1. Businesses should help end poverty and homelessness.

• The local businesses should fulfill their social obligation to give back to the community.
• Some people believe that if there is investment in small businesses upfront, that local business owners will eventually give back to the community.
• Local businesses should be willing to train and hire people transitioning out of the justice system and people experiencing homelessness.
• The business sector should include more job training and opportunities for people with disabilities and ethnic minorities.

2. Public transportation should be expanded to underserved areas.

• People of all income levels should be able to experience and access “everything that Portland has to offer,” no matter how far from the central city they live.
• Transportation can be a barrier for families and youth struggling with poverty to be able to participate in programs and activities, or even to commute to school.
• Many people appreciate the existing public transportation system in Portland and how it enables access to employment opportunities.
• Respondents also see the potential and need for expanding public  transportation services (for specific ideas, see Transportation: Public Transportation).
• In general, Portlanders believe that public transportation and alternative transportation options (e.g., bike lanes, walking paths) should first be expanded in under-served neighborhoods.
• Reasons cited for expanding public transportation include:
  • Easing commutes to work;
  • More efficient commutes to educational institutions;
  • Providing people with greater access to employment options; and
  • Providing a means for people who lack private vehicles to enjoy natural settings outside the urban core.

Sample Strategies:

1. "Seek business partners to create an endowment to annually fund three-zone bus passes for every enrolled middle and high school student. This will increase low income families capacity; make public transportation a viable option for youth, protect the environment, allow for more field trips, service learning, and job opportunities.”
2. Provide transportation subsidies for low or no income population.

3. More resources and investments are needed in programs that prevent and alleviate poverty.

• Expanding access to affordable housing seems to be one of the top priorities among community members concerned with preventing poverty.
• In particular, affordable housing options must be increased for individuals and families with low-incomes and for those transitioning out of homelessness.
• People experiencing homelessness also need more job placement options, medical coverage and housing.
• To prevent poverty, many call for investing in education, specifically through more vocational training programs and more financial support for disadvantaged students who want to pursue higher education.
• Lack of full health coverage, insurance and outstanding medical bills also contribute to poverty. Portlanders want to see a new healthcare system that provides health services for all people (see Health: General).

Sample Strategies:

1. Lobby for increased state budget support that would enable more disadvantaged people to receive higher education through institutions such as Portland State University.
2. “Greater tax breaks for businesses so to attract jobs in Portland to prevent individuals and families from entering the cycle of poverty.”
3. Pass an initiative that would provide access to healthcare for the uninsured, including undocumented workers and their families.

4. Recent economic development is not benefiting a large portion of the public.

• Public subsidies should be minimized for developers and land owners who build condominiums that are designed only for those with high incomes.
• There is a shared sentiment that some people are benefiting from the real estate market at the expense of those who are less fortunate.
• People who are trying to transition out of homelessness, prevent homelessness or are generally struggling with non-living wages are generally unable to afford the housing/condo developments in urban renewal districts.
• More people should qualify for affordable housing and there should be more affordable housing available.

Sample Strategies:

1. "I would like to see the definitions of affordable housing changed from 60% of the median family income to a realistic figure, so that people who are truly low-income would be able to afford housing if we are no longer subsidizing developers with our taxes."

5. There must be more equitable distribution of quality resources and services among Portlanders.

• Many respondents believe that existing basic services and resources are not reaching all Portlanders, and that this trend needs to be reversed.
  • Health Care: Health care is seen as a right for everyone and not a benefit that should come at the expense of people’s financial security.
  • Social Services: People see the need to expand services and make them more accessible to those who most need them, as well as to reduce linguistic, cultural and other barriers to obtaining social services.
  • Education: There should be more stable financial support and funding of education, training and services to populations in need, such as job training programs for people experiencing homelessness.
  • Housing: Subsidized and affordable housing should be offered in every neighborhood along with nearby services for the economically challenged.
  • Gardens: More affordable community gardens and increased gardening programs for people struggling with poverty.
  • Youth Activities: Make free summer programs available for underprivileged young people.

Sample Strategies:

1. "Stop putting all the subsidized housing in outer east Portland - require even distribution of units so all schools and all parts of the city have it in equal proportion."