Blumenauer Welcomes HUD Action to Help Regional Housing Authorities Better Serve Those in Need

Washington, DC – Today, Representative Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) welcomed the action of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to increase the Portland metro region’s Fair Market Rents (FMR) to allow housing assistance voucher holders to continue to find affordable housing as rental prices rapidly soar in the region.

“Affordable housing is one of the most serious challenges we are facing in our region today. HUD’s action provides much needed flexibility for our region’s housing authorities to better serve those in need of housing assistance,” said Representative Blumenauer. “This is just one step, but an important step, to making sure affordable housing is an option for everyone.”

Last week, Representative Blumenauer led a letter, also signed by Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Representatives Suzanne Bonamici and Kurt Schrader,to HUD Secretary Julian Castro making the case for the agency to swiftly accept the results of a Washington State University study commissioned by Home Forward, City of Portland, and the Washington County and Clackamas County housing authorities, showing that the rapidly rising rents across the region justified an increase in the value of FMR for housing vouchers.

The increased FMR is much needed for our region, where rents are among the fastest rising in the country, and the vacancy rate for affordable rental properties ranges between 1 to 4 percent, depending on the neighborhood. The sharp and ongoing increases in rental housing costs make it especially difficult for housing assistance voucher holders to find affordable housing quickly, or to be able to continue to afford their existing voucher-supported housing. This change by HUD to increase the FMR will help ensure that housing vouchers can be used in communities across our region, where voucher holders will have access to transportation choices and economic opportunities.

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