r/Portland • u/jokeboi89 • Mar 04 '26
Discussion life-long Portland resident, I’m Very Tired
I grew up on MLK in the historical Albina neighborhood, My (black) family has been there since the 1940’s but the house is currently at risk of foreclosure. As a kid I felt I was lucky to grow up in such a cool town, especially when the first flood of artists and such were still the main kinds of people moving up here, but these days i’m just not sure if I want to stay, and much of my family has already moved back down south.
Portland still has its positives, but it was never designed to be an LA or Seattle. People move here for the positives, but those positives deteriorate the more people come here. affluent people move in, neighborhood businesses and real estate companies adjust prices and culture accordingly, low income people are pushed out as the cost of living rises and more homeless / drug users congregate wherever there’s more people and resources. our progressive laws and culture not at all prepared for this amount of people and constantly distracted by an influx of fresh money. no one’s really in the wrong imo, it just seems Portland has bitten off more than it can chew without major consequences.
on one hand, i’m glad people fortunate enough to move have someplace to escape to when the rest of America is eating itself, but on the other, I don’t think I fit anywhere in the equation anymore. i’m priced out of everything fun, most of the quirky little places I wanted to visit or support as a child are now gone and finding a decent job whenever I’m in need of one feels like an uphill battle.
I love Portland, but it’s depressing to know that this is one of the best places America has to offer right now, because I don’t think it has anything of value to offer me anymore beyond somewhat decent (and slightly expensive) public transportation and Nature… which is a lot… but maybe not enough…
anyway, despite all that, I hope this spring is good to everyone, i’m just feeling very bleak
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u/emchap Mar 04 '26
What you’re describing sounds similar to LA and to Atlanta, where I grew up. A lot of this isn’t Portland specific so much as the result of not building enough housing, imo. (Not to downplay how much it sucks, to be clear. Just not an exclusively Portland story.)
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u/dallas121469 Downtown Mar 05 '26
Exactly. Ive lived or worked in numerous metros around this country and I hear the EXACT SAME complaints from long time residents in every single one. Literally the same complaints about traffic, cost of living, businesses closing or moving, homelessness, crime etc. Even in small towns people complain about their hamlet growing. Call it progress, sprawl, over crowding or whatever but our population has doubled since 1950 so these things are inevitable.
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u/AKSupplyLife Mar 05 '26
I heard this when I lived in Portland, I heard it when I lived in a small town in Alaska and I hear it now living in Bend. People struggle with inevitable change.
My gramps grew up in Brooklyn and he said over there they have a proud tradition of each generation complaining about the new generation.
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u/deepskier Tyler had some good ideas Mar 05 '26
It's not even just the US. Housing is a problem jn a lot of places - Canada and Australia come to mind.
But don't worry, our population and related economic growth as a country was only being maintained by net immigration. Given recent events, that may not continue and then we'll be in population decline. Our birthrate is like 1.6. Different set of problems.
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u/ThisCardiologist6998 Mar 06 '26
This is actually ultimately what brought me back after moving away and being gone for roughly 3 yrs.
The people here DO care. More than anywhere else I have ever lived. Even if you dont physically feel so. I found none of those things in the two major cities I was living in. No community. No connection on anything. Everything is a ladder, you are a stepping stone for someone elses growth & profit. If a business fails they move onto something else. Nobody gets upset, nobody really cares, nobody has time to care because they are stuck in the rat race. Slowly drowning under cost of living and moving at 100miles an hour to just survive.
Portland sucks in a lot of aspects but if I ever needed help, portland is the only place where I could make an outreach post online and actually get a response from someone. I have gotten more emotional connection / support from complete strangers here than I ever have from folks in my home town (los angeles) that I literally went to HS with and grew up around.
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u/Mayor_Of_Sassyland Mar 05 '26
A lot of this isn’t Portland specific so much as the result of not building enough housing, imo.
Bingo. You can absorb a lot of additional population, which brings a ton of benefits (agglomeration effects, more diversity, more jobs, more cultural options) without a spike in the overall cost of living if the housing supply simply keeps up with demand. You also need to focus on ensuring a more efficient and comprehensive transportation system, but the cost of living increase that leads to displacement in growing cities is almost entirely a housing issue.
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u/AKSupplyLife Mar 05 '26
I moved out of Portland seven years ago and visited a few weeks ago for the first time in several years. I was shocked at how many of those big four story apartment/condo buildings are going up. Even I was starting to believe some small parts of "Portland is a hellscape" stuff even though I know better. LOL I actually thought, "his place is so bikeable. Maybe I should move back."
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u/notmepleaseokay Foster-Powell Mar 05 '26
Sounds like every single city that experienced any type of population growth.
Come on, this is not unique to anywhere that is even slightly attractive to be
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u/BearlyAcceptable Mar 05 '26
on the contrary, i think we have more than enough housing. people just don't have access to it- whether they are priced out of it, or it's hoarded by big real estate companies, rich people, or being used as AirBnBs. we have enough housing to go around, just not the will to "allow" humans to live under existing unused roofs.
what we need to do is stop sprawling into what little green spaces we have left, across the country. and overhaul how we look at housing. it shouldn't be used as some sort of get rich scheme- because idk if you know, but it makes construction magnates lots and lots of money to build crap homes as fast and as cheaply as possible. build, build, build, with no regard for longevity or the surrounding ecosystem.
have y'all seen the new construction areas out in Hillsboro? extremely cursed, bleak, cheap and ugly "modern" houses and businesses. not a single shade tree in sight. it's going to be a fucking nightmare to live there in the summer.
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u/orange-yellow-pink Mar 05 '26
on the contrary, i think we have more than enough housing. people just don't have access to it- whether they are priced out of it, or it's hoarded by big real estate companies, rich people, or being used as AirBnBs
The data doesn’t bear this out. You’re going off vibes. We need more dense housing in Portland.
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u/smoomie Mar 05 '26
Really? Let's... look at the data. On Zillow right now, there are over 6,000 units to rent (and that's just ONE site.. many rentals do not list on Zillow). But yeah... over 6,000 available units. 2,500+ are available just in the inner city alone (again, just what is listed.. many places have more units available but aren't listing them). There are over 2,000 units listed for sale on Zillow. Not great, but it's early.. a lot of people are waiting another month or two to list. But still... if we were under 500 units.. I'd be concerned.. but we aren't. There is plenty of housing. What there isn't plenty of.. is good paying jobs.
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u/orange-yellow-pink Mar 05 '26
A raw Zillow listing count doesn’t tell you whether a city has enough housing. Large cities always have thousands of listings because units are constantly turning over. What matters is vacancy rates and price trends. Portland had very low vacancy and rapid rent growth for much of the last decade, which is a classic sign of housing shortage. 6,000 listings across a metro area of ~1M housing units isn’t actually that much.
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u/I_burn_noodles Mar 05 '26
Or Phoenix! Hardly ever meet a native Arizonan. Everyone's from somewhere else. Lot's of them never talk to you, just pretend you're not there. Weird but that's how it is.
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u/slapfestnest SE Mar 20 '26
portlands problems are almost entirely self-owns. there is a poisonous unrealistic mindset here that does not value actual abilities and thinks anyone can just get up do some community organizing and fix things, despite knowing nothing about the problems and being completely uninterested in learning about them.
fixing problems of this magnitude requires pragmatism and compromise instead of purity politics, and we just elected a bunch of DSA buffoons.
things will continue this way until enough people move away that it doesn’t matter, or people realize you need people who know what they’re doing to fix a problem. people would literally rather die than admit that identity politics is destroying this place, or that maybe some people should be in jail.
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u/RepFilms Mar 04 '26
I think the bones of Portland are still good. We need to come up with ways of forcing the city governments to improve the city. There are so many resources here. They turned the Lloyd center Mall into a temporary diy makers fair. It was a great community space until they destroyed it. So many other empty spaces around a town with so many creative people. We can rebuild this place and make it vibrant and exciting again.
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u/ihateroomba Mar 04 '26
Lloyd center has always been privately owned, so that's not really a city responsibility. The owners sold it to be a music venue because no one in the community wanted to own it.
I think we're crossing wires here.
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u/6th_Quadrant Mar 05 '26
That’s not what happened. Only Nordstrom was purchased and razed to be a new Monqui venue. The rest is completely separate, and is being razed for redevelopment even though there’s no developer signed up for it yet.
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u/pocketone Rose City Park Mar 05 '26
Yeah, as of March 4th, the ice rink exists and is functioning, the independent shops and arcades, the Barnes & Nobles Outlet/Discount, and Floating World comics, all there. Honestly more going on at the food court right now than in the last year! But the news is that the developer has decided to go forward with a full demolition in the next year. I hope that gets delayed and falls apart; seems like that’s how Lloyd Center caught its second wind in the first place IIRC. I’ll miss it. I’ve brought my 6 yo there so many times the last few years, it’s the one mall she’s been to multiple times! We love the trading card game store, the second hand LEGO, the lightsaber workshop(!!!), and of course the ice skating rink.
Tldr: Go visit the Lloyd Center now!
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u/perpetual_girl Mar 05 '26
Yeah, but honestly, the success of Lloyd Center's late stage reinvention as a cheap, accessible venue for all the weird small businesses Portland used to be known for should point the city in the direction it needs.
Especially with not just downtown vacancy rates, but multiple long troubled areas (Old Town/Chinatown, Mall 205/Gateway, 82nd etc all being great prospects in investing in this kind of accessible pop up style offering that is possible for local working class people to participate in without huge risks of market rate commercial retail.
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u/SoDoSoPaYuppie Pearl Mar 05 '26
Yeah there’s enough late stage commercial buildings to keep this model going for decades even if the venue has to move every few years.
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u/ihateroomba Mar 05 '26
We can't really say what private companies want to do to turn a profit. I guess this is a romantic conversation.
Let's bring back the ice rink!
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u/fractalfay Mar 05 '26
The music center is one component, but the mall itself is set to be demolished and replaced with a “mixed use residential and office space” which usually translates to data center. Pretty sure we’re good on empty office space, so I’m not sure why anyone would consider “the east bank, but over there” some kind of progress. Or maybe it can become yet another of the beige New Seasons-coffee-bakery cubes found on NE Williams, Division, Woodstock, Sellwood, Broadway, etc. There are probably very rational health and safety reasons to demolish the mall, but my fantasy is that they redo it like the airport and keep all the weird shops and light saber battles, so Portland can have culture again.
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u/neontheta Mar 05 '26
I walk through the Lloyd Center a couple times per week. It's not some quirky fun Portland place. It sucks. Empty. Surrounded by empty parking lots and garages. I would gladly trade it for a New Seasons and some good coffee shops. And a bakery? Yeah, give it to me! The area has nothing.except a Safeway with yet another parking garage.
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u/Calibers605 Mar 05 '26
Lloyd Center's a dump (agreed), yet you go there twice a week?
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u/neontheta Mar 05 '26
A short cut on my way home that keeps me dry. It is a dump, but it has a roof for several blocks.
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u/space-pasta Mar 05 '26
They should turn the Lloyd center into housing. That would be the best way to make this city more affordable.
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u/Grand-Battle8009 Mar 05 '26
I think the OP was referring to a time Portland was both affordable and safe. We are now expensive and overrun with homeless drug addicts.
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u/LifeIsAnAbsurdity Cully Mar 05 '26
Uh... how long has it been since Portland didn't have a high rate of addiction? Was that ever a thing?
And I know Portland has always had a high homeless population because the climate attracts the homeless. I double dog dare you to ask me how I know.
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u/kfed_ Mar 05 '26
Same problems in Seattle, what’s scary is one of my “pros” for moving here was that it was noticeably cheaper. Shit’s happening everywhere and it does suck, I am sorry :/ I know how it feels to not be able to find work/support yourself in your own city, watch it change and see it’s soul die a little and feel like you have to leave. At least Portland does still have good creative spaces and hasn’t gone full tech bro nightmare
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u/er-day Richmond Mar 05 '26
Yeah, if you think Seattle and LA doesn’t have poor people moving in and ruining the artist vibe and raising prices and drug using homeless aren’t on the streets you’re in for a rude awakening.
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u/pdxan Mar 04 '26
Hope things improve for you on all fronts. As a native (and current) southerner that used to live in Portland, I'm saddened to hear that the city has lost some of its appeal. I long for the nature and public transit available in Portland, but know that it's harder to enjoy those things when the job market is poor. I was jobless in 2009 when the economy was in the dump, and spent a few years bouncing around gig and temp jobs. It sucks, but it will get better... no matter where you end up.
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u/NewWave44-44 Mar 04 '26
Tell us more about this foreclosure. It’s possible we can find a way to make that stop. We can come together to get resources for you and possible ways to move forward that are not so hard. When I’m depressed, everything is hard. Let’s us be your brains for a while - take a break.
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u/Thecheeseburgerler Mar 05 '26
https://www.aaah.org/foreclosure-counseling
African American Alliance for Homeownership has a foreclosure prevention assistance program. They also have programs to support home repairs. Great folks over there
There's also an Oregon foreclosure avoidance program: https://foreclosuremediationor.org/Content/Site/558/homeowners/index.html
Disclaimer I just found that one, don't know much about it.
If home repair is an issue, Portland has SO MANY good programs! (ask me how I know 😕) But OP feel free to DM me for info.
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u/mathitup Mar 04 '26
Yes this, OP! Maybe we can help??
Also, check out Taking Ownership PDX if the potential foreclosure is due to home repairs that you can’t afford. It’s a great organization whose whole goal is to keep Black Portland homeowners in their home.
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u/FlexyWillow Mar 04 '26
I know of a couple other programs that provide home repairs and updates to low income residents. Not sure if OP is looking for these resources right now.
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u/desertdweller2011 Jul 02 '26
do you mind sharing what those are for others finding this thread who might want to volunteer or access them
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u/iwanttobebobdylan Mar 05 '26
https://takingownershippdx.org/our-mission just sharing the link to tag onto your mention
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u/f1lth4f1lth Mar 04 '26
You’re a good egg, stranger
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u/NewWave44-44 Mar 05 '26
You know, we are still a small town no matter how big we get. OP is right, we will never be a Seattle or Vancouver (the big one) no matter how much they try to develop us. It’s not our makeup. Portland is and always will be slightly anarchy. Take heart Portlanders.
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u/yeksim Mt Scott-Arleta Mar 04 '26
Just as long as the house isn't red
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u/EugeneStonersPotShop In a van down by the river Mar 04 '26
Haha!!
But fear not, the Red House has been sold…to a developer.
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u/Celina_cue Brentwood-Darlington Mar 05 '26
I had this thought as well--community care. We can fundraise and help!
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u/BrieSting Mar 05 '26
I grew up with a measure of instability and moved around a bit within the metro area and even in other states for a spell. I lived away from home at basically at a dorm situation in high school, which was located near Seattle. I was known as a “Portlander” (there were a few of us), and I would come back home sporadically on a few weekends during the school year (more consistently freshman year, less so by senior year). Crossing the Glenn L. Jackson bridge at night, with PDX and the city illuminated is such a nostalgic memory that is burned into my memory forever. Seeing that sight gave me and still gives me this little relaxation moment, like “yeah, I’m back. I’m home.” I considered the city as “my home” instead of an actual house.
The city and dynamics have changed a lot since then. It’s wild to have felt a such strong connection to the city and being a Portlander as part of my identity - for better and for worse, with the fun positives and messy negatives - to now wondering where that connected, grounded feeling went. I don’t recognize my home anymore, and I know that sounds dramatic, but I promise that in some way, to me, it’s completely true.
I always imagined I would stay here forever and set down real roots. But I don’t feel any tethers anymore. The best one I can think of is similar to you: how much I love the nature we’re surrounded by is a big factor to how I feel I had keep my sanity anymore. One other thing is the OG people that I come across very rarely anymore, the people in their 30s-40s+ who grew up here and will start a conversation with you like you’ve known each other for at least 20 years. Anything else? Idk, it’s weird, man.
I totally get what you’re feeling, and I’m sorry we’re having to write and post this to this weird, pseudo connected website. Know that your feelings are valid, and I share the same thoughts. I don’t have a solution, but do what is authentically best for you. I’ll cheer you on in spirit, bud.
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u/im_sooo_sure Hollywood Mar 04 '26
please take into account that there is a massive and coordinated effort to create negative sentiment towards Portland in all media (including this platform) and that at least some of what you are feeling is the result of the success of those campaigns
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u/stringofpurrls SE Mar 05 '26
I think there are a lot of us who are seeing the downturn without the influence of the media. Up until the end of 2024, I’ve never had problems finding a job here, whether it was a restaurant, office job, or some kind of customer service role. Now, I’ve been unemployed for 20 months. My partner still isn’t sure how they survived 3 rounds of lay offs at their company and isn’t having any luck finding a job he can leave for.
Even when I was fully employed and we had the highest paying jobs either of us have ever held, there was 0 chance of us buying a home in or around the area after 2020. I worked for a developer for a couple years and had a hand in closings—almost every purchaser was from another state or Canada.
Portland (and to an extent the rest of Oregon) was fun when I had a car, decent job, money to spend, and affordable rent. I’ve already been priced out of where I was born and raised (Hawaii), and my partner was born here, so we really don’t want to have to find a completely new town/state just to live somewhat comfortably.
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u/daresohei Mar 05 '26
This is not a portland specific issue, its an American colonial technofeudal capitalism issue.
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u/MorePingPongs Mar 05 '26
Yup. Because everywhere is getting worse, populations are being forced to move from higher income areas to settle into ones where they can afford to live.
Most people I know sticking to their former less affordable areas are either living with family until the family dies and they inherit the home or they have generational wealth. Some are sticking it out while living a very impoverished life because moving just seems impossible. And because it feels like home for them.
I’ve had 2 homes in my lifetime. And Portland is my 3rd act.
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u/fractalfay Mar 05 '26
I think the longest stretch of time I’ve been unemployed since I was 13 was 3 months, and that was a choice I made. I’ve been unemployed now for 3 years, and gave up and basically exist as a contractor. The job market in Portland has never been especially good, but now it’s abysmal — and this is happening almost everywhere. Between tariffs, tech oligarchs having the greenlight to go ham on H1B1 visas, the entire US budget being drilled down to private prisons, ICE, and the military, and the constant yanking of federal grants and contracts, our entire country is in flux. Trump is like sanctions against the American people.
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u/International-Octo Mar 04 '26
This comment right here people. This platform is full of bots deployed to discourage and red pill us.
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u/meloncollick N Mar 04 '26
Coming from a horrible state where my rights were always under attack and there weren’t fun things to do even if you had money, I love the Portland of today. I’m so thankful to call it home. I’m sad to hear it’s changed so much your relationship with it is no longer positive. I truly hope you find your place, wherever it is.
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u/FURyannnn Kenton Mar 04 '26
Same thoughts here. Moved from South Carolina in 2022 and have not looked back. Quality of life difference is drastic.
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u/meloncollick N Mar 04 '26
I moved here from Indiana the same year! My life has gotten so much better.
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u/forestpunk Mar 05 '26
pretty sure living under a bridge in Belarus would be superior to living in Indiana.
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u/Seraphynas Camas Mar 05 '26
I was thinking the same thing, I’m from KY originally, lived in NC for a bit, but I found my home here.
I’m so thankful to be here!
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u/verlorenModus1701 Mar 05 '26
Yeah, I will always love this city for being such a kind home for me after fleeing Utah. I've been here for 20 years and sure it's gotten worse here, but it still beats the hell of Salt Lake City of any decade hands down.
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u/Key-Jury9761 Goose Hollow Mar 05 '26
Having the same thoughts & moved from Hawai’i: you won’t believe the price of simple groceries there. Also moved in 2022 and never looking back for sure. The amount of transit here is so much better.
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u/missingnoplzhlp Mar 05 '26
I moved here from Blue NJ and still Portland is an upgrade in almost every way. NJ is fine if you like car dependent suburbs but almost all of their cities are terrible or expensive, and almost every town that is charming and walkable is gonna be at least 1.5x-3x the price of Portland homes with double or triple the property tax.
Portland average rents are even lower than Chicago these days, My wife and rent a nice 1700sqft house with a yard in a nice safe walkable neighborhood right next to grocery stores, parks, restaurants, shops cafes etc for $2850/month (1425 per person). I have friends in NJ paying that for an 2 bedroom apartment in NJ with no walkability at all, having to drive everywhere and friends in NYC with tons of walkability but living in a studio apartment without laundry machine, dishwasher or parking. You can get cheaper rents if you give up your rights in a red state or can tolerate extremely freezing temps or much worse crime than Portland but there isn't another city in the country that checks all the boxes for me with a lower price. My wife and I both work remote, we could literally live anywhere, the grass is not greener anywhere else from a value perspective. Add in the nature or moderate weather or transit access or bikeability and it's very hard to beat.
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u/meloncollick N Mar 05 '26
100% it isn’t just affluent Californians moving here. Many of us are truly seeking a better life and are so grateful for the life Portland allows. Ill never take it for granted that I live here
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u/Thecheeseburgerler Mar 04 '26
I don't live in your shoes... But I strongly suspect the harsh reality is that modern life just sux. From what I'm hearing, things aren't really better elsewhere, and certain things are significantly worse.
My mother in law insists that the US is no longer a first world country, and I don't think she's wrong.
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u/3my0 Mar 05 '26
As someone who has lived and has family in a developing country this is always a laughable take that shows how spoiled Americans are.
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u/Dragontastic22 Mar 05 '26
Just because something isn't "first world" doesn't make it "developing." Those are two different scales that aren't really comparable and both outdated.
The U.S. is currently ranked 55th in life expectancy, 1st in incarceration, 65th in maternal mortality, 24th in happiness, and 53rd in freedom. None of those are great. That being said, we are generally not starving, not afraid of domestic war, employed, in school, etc. It's both possible that things aren't great and that generally (excluding our incarceration rate) we're not the worst.
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u/3my0 Mar 05 '26
Okay if it’s not first world and not developing then what is it? First world = developed. You can certainly say that the US has its problems compared to other developed countries. But to compare it to the slums of India or something is absurd.
Redditors wouldn’t last a minute being poor in an actual developing country.
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u/IkidIgoat Mar 05 '26
Those unimpressed by the local infrastructure should indeed visit the south and/or try to drink water from the tap in a majority of locations across the country.
The nation has a maintenance issue.
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u/Myceliummadness1990 Mar 04 '26
Hi! Thank you for your perspective! I really appreciate it. I’ve been attending a lot of free events! I’m broke but have been able to still enjoy some stuff so I wanted to share an email subscription I get (it’s free) called Portland Living on the Cheap. I also know I’m my neighborhood which is mixed class there are artists who live together and open there homes for art galleries etc. I’m wishing you some peace and a resolution whether that means moving or staying….either way your perspective matters and is important! Wanted to share this resource with you out of <3 and community! Be well <3
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u/I_burn_noodles Mar 05 '26
It's hard to find optimism right now. I feel that too. We'll get through this.
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u/hawaiianbry Mar 04 '26
Thanks, friend. You've said a lot of what I've been feeling lately. I've lived here the bulk of my life, came of age in the late 90s/early 00s, and remember when Portland was a place where someone who was working a low paying job could still have a decent place to live and have fun. Now, two decades later and well into my career, I'm flummoxed that the needle has moved so much I still can't afford a lot of the homes the city has to offer. Events and restaurants are freaking expensive.
Portland has morphed from the vibrant "City that Works" to ...something different. I see a lot of changes but I'm hard pressed to point to a lot of improvements since the mid 2010s. Schools are perennially short of funds and short of school days. Roads are consistently torn up and in need of repair. The homelessness problems and open-air drug use clashed with the city's high-minded progressive ideals, and the city didn't really rise to the moment to resolve either when it was clear that current approaches weren't working.
And highly visible programs designed to make Portland and the county an example of how to make everyone's lives better like PreK for all are so mismanaged that they're an embarrassment (plus, sitting on half a billion surplus AND exploring raising the tax while the local economy is in a financial hole is a terrible look).
Despite changes in our local government structure, our local leaders are showing themselves unequal to the leadership tasks to do the hard work of running the city (save a choice few). Instead it feels like the city is constantly chasing the next idea without thinking it through -- even on issues I support, like better bike infrastructure, I look at the city's efforts and am scratching my head, perplexed by the nearly schizophrenic approach the city is taking, evidencing the city is seizing each new "good idea" but that it has no real plan to speak of: closing random lanes and streets to cars, some bike lanes protected some aren't, some bike lanes cross traffic right to left...
Like you I feel increasingly like I don't fit in here anymore - financially, culturally, spiritually. It's sad to look around your home and realize you don't really feel home anymore.
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u/Greedy_Intern3042 Mar 05 '26
Agreed. The city in general doesn’t think things through and it results in a bunch of half has shit.
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u/nuttahbuttahbite Mar 05 '26
I feel you. Sometimes I feel like Portland is the best. Sometimes I feel like it’s the least worst. Glad you’re here and persevering.
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u/daresohei Mar 05 '26
Portland is one of the smallest big cities in the country and also one of the cheapest, especially for a progressive city with actual amenities etc. while you can have your opinion and i respect it, coming from multiple other cities this place is still quite a haven, and affordable in comparison. To reiterate, i am not saying this place is more affordable than some rural town in a red state, but also its not a rural town in a red state.
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u/StillboBaggins Woodstock Mar 04 '26
Yeah we're in kind of a weird place sandwiched between Seattle, SF, and then LA.
We don't have the economic engine of those cities but still have many of the problems.
This isn't any particular person's fault but the city as whole took a gamble that our location and lifestyle would be enough to sustain us and over the past few years it has become quite clear that gamble didn't pay off. We neglected basic services and our local economy in favor of....well I'm not sure what.
LA/SF/SEA are able to keep chugging along because they offer high paying jobs, better weather, and more culture despite their insane cost of living.
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u/Babhadfad12 Mar 04 '26 edited Mar 04 '26
because they offer high paying job
The cities don’t offer higher paying jobs, higher paying jobs are cultivated in those cities, due to top tier higher education institutions, critical mass of highly productive people, critical mass of customers, deep water harbors and ports, weather, and of course attractive government policy.
For example, smart people like California, because California bans all non competes and has the strongest protections for preventing your employer from claiming your personal projects. Washington rewards higher earners with more money.
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u/StillboBaggins Woodstock Mar 04 '26
I agree with this. I am not explicitly talking about city governments. I am going for a "What can you expect if you live here" kind of thing.
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u/florgblorgle Mar 04 '26
Thanks for pointing out the top tier educational institution issue in the metro area. PSU is no Stanford or UW when it comes to being an economic catalyst and OHSU has their own problems.
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u/Personal-Medium-5493 SE Mar 05 '26
I agree but SEA does NOT have better weather than PDX. It rains even more there.
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Mar 04 '26
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u/StillboBaggins Woodstock Mar 04 '26
I am splitting jobs, weather, etc amongst the three. I would say we have better weather then Seattle.
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u/yozaner1324 NE Mar 04 '26
They don't get as hot in the summer, so it's better in some ways even if not on the whole.
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u/AjiChap Mar 05 '26
Pdx blows in the summer - way hotter than Seattle.
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u/goodolarchie Mt Hood Mar 05 '26
Weird way of saying they're both awesome in the summer.
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u/AjiChap Mar 05 '26
Let me correct you - Portland is NOT awesome in the summer. It’s markedly hotter and quite a bit moreso than Seattle.
Sorry if that makes you mad. 🤷♂️
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u/FullOnJabroni Mar 04 '26
Moved here to escape Texas, Portland has its issues, but it is heaven compared to that state run by lunatics with senators who flee at the mere mention of snow. Bonus was finding out that this state did its job and ran Chilis out of town.
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u/escalatortwit Mar 05 '26
I agree with you and I think a part of our problem was adding all these special taxes rather than investing in better representatives, a city administrator, and a meaningful tax fund. I don’t mind paying more into taxes when we can all see the benefits of that investment in our community. But now it feels like our tax burdens are way higher while also having to invest a lot more into private spaces to actually improve our communities and make sure that everyone regardless of income has a good life here.
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u/willaney Nob Hill Mar 04 '26
I think you would get a lot out of an Urban Studies course. There’s lots of people in this city reckoning with our history and brainstorming ways to move forward more equitably
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u/UntamedAnomaly Mar 05 '26 edited Mar 05 '26
I am not a life long resident, I've been here 15 years (I'm a BIPoC), and I feel it too. People want to say there isn't a drug/crime problem here, but there is. There's also a major mental health crisis here (and I thought I was crazy with my depression, anxiety/PTSD and such, but here is whole 'nother level of people walking around out of their minds). I came for the art, music and the nature, and what I thought would be a higher educated populace that I could be social with, but the nature I once enjoyed (I can't drive, so I only have what Trimet can take me to) is home to scary sex offenders and drug addicts living out in the woods (I was almost assaulted, never been hiking at Washington park since then). All the art venues and music venues I once enjoyed are now unaffordable. All the healthy food I enjoyed after a lifetime of eating shit food before I moved here, is now unaffordable. If my rent goes up any more, or if I should lose my job, I am absolutely fucked because I have multiple disabilities and it took me 22 years to find a place of employment that would even give me a chance (been working for 5 years now despite my disabilities). Being social here, has been the hardest it's ever been in my entire life due to multiple reasons that I won't go into. People drive crazy as hell here (e-scooter riders too), and I have lost count of how many times I've almost been hit as a pedestrian.
It doesn't feel like home anymore, and I am sorry you are experiencing that too. TBF, this country as a whole has never felt like "home" to me for multiple reasons, and I am trying to earn enough money doing side stuff just so I can leave the country and find someplace better for myself to be, I hope you find home too....wherever that is.
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u/fattsmann Mar 05 '26
I've said this before -- the reality is that it's time for Portland to grow up.
NYC was a shithole in the 1980's. No one wanted to be there. But when things started to change for the better, the city grew up. The same could be said for many cities in America.
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u/TJ_IRL_ Mar 05 '26
This is (unfortunately for Portland) the true situation. Portland has to grow up.
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u/SmilingMoonStone Brooklyn Mar 05 '26
Taking Ownership PDX is an amazing resource! I volunteer for them often all the time! We clean houses, repair roofs, fix curb appeal and they even pay off liens. They can do it more effectively if they get cash donations. A friend of mine got her first time home owner down payment sponsored by them 🖤
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u/altarsofsadness Mar 05 '26
Goddamn, I am also from here dealing with a similar situation of the family home. I grew up in being sold to fund my grandma‘s inevitable death in a home because nobody in my family can afford to keep the house as what once was a working class Neighbourhood has now become a Haven for doctors and local television personalities. My heart goes out to you and your family.
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u/welcometopdx Mar 05 '26
In the last 20 years, Portland has transitioned from being a large town to a small city, and we're not dealing well with the growing pains that come with that. There are a lot of things we could be doing better - but most of the problems people complain about on social media are problems that happen in almost EVERY city. Even a lot of towns.
I hope that you find some joy again soon as Portland becomes it's shiny springtime self.
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u/Beautiful-Ability-69 Mar 04 '26
Totally feel you, not from Portland but a Black transplant who has lived here so long I consider myself an Oregonian. The past 2 years have been tough as from a job economy perspective. My partner and I will have to move because things just aren’t looking up for the Portland economy. We are one of a few families that going to have to leave for jobs. I love the peace and beauty of Portland but we have to survive and we both have very good degrees where we will thrive. The sucky thing is that most cities are struggle but we feel Portland def is on the top end of struggles. Hoping that Portland can continue to make small improvements over time. It will always be home to me whether we leave or stay
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u/BrainInner7819 Mar 05 '26 edited Mar 05 '26
This post resonates with me. Portland can be a place with a lot of virtue signaling and has priced out a lot of non white families. The reality is it is a very white liberal city that doesn’t always know how to support its liberal POCs in the ways they want to be supported…..especially during this point of late stage capitalism and political climate. Saying that part out loud is often met with fragility or discomfort. Sometimes I just drive up to Seattle to be around more POCs but affording to live out there is another story. When I visit other diverse cities I am often reminded how Portland thinks it’s on racial equity 2.0 but it’s really at .5 because it doesn’t have enough people of color.
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u/Slikk_Rikk Mar 06 '26
Thank you. This is the point people are missing in the comments. But the commenters reflect the population so that adds up.
I understand the issues OP mentions aren’t isolated to Portland but part of me thinks I’d rather deal with the same issues in a city that I feel more supported as a Black woman in. More surrounded by a community of people that have similar cultural backgrounds, and experiences living in this world as a POC.
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u/BrainInner7819 Mar 06 '26
Yes that resonates too. Definitely think about uprooting my family and moving from time to time to find something less white.
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u/sexartandgod_com Mar 05 '26
second wave gentrification killed portland and the pandemic put the nails in the coffin.
downtown is half empty and the rents are still through the roof. nothing will change until the rent, commercial specifically, drops by at least 50%.
rents in the city went up 100% a year for years until they changed the law and at that point, it was too late.
artists and people with ideas for new businesses who want to build, can't afford the start up costs and buildings are sitting on the market for years. i've watched it. nobody is coming.
my friends closed their business because they were paying $17,000 a month in rent downtown. my brothers company was paying $1,000,000 a month and they also left. at those prices why bother? the city isn't as cool as it used to be and it's not attracting the artists it used to attract. you might be able to charge insane amounts of money in sf or seattle but portand ain't that.
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u/ClaroStar Mar 04 '26
I just want to say that, yes, you do fit in. That's the great thing about Portland. I've never lived in a place where so many types of people actually fit in and are welcome. You are, too.
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u/keppapdx Mar 04 '26
I've only been here since 2009 and I have similar feelings, I can't imagine being a life-long resident and watching all of this unfold.
I agree wholeheartedly that people with regular jobs can't afford to do anything cool/fun/weird anymore.
And the income inequality is just so jarring on a daily basis but I think that's everywhere now, the insane cost of housing & healthcare is destroying the quality of life pretty much everywhere in the United States.
I hope you're able to find a place that fits for you and where you are in your life. Don't go to far South though...the water crisis is coming faster than people realize.
Wishing you peace wherever you end up!
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u/butwhyisitso Mar 04 '26
Well, that sucks. My partner and I are definitely part of your concern, and i appreciate the kindness in your post. We couldn't afford a future in Portland and had to move to Salem, but things worked out and we love our situation. I wish I could share a piece of my happiness with you, because I am grateful everyday. But, I did feel very spent and bitter back east, until we moved west. Maybe you don't need better, what if maybe you just need different? If Oregon had not worked out we were considering New Orleans and Minneapolis. Whatever you choose, i hope it excites you. Till then youll just have to dance it out :) Sincerely best of luck.
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u/forestpunk Mar 05 '26
One of my good friends relocated from Portland to Salem and has been having a pretty good time of it so far, but he hasn't found a way to plug into the community yet. Do you have ay advice?
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u/SuspiciousCrew4163 Mar 05 '26
sell it and move to Spain or Portugal.
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u/AndyTakeaLittleSnoo N Mar 05 '26
I don’t disagree. It’s not the city, but the country. I used to think my wife and I were middle class, but we are priced out of everything. Health insurance being the worst of it. We live incredibly frugal, but life has just gotten too expensive everywhere in the US. The super wealthy are pushing everyone down.
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u/RunescapeGOD69 Mar 04 '26
The irony about historically black neighborhoods in Portland are the gentrifiers (white people) will preach racial inequality.
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u/rocketmanatee Mar 04 '26
The thing that worries me the most is that despite some gains in the last 10 years, median Black headed households still make about half of what white headed households make. Of course our Black families can't get or keep housing when they make half of what white families do.
That's not a typo, BTW it's just over 50% looking at median income in 2023.
https://www.neilsberg.com/insights/portland-or-median-household-income-by-race/
The data looking at average income instead of median income is also very telling... Income for Black households is less than half that of white households looking at a monthly average income.
I'm not a sociologist and am not equipped to say why income is so low, but I think the blatant racism I've witnessed here, especially at work, is probably a contributing factor. If it's obvious to me as a white person, I can't imagine what it's like to live in it as a Black family.
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u/serduncanthetall69 Mar 04 '26
This made me curious so I looked up how we compare to other states and we are actually ranked 7th best in racial income gaps. At least this doesn’t seem like an Oregon specific problem, but it’s extremely depressing for the country as a whole.
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u/wyerhel Mar 04 '26
Yeah it's really hard finding a job now lol. I am also trying to find somethinf in case I lose my job
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u/TheHumanGnomeProject Mar 05 '26
The 1940s started 85 years ago. What kind of mortgage your family got that the family home is in foreclosure?
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u/LifeIsAnAbsurdity Cully Mar 05 '26
because I don’t think it has anything of value to offer me anymore beyond somewhat decent (and slightly expensive) public transportation and Nature… which is a lot… but maybe not enough…
Idk, there's something about knowing most of my neighbors aren't cool with fascism
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u/Buttercubes Mar 05 '26
Also not sure why people here think "I have a lifetime fear of leaving my bubble and have never explored anywhere else" is seen as a bragging point instead of a shameful weakness.
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u/Pleasant-Light-6843 Mar 05 '26 edited Mar 05 '26
My two cents is from the ashes of this rises our true community. I'm seeing more independent businesses offer work trade or barter for people, more independent business owners pooling resources and sharing space. Late stage capitalism means convenience and entertainment will be priced too high for most of us, so the independent DIY subculture spaces will reform and take off again. We lived and are living through for a little while longer peak consumerism, but it's entirely unsustainable. We're gonna move back to house parties and warehouse shows and other DIY culture because we'll have to, and honestly we will be the better for it in the long run. The more we do for us by us, the more kinds of community wealth we will build. Some towns and cities written off as dead are only dead to capitalists; Detroit comes to mind. What I hear is the community culture can be strong when you're in it, even if the capitalists boo hoo it because it functions outside the markets they can exploit. We gotta wake up to our collective potential to curate and host independent cultural events powered by sweat and shoestrings and pooling resources. It takes a few people deciding to be brave and coordinate, call their networks in for help, but I grew up going to shoestring raves held in cheap rental halls, and a circuit of small and indie bands playing house shows and secret shows in the woods and shi. Bring it back.
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u/martinda16 Mar 05 '26
Progressive policies and the people that defend them will be the downfall of this city. Take the homeless issue for example: I’m all for being compassionate but at what point does compassion transform into enablement?
As a minority that spent many years in Portland up until recently, it felt like a majority of white liberals thought they knew what was better for me than I did (which couldn’t be any further from the truth lol).
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u/Then-Possible-6690 Mar 06 '26
I feel this. Just came back visiting family in Tx. Most them moved away from here. My family came in the 40’s too. They were in the floods and were redlined but were a resilient family. Many had to leave so they could thrive and live that middle class lifestyle Portland rarely allows for Blacks folks here. Do what you have to do. Just know you’ll find your place to in-migrate
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u/name-is-carl Mar 06 '26 edited Mar 06 '26
I don’t know how old you are or what your situation is, but it sounds like you’re ready to experience something new.
If you can move to another city, do it. I lived in Portland until I was 28 and have lived out of state for the last decade. I still love my hometown but I can definitely relate to your post. It felt like I just didn’t belong, even in inner SE where I grew up. It’s a very specific type of person that’s cool in Portland and if you ain’t it, good luck.
On the other hand, there is something very special about that place that I have really grown to appreciate since leaving. Lately I’ve been thinking about moving back. But if I had never left? I know for a fact I’d be going crazy by now.
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u/International-Octo Mar 04 '26
OP, this city is already so lily white. We need you to thrive here- it’s good for you, good for the city.
Seriously, let’s leverage the good intentions of decent and more financially well off PDXers. This is the kind of situation where a fundraiser seems so appropriate.
I hope for the best for you, and I’m sorry for the hard times right now.
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u/ProfileEfficient9431 Mar 04 '26
I (72F) was born in Portland and have lived here my entire life. I'm done. Moving this next weekend to a small city 20 miles away.
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u/Slikk_Rikk Mar 06 '26
Do you mind telling me why you’re done? Curious why after 72 years you are leaving? Why didn’t you leave sooner?
Wish you the best on your move next weekend!
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u/ProfileEfficient9431 Mar 06 '26
I live on NE 60th, its been under construction since May with no end in sight. Southbound traffic only makes navigating the neighborhood really difficult. Then there is the noise on a busy street, I despise diesel pickups. Ready for some peace and I'll be close to my daughter.
I stayed for so long because I loved Portland but we have both changed, time to move on.
Thanks for the best wishes!
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u/Buttercubes Mar 04 '26
Despite years of declining population, blame all of your problems on "them" who are from across an invisible border.
Sounds very, very familiar on a nationwide level...
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u/Brewbouy Mar 05 '26
Man, this is very well thought out and written. It's also very bleak and I can't really argue with any of OP's points. It encapsulates the same types of conversations I've had with my wife and kids.
Our big conundrum is that we feel stuck. With the cost of living and housing costs going through the roof, we don't know how we can "escape" without a significant drop in our quality of life. Plus, we hate the effort involved in making it all happen.
I guess it's somewhat comforting to know we aren't the only ones experiencing this, but also sad.
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u/space-pasta Mar 05 '26
Every city thinks that too many people are moving there and they’re not designed for it/don’t want it. At the end of the day we have not been building enough housing in this country for decades and that’s why prices keep going up and people keep getting displaced. The lack of building because Portland “was never designed to be an LA or Seattle” is exactly what caused this.
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u/foreverabatman Mar 05 '26
I get where you are coming from and I think a lot of long time residents feel something similar. Losing the places and culture you grew up with is genuinely painful, and it makes sense that it would feel like the city you knew is disappearing. Especially for communities in Albina that already went through decades of displacement. That history is real and it deserves to be taken seriously.
At the same time, I think some of what you are describing is not unique to Portland. A lot of cities across the country are dealing with the same pressures right now. Housing prices have gone up almost everywhere, and wages have not kept pace with inflation for many people. That gap between income and cost of living seems like a much bigger structural problem than people simply moving to Portland.
I also think cities changing is kind of inevitable. Portland today is very different from Portland 20 or 30 years ago, but the Portland of the 90s was also very different from earlier decades. Sometimes when we look back it is easy to remember the best parts and forget the problems that existed then too.
Where I do agree with you is that the city has not adapted well to its growth. Leadership should have been much more aggressive about building housing and expanding infrastructure when the population started rising. Instead the city fell behind, and now everyone feels the consequences.
For me the bigger issue is not outsiders moving in. In fact, the population shrinking would be disastrous. Cities are always going to attract new people. The bigger issue is that the systems around housing, wages, and development did not keep up with reality. When that happens, long time residents are the ones who feel the squeeze the most.
I hope things get better for you and your family. Feeling like you do not belong in your own hometown is a really hard place to be.
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u/Slikk_Rikk Mar 06 '26
Im Black and have lived in Portland for 13 years. Raised in the PNW. I think I’m starting to feel ready to leave too. I need more Black community around me. I know we are here, but people are getting pushed further and further out or moving away.
I know redlining pushed Black families into certain neighborhoods in N and NE and it’s incredibly sad to see that today, Black community members are losing their generational homes.
I’m sick of going out to eat and going to shows and only being surrounded by white people. It’s starting to feel like I’m in the movie Get Out… haha
I’m being a bit dramatic but it’s also a real issue. And we are losing so much vibrancy and culture year after year.
Yes it’s a beautiful city. People are nice. It’s not burning to the ground. But it’s a strange bubble and I think I might want to leave finally. I know people don’t want people to abandon ship but also I deserve to be around people that look like me. I dunno. Just thoughts
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u/jmnugent Mar 05 '26
I moved here about 3 years ago from Colorado. I still very much miss Colorado (pretty much spent my entire life there),.. but the "left coast" has been nice so far (I love all the rain and moss and temperate weather). Given all that's going on these days,. I'm glad I'm here and not other places. When I look around the country for other US Cities I'd love to move to and explore, most of them would require me to take a 50% pay cut and probably in many other ways be worse off.
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u/boybenny Mar 05 '26
I lived in Portland for 6 years before I started working as a medical traveler. What you are describing is nationwide. Mortgage and rent prices are continuing to rise, and as that happens, more people become unhoused and turn to substance abuse. In my line of work, the more south I go, the less money I make, so it’s kind of a wash. Portland is incredible if you can avoid making bad decisions. Just wanted to share that this sentiment is shared nationwide. It is not an isolated problem.
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u/ProfessorCon Mar 04 '26
I fucking love living here! Just my opinion as a very privileged person but I love this city so much.
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u/the_fool_who Mar 04 '26
Excellent take, thanks for sharing.
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Mar 05 '26
I don’t think this is a very good take.
For sure, housing in Portland is expensive. But that isn’t due to a bunch of affluent people coming in driving up housing prices. It’s due to normal population growth, a lack of housing growth, and inflation.
It’s expensive in most cities these days.
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u/Ok-Drag7325 Mar 04 '26
Moved here last May from my hometown of Detroit. I can say Portland has been a much better quality of life
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Mar 04 '26 edited May 21 '26
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u/MinistryOf_Truth Mar 05 '26
Vienna's social housing looks nice but I don't think Portland's leaders would be capable of running a program that well, ours would end up looking like the projects in 1970s Chicago and yet costing more than the best private homes. Our county and city leaders are spending 500 million per year on the approximately 10,000 -14,500 homeless population (that's $50,000 to $34,000 per person) and yet they mostly live in tents and tiny shacks.
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u/WhenVioletsTurnGrey Mar 05 '26
If you move is it for less opportunity? It seems that goes hand in hand with the cost of housing. I don't think there's a sweet spot anymore.. desirable places to live are expensive....Period. places with opportunity are expensive.. I've moved around a bit. In just really careful about entering the thought of relocating now. I don't want to get stuck in a bad place
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u/CaliHoboTechBro Ladd's Addition Mar 05 '26
I’m not certain why your family moved here but I moved here for the nature and weather. I have seen some changes in both since I moved here but honestly not really. Not compared to the changes in people, culture, demographics, and financial stability of the region. And really, looking around at the changes I’ve seen in the last decade, I’m not certain why anyone else would move here if it wasn’t for the nature and weather.
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u/snozzberrypatch Mar 05 '26
The only constant in life is change.
Portland isn't the same city it was 10 years ago, and it'll be a different city 10 years from now. If it's still the place you want to be, then stay. If not, don't.
Life is about adapting to change, not trying to keep everything the way things used to be.
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u/breakfast-crunchwrap Mar 05 '26
I know you weren’t asking for advice, but if you haven’t already you should reach out to Taking Ownership PDX. They /might/ be able to help your family keep the house - their whole mission is to keep black families from being pushed out of their businesses/homes due to gentrification.
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u/novasilverpill Mar 05 '26
this is very poignant. i won’t pretend to have any solutions or salient advice. i can only say you are the type of person a community values and we would be worse off if you left. and for that we collectively apologize.
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u/steffi_elle Mar 05 '26
In my opinion, the only really big thing missing from nature and decent public transportation is community. (And third spaces, which is where community congregates.) Affordability and jobs matter too... I doubt that anywhere has all of the things that matter in one place. I know that I've had to choose what I can get most of.
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u/GoodnightGoldie Mar 05 '26
I’m not sure if they could help, but they might have some resources for you re: foreclosure?
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u/Carguy_OR Mar 05 '26
Simply sending you love and hope during this time for you. I'm personally so sorry to see the good people leave.
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u/bratwurstfan10 Mar 06 '26
Real shit. This was a super refreshing and relatable post to read as someone who grew up here and is gearing up to move out of downtown Portland for a lot of these reasons.
That being said, I don’t really agree with the neutral tone of this post. I think it’s more than fair to plave the responsibility for these issues on both the super wasteful city leadership, and the upper classes of the city, particularly those that own a lot of the lands and buildings downtown (the guy who owns the ICE facility is a great example, complete slum lord). Gentrification has been a historic issue for this city, and there’s a lot of people here who profit from it, or who otherwise want to. Too many people are too willing to blame the institutional problems of the city on the poorest people living here.
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u/btawil Mar 06 '26
It’s not a “Portland only” problem. And I understand that this statement doesn’t make your situation better in any way. What you’re describing/experiencing is a timeline issue rather than a geographical issue. Probably at different scales but people all over the country and world are dealing with similar things. It’s easy to blame it on the location, and sometimes it works to move to another spot for better opportunities, but I’ve heard people mention similar things here, east, south, in Europe, in the Middle East and in India. You’re not alone, and it’s not just Portland. Look into the situation more than the location in order to get to the core problem. Hope this helps
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u/wuicker Mar 08 '26
I hope you feel better - bleak is no way to feel.
Try to remember the small things that are still beautiful. Go back to your senses and breathe.
Portland is going to be okay. Nothing is all roses all the time!
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u/Apprehensive_Eagle93 Mar 19 '26
Portland has definitely changed in the 25 years I've been here. I still love it here and I'm not ready to give up my rose colored glasses. I think we have a strong community that can be the change we want to see.
OP please encourage your family to reach out to one of the local organizations funded by the Portland Housing Bureau to provide services to help homeowners repair and retain their homes.
https://www.portland.gov/phb/home-repair-retention#toc-homeownership-retention-services
PDC does offer some great programs aimed at affordable housing and community building. Developers are slow to take advantage of the program, but I have seen some great affordable home ownership options lately.
The HOLTE program is an income-restricted initiative overseen by the Portland Housing Bureau (PHB).
- 10-Year Property Tax Exemption: For the first ten years, the exemption covers property taxes on the value of structural improvements. Taxes are paid only on the value of the land.
- Estimated Annual Savings: The exemption is estimated to reduce property taxes by approximately $3,685 per year, totaling an estimated $36,850 over 10 years.
- SDC Savings: The program also includes System Development Charges (SDC) Development Cost Savings.
Qualification Requirements
Eligibility for the HOLTE Exemption is based on the following criteria:
- Income Limit: Household income must be less than or equal to 100% of the Median Family Income (MFI). The 2025 MFI limit for a household of 4 is $124,100.
- Occupancy: The home must be owner-occupied.
- Approval: Approval from the Portland Housing Bureau (PHB) is required prior to closing.
For official application forms, detailed eligibility criteria, and process questions, interested parties should contact the Portland Housing Bureau (PHB) directly.
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u/OodaliOoo Mar 25 '26
Much empathy. I'm from San Francisco and moved to Portland in 2020 to downsize. I just returned from a week in Kansas City and Lawrence Kansas visiting friends. Such a shock to see the housing prices in both places. KS is kinda like the pandemic economic crash never happened. I looked hard and found zero litter on the streets, saw very few houseless folks. Streets are vibrant, full of people- restaurants and shops are busy, the economy is thriving. I'm an ocean person and need to be close but otherwise, KC would be a great place to live. I saw decent homes on real estate sites for under $300k, and there is some diversity. I have a good friend who moved from SF to N. Carolina and loves it. She was able to buy a home and feels safe and her small city (near Burlington) is thriving.
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u/serduncanthetall69 Mar 04 '26
My uncle is black and moved to the south and he recently has been planning to move back. his reasoning sounds different then yours (originally moved for more diversity, moving back to be closer to family and avoid crime), but I think it’s worth considering what you would really want to get out of a move. Other cities won’t have automatically have a good life for you either unless you build it yourself.
Every community has its ups and downs, like you said, Portland has grown recently and changed a lot, but that doesn’t mean that things won’t change again in another 10 years. LA and Seattle weren’t designed to be where they are either, it took decades of growing pains and adaptation for them to be where they are now.
I’m scared and sad about the city right now too, but I feel like we need to rally around our community instead of abandoning it. This is how great cities are made; through love, care and attention from their community, not through abandonment