Bill offers a chance to make housing more affordable.

Byline: GUEST VIEWPOINT By Susan Ban The Register-Guard

Spring is a time of promise and renewal. And this spring, the Oregon Legislature has a singular opportunity to provide a measure of hope to Oregon's homeless and those at risk of homelessness.

Senate Bill 38 provides for a modest increase to the existing state document recording fee in order to provide an ongoing funding source for affordable housing - at least $60 million each biennium. That income would be directed toward the Housing and Community Services Department to fund programs for thousands of Oregonians who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

SB 38 is the centerpiece of a legislative agenda proposed by the Oregon Housing Alliance that requests direct spending of $100 million during the 2007-09 biennium to build and maintain affordable housing. Other items on the alliance's agenda are allocation of $25 million in lottery funds to support the economic development that is tied to affordable housing, a general fund appropriation of $10 million and continued dedication to housing of $5 million of the public-purpose fees paid by utilities.

Hardworking people should be able to afford housing and still have money left for food and basic necessities. Unfortunately, this isn't the case in Oregon, where housing costs have moved out of reach for ordinary people who have contributed so much - working parents and their children, seniors, people with disabilities, veterans and those on fixed incomes.

Oregon is the second-least affordable state in the nation for renters. One in five Oregonians can't afford the cost of their housing, and one of every four Oregon households pays more than half its income for rent; that leaves little to spare for food, medicine and other basic necessities.

Homelessness, once rare, has become commonplace.

In Lane County, it's difficult for the average working family to make ends meet. Census data from 2000 show that the median annual income of an adult with one child in Lane County was $19,784. That income represents just 71 percent of the basic budget required for housing, food, child care, transportation, health care, taxes and other necessities in our county in 2000.

Adults with three children fared even worse: Their median income represents just 45 percent of the budget required for basic living expenses. Many among us are going hungry and doing without life's necessities just to keep a roof over their heads.

It's essential to bear in mind that these are not exceptional examples. These are typical families earning median incomes.

As any teacher will attest, kids need a good education, a full belly and a safe, stable place to call home in order to succeed. And yet, among the most heartbreaking consequences of poverty are the effects on the youngest among us. According to a study conducted by Oregon Housing and Community Services, the age group with the highest rate of poverty and homelessness are children 5 years old and younger.

Another statistic fleshes out this picture: Nationally, 80 percent of those who are homeless are homeless only once. These are typically young families who face a perfect storm of economic hardship. At a time when their incomes are low because they're still in school, just entering the workforce, or working their way up the employment ladder, their expenses are highest, fueled by child care and transportation needs.

Beyond the brewing humanitarian crisis, the shortage of affordable housing has a profound impact on Oregon's economic health, affecting the cost of public safety, public health and public school systems. The current shortage of affordable housing puts Oregon at a competitive disadvantage, both for attracting new businesses and persuading existing businesses to expand. Affordable housing for workers is essential to job creation.

Still, while these financial costs are significant, the human costs are the reason we should all care. It's only fair that everyone has an affordable home.

If we're going to beat poverty, we'll need a lot of tools. One of the most basic tools is affordable housing. SB 38 and the other items in the Oregon Housing Alliance's legislative agenda are essential to statewide efforts to give every Oregonian a place to call home.

It's time to act to ensure that all Oregonians have the opportunity for success that comes with having a safe and decent place to live. We all deserve to share the American dream.

Susan Ban is the executive director of ShelterCare. ShelterCare is a member organization of the Oregon Housing Alliance, which is working to address the lack of affordable housing in Oregon.