ORDINANCE No. 182465 AS AMENDED

*Transition appropriate budget, functions and staff from the Bureau of Housing and Community Development and the Portland Development Commission and create the Portland Housing Bureau

The City of Portland ordains:

Section 1.  The Council finds:

1.  The programs of the Bureau of Housing and Community Development enjoy a national reputation for innovation and excellence in ending chronic homelessness, creating and preserving affordable rental housing and increasing opportunities for Portland families to achieve homeownership.

2.  The Portland Development Commission’s housing investments are designed to ensure that all Portlanders, regardless of income, have access to a high quality and affordable housing and that PDC works in partnership with a wide variety of housing partners to ensure that Portlanders can afford to buy or rent a home in Portland.

3.  By transitioning appropriate functions and staff from the Bureau of Housing and Community Development and the Portland Development Commission, Portland will enhance its ability to end chronic homelessness, protect our most vulnerable residents, preserve and expand our affordable housing supply, assure housing stability, promote homeownership, and connect our investments in housing to other strategies that support families and schools in vibrant, equitable neighborhoods

4.  The creation of this new Bureau will strengthen Portland’s capacity to meet the housing needs of the current and future residents of our City.

NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs:

a.  The Bureau of Housing and Community Development and the Portland Development Commission hereby transition appropriate functions and staff into the Portland Housing Bureau. In addition, BHCD and PDC will work with OMF to determine the appropriate timing of the necessary budget transfers, and OMF will bring an ordinance to Council making the necessary budget amendments.

b.  The new Bureau will be responsible for the work now assigned to each of the individual bureaus, except that the highly-regarded Economic Opportunity Initiative of the Bureau of Housing and Community Development will move to the Portland Development Commission strengthening its connection with PDC’s community economic development and economic development programs.

c.  The Portland Housing Bureau is directed to develop amendments to City Code to establish the duties and responsibilities of the Portland Housing Bureau and bring those amendments to Council.

d.  The Portland Housing Bureau is directed to report a transition plan and implementation timeline to Council within 45 days.

e.  The work now assigned to each of the individual bureaus proceeds during the transition under the direction of Commissioner Fish, and through Intergovernmental Agreements, where appropriate.

Section 2.  The Council declares that an emergency exists in order to begin immediate implementation of the new bureau structure. Therefore, this ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage by the Council.

BACKING SHEET INFORMATION

AGENDA NO. 16-2009

ORDINANCE/RESOLUTION/COUNCIL DOCUMENT NO. 182465 AS AMENDED