Blue State Blues: Portland Housing Is Messed Up
29th September 2026
The Wall Street Journal reports that “Portland real estate is such a mess that all housing is affordable housing” (ungated). “Six-figure earners are paying some of the same rents as lower-income residents who qualify for subsidized housing.”
Portland housing is definitely messed up, but what the Journal doesn’t say is that the reason why so-called affordable housing is so expensive is because Portland’s affordable housing system is really messed up. The agencies and non-profits running the system spend way too much on such housing, building less than they could with the funds that are available, then don’t make an effort to fill the vacancies. Most people who live in such housing either lied on their applications or can’t afford the rents, and the agency leaders don’t care because they are too busy flying around the country at taxpayers’ expense.
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The problem with housing in Oregon is that, thanks to the state’s urban-growth boundaries, there is a shortage of supply. Giving people money to buy more housing will increase the demand without increasing the supply. That will simply raise housing prices, making housing even less affordable, especially for those who don’t qualify as first-time homebuyers. This is a typical idea for a democratic socialist like Merkley, who wants to throw money at any problem. It is a little surprising that Wyden, who is usually more sensible, bought into it.