 25.5% of Bend’s renters were severely rent burdened, and have a very difficult time paying for their housing each month. There will be an opportunity for the community to share their experiences and offer ideas that could ease “rent burden” in Bend and address housing stability.
Rent burden is defined by looking at the percentage of one’s income spent on housing costs. If someone pays more than 30% of their income on housing, they are considered rent burdened. If someone pays more than 50% of their income on housing, they are considered severely rent burdened. Paying too much for housing may lead to financial insecurity, since households often forego other necessary expenses to maintain housing.
In 2018, the Oregon legislature passed HB 4006, which mandated cities conduct a public meeting and discuss rent burden causes and potential solutions when 25 percent or more households of cities with populations greater than 10,000 experience severe rent burden. City staff welcome written comments regarding community member experiences or ideas on or before Aug. 9 to the Housing Department, at P.O. Box 431, Bend, OR 97709, or housing@bendoregon.gov.
This public meeting will be held in City Hall Council Chambers at 710 NW Wall Street or you can attend virtually. To access virtually, use Passcode 852721.
You may call into the meeting (toll charges may apply): 1-888-788-0099 or 1-253-215-8782 and enter the Webinar ID of 890 5701 7264 ##.
Community members can also watch the meeting live or later via YouTube.
This meeting is accessible. Sign language interpretation service, assistive listening devices, closed captioning, a language interpreter, a reader to review materials with the sight impaired, materials in alternate format such as Braille, large print, electronic formats and CD formats, or any other accommodations are available upon advance request. Please contact us no later than Monday, Aug. at housing@bendoregon.gov or (541) 323-8550.
