Portland committee reviews housing fund requests and arts policy

The Housing and Economic Development Committee voted to recommend additional funding for the Lambert Woods North affordable housing project and approved an amendment to a TIF district for the Cumberland Housing project. Committee members also reviewed the final report from the CDBG Priority Setting Task Force and discussed the framework for a new entertainment sector trust fund.

Key points

• Committee voted unanimously to recommend $375,000 from the JLC Doosan Housing Trust Fund for Lambert Woods North, bringing the total city subsidy to $735,000.
• Staff recommended the funding to cover increased construction costs and legal fees, noting the developer had previously loaned the project approximately $1.6 million.
• The committee approved an amendment to the Cumberland Housing TIF district to consolidate two separate financial deals into a single project with 91 units.
• Task force co-chairs Tay Chung and Kristen Dunphy presented the CDBG Priority Setting Task Force report, which recommends changes to scoring criteria to emphasize measurable community impact.
• Councilor Regina Phillips raised concerns about ensuring fairness for smaller nonprofits in CDBG funding, while Councilor Kate Sykes emphasized the need for a new cultural plan before finalizing arts funding structures.
• The committee directed staff to draft a preliminary ordinance for the entertainment sector trust fund, with a deadline tied to the second license renewal date in May 2027.

Next steps

• Staff will draft a preliminary ordinance for the entertainment sector trust fund for future committee review.
• Assistant City Manager Dina Libner will consult with Creative Portland regarding the development of a new cultural plan and report back by the October 6 meeting.
• The committee will review the final CDBG Priority Setting Task Force report and recommend approval to the full City Council.

Read the full transcript