Obstacles for Multnomah County Prospective Renters

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Obstacles for renters exist all over the country, and here in Multnomah County is no different. Currently, we are facing astronomical rental increases while wages stay the same, or slightly increase. We are living in a time where the average income for individuals in Multnomah County is about half of the average cost of a 1 bedroom apartment. This requires individuals to find roommates, live at home for as long as possible, or end up homeless. Furthermore, our landlord tenant laws here in Multnomah County are more beneficial to landlords than tenants, and are hard to even understand in the first place. With the high costs of living and the low medium income, it's no wonder the average individual in Multnomah County cannot afford to rent on their own. 

Another obstacle that is harming individuals in our county are the inequities that people of color face, as these individuals face a harder time making the same income and finding places to rent. The income gap between white people and people of color is existent and prevalent in our county and makes the obstacles for people of color even larger when it comes to renting. There are also geographic obstacles for people of color, as racial issues still exist and some landlords disfavor people of color when renting. The rental screening process can be very difficult and discouraging for all, but unfortunately this obstacle is higher for people of color. As very few affordable rental opportunities are available, we see high numbers of homelessness in Multnomah County.

In order to help individuals overcome these obstacles, something must change. While the high cost of living and low wages may not be so easily adjusted, we can certainly help renters by bridging the gap between landlords and tenants. By helping renters build the skills necessary to be upstanding renters, we can help provide security for landlords, assuring they will not be taking a risk by renting to individuals who may not have the best income or rental history. Everyone has been down on their luck at some point in their life, and it's important to provide opportunities to help those in need who are willing to accept. By helping tenants, we can also help landlords, and more importantly we can chip away at some of the obstacles in the way of attainable housing for our Multnomah County Individuals. 

https://www.multco.us/multnomah-county/news/new-report-illustrates-obstacles-disparities-multnomah-county-renters

https://multnomah.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=3&event_id=2060&meta_id=150627

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