Portland oversight committee weighs temporary waivers as Albina 1 struggles to lease new affordable units

Leslie Goodlow, Portland Housing Bureau preference-policy manager, told the North Northeast Neighborhood Housing Strategies Oversight Committee that her office has approved 24 temporary waivers since September to help development partners lease units that otherwise sat vacant. "I've wavered 24 units since September," she said, and described a new request from Albina 1 for as many as 25 to 50 units to be temporarily released from the bureau's preference policy to avoid prolonged vacancies.

Goodlow said she has authority to grant temporary releases and that units leased under a waiver would return to the preference policy the next time the unit turned over. "I can, temporary I can approve a temporary release, of the unit from the preference policy so that they can lease it up," she said, explaining the bureau uses temporary waivers when long vacancies risk partner solvency.

Carly, a leasing representative for Albina Vision Trust (AVT), told the committee AVT contacted approximately 1,200 names and secured 26 move-ins; of the 49 waivers requested, 22 applicants are in process and about 27 units remain without qualified preference-policy applicants. Carly provided the building's rents: "The one bedrooms are ... $1,062. The two bedrooms are $1,279, and the three bedrooms are $1,480," and said utilities are included and optional internet is available for $15 a month. She said the property had reduced advertised rents to help leasing but still struggled to fill units.

Committee members pushed back on large-scale waivers. John Washington asked whether releasing up to half of a building's preference-policy units would alter the mission behind those assets. "So once we get here, I mean, is there more asset coming online? And is the actual vision or the mission of the asset being fulfilled?" he asked. Committee members requested a work session to examine mission trade-offs, vacancy mitigation strategies and the financial pressures on development partners.

Goodlow said the bureau has tried to secure a vacancy fund during budget deliberations to reduce pressure on partners but was not approved; she described other sources such as renter services or rental registration fees that could be redirected if approved. Interim director Michael Bonacour acknowledged the tension between mission protection and preventing partner insolvency, saying the units still serve economically vulnerable people when leased under waivers and called for strengthening the preference policy.

Next steps: Goodlow said she would notify partners and the committee of her decision about a possible blanket waiver for units vacated in December and would add permanent-release requests to a future work-session agenda with development partners invited to testify.

Discussion and action items recorded by the bureau: (1) past approvals of temporary waivers (24 units since September) documented; (2) Albina 1 waiver request (25—0 units) under review; (3) potential blanket waiver for December to be decided and communicated to partners; and (4) a work session to examine permanent-release requests and vacancy-funding options.

The committee did not vote on any formal waiver at the meeting; Goodlow said she expected to send a follow-up letter to partners by the end of the following week and would report any final waiver decisions at a later meeting.