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Thursday, January 18, 2024

Good afternoon friends and neighbors,

At the Council meeting last night, which was pushed to Wednesday due to the Martin Luther King holiday, Councilor Pious Ali read the Mayor’s Proclamation of Black History month, a time “to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of Black Americans in our nation’s history and encourage the continued annual celebration of Black History Month to provide opportunities for all Portland’s residents to learn, examine, and better understand how history has shaped this nation.”

In the spirit of Black History Month, and in honor of Dr. King’s life of service, I wanted to share this quote from the Reverend’s 1967 Riverside Church speech (A Time to Break Silence) on the Vietnam War:

“Love is somehow the key that unlocks the door which leads to ultimate reality.“

No small topic here. King is not just talking about a decades-long war, or the struggle for civil rights, or race relations–all huge issues in their own right–but rather ultimate reality. He goes on to speak about the universal doctrine of love, “that force which all of the great religions have seen as the supreme unifying principle of life.”

But it’s that humble word ‘somehow’ that calls to me in this quote. King doesn’t know how this thing called love works to unlock the door to enlightenment, and he doesn’t pretend to know.

I think we can try too hard to explain things. Every year on this holiday, it strikes me that we try too hard to explain Dr. King himself, his legacy, and what it can teach us. We examine and re-contextualize his words in editorials, essays, (and newsletters) to fit our present day troubles, looking for answers to questions that can’t be answered in words. And all of this can seem like so much lock-picking when we’ve already been handed the key.

Until next time, live with love. -Kate

One Big Thing:

Rent Board Report

The Rent Board presented their Annual report to the Council, as required under the Rent Control Ordinance. It contains data about Portland’s rental landscape, based on 2023 registration records maintained by the City. Landlords with units covered under the ordinance are required to register their units each year and report base rent, as well as any rent increase. Exempt units must also be registered, but are excluded from the report due to inconsistencies in reported rents for these units.

Among other findings, the report reveals significant data reporting glitches and potentially widespread violations of the Rent Control ordinance. Appendix B of the report outlines some of the more concerning findings, including:

• 451 covered units that reported $0 rent or left the field blank
• 729 units that reported an illegal rent increase over the allowed cap of 10%
• 1755 covered units reporting a rent increase of more than the legal limit of 5% between June 2020 and November 2021 when a Rent Freeze was in effect

The full agenda packet including the Rent Board Report is available online.

What it means

The Rent Control ordinance requires registration of covered rental units and imposes late penalties of up to $250 for late registrations. It further holds that violations of the ordinance may incur penalties, and that enforcement of penalties shall be given the highest enforcement priority by the City.

Certainly many landlords are following the law. But the report suggests there may be thousands of units in violation of the rent control ordinance in some way. Some may have had rent increases that were above the legal limit, others reported data that does not make sense, and some may have failed to register entirely.

Why it matters

Any ordinance is only as good as the enforcement mechanism we have in place for it. We recently had a contentious debate about our loitering ordinance and if we would enforce it to clear homeless encampment. We did.

Ordinances like these don’t exist in a silo. They are a set of rules that taken together represent our shared community vision. They say something about our values, what we want to achieve together, and they apply to everyone. We may argue about any number of them, amend them from time to time, or get rid of them altogether, but code enforcement is not optional and it’s an important binding agent that transforms a city from a geographical area on a map into a community.

While the data presented in the Rent Board Report sheds light on a number of aspects of our rental housing landscape, I would go so far as to say that until we’re sure Rent Control is being broadly followed, we cannot effectively evaluate it. I look forward to taking this report up in discussion at an upcoming Housing and Economic Development Committee and working with City Staff to resolve these issues.

Three More Quick Hits:

Serve on the Rent Board!

The Rent Board has posted five vacancies coming up this Spring. Help protect the rights of tenants and keep our rental housing market stable by applying for a position, or sharing this information with others:

1 Seat-Filing Vacant Term through 3/31/2025 (Must live in District 1)

1 Seat-Filing Vacant Term through 3/31/2024 (Must live in District 3)

1 Seat-Filling Vacant Term through 3/31/2026 (Must live in District 4)

1 Seat-Filling Vacant Term through 3/31/2026 (At-Large Member)

1 Seat- Term Expiring 3/31/2027 (At-Large Member)

The Rent Board is only one of many citizen committees and boards that help keep Portland fair, functional, and friendly. Find board and committee descriptions, along with application directions on the City’s website.

Stevens Avenue Paving

The Council passed an order to enter into an agreement with the State DOT to repave and stripe Stevens Avenue from Clinton Street to Woodford Street, including improvements to pedestrian crossings, added ADA curb cuts, and realignment of Brentwood Street to make that area safer for pedestrians. Work will begin this summer.

Welcome to Portland, Morningstar Lane!

The Council passed an order to accept Morningstar Lane as a City Way. For ten years, the residents of this street were left hanging in limbo without city services due to incomplete development requirements preventing incorporation of the street. Everyone is relieved that this project has finally been completed, and the order will go into effect in 10 days.

Pet of the Week!

This week we honor Freyja, a one-year-old rescue pup from a litter found in Tennessee. Part pittie, mixed with husky and shepherd, she adores destroying sticks and playing in the snow in her North Deering yard.

Each week we share a photo and description of a District 5 pet who brightens our day. Do you have a furry friend you want us to feature? Please send your suggestions by email or text.

ksykes@portlandmaine.gov     207-558-5764

Notice: Under Maine law, documents – including e-mails and text messages – in the possession of public officials or city employees about government business may be classified as public records. There are very few exceptions. As a result, please be advised that what is written in a text message or e-mail could be released to the public and/or the media if requested.