Welcome to the District Five Insider, a newsletter about the big decisions making their way through the City Council, what they mean for District Five, and how you can get involved. Enter your email and click subscribe to receive this newsletter in your mailbox.
Wednesday November 27, 2024
Defending Portland’s Green New Deal: Building a City That Works for Everyone
Portland’s Green New Deal (GND) is a bold initiative passed by voters in 2020 to tackle the housing crisis, advance environmental sustainability, and protect workers’ rights. At its core is a commitment to equity through inclusionary zoning, which ensures that new developments contribute to affordable housing. Yet, as predictable as the tides, some developers and business groups have criticized this policy, claiming it hinders progress. Let’s break down why these critiques miss the mark—and why the GND is essential for Portland’s future.
The Case for Inclusionary Zoning
Inclusionary zoning requires that developments with 10 or more units dedicate 25% to affordable housing, or contribute a fee to Portland’s Housing Trust Fund. Critics claim this discourages development, but since the GND’s enactment in 2020, Portland has approved and built more affordable housing units. Developers like Tom Landry argue that without these requirements, they “could have” built more. The question is, more of what?
Would it be more luxury condos with sky-high price tags that working families can’t afford? More second and third homes for the wealthy, that sit empty for half the year, while the people who make Portland run day-to-day are forced out of the city? The idea that simply building more market-rate housing will solve the housing crisis ignores reality. For years, we had development focused on high-end units, with the promise that affordability would eventually follow. It didn’t. Portland deserves better than the fantasy of “trickle-down” housing.
Incentives Aren’t the Problem
Some critics suggest that developers need more incentives to build affordable housing. Let’s be honest: the profit margins on luxury condos and high-end apartments are already incentive enough. Developers aren’t charities—they build where they can maximize returns. Inclusionary zoning makes them consider community impact. The suggestion from the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce to reverse these requirements rests on a flawed assumption: that developers will voluntarily create affordable housing. History has shown otherwise. Without regulations, the market skews toward high-end projects, leaving working families behind.
Addressing Hotels vs. Housing
Some critics have pointed out the imbalance in how Portland incentivizes hotels over housing, and they are right to do so. However, this issue is not an indictment of the Green New Deal itself. Hotel inclusionary zoning was never part of the GND and has not been updated to meet the higher standards set by it. The disparity lies in the fact that hotel impact fees remain much lower than those applied to residential developments, which creates an uneven playing field and encourages hotel construction over housing. The six-month hotel moratorium that Councilor Ali and I championed gives the Council the time to address this gap and align our policies to prioritize housing development.
Raising the Standards
Before the Green New Deal, Portland’s outdated building codes allowed developers to cut corners, producing cheaply constructed, energy-inefficient buildings. These homes burden working families with high heating bills and worsen our city’s carbon footprint. The GND changed that, mandating modern energy efficiency standards and better materials. These standards save families money, reduce emissions, and ensure new buildings align with Portland’s commitment to sustainability. Developers lament these additional costs, but we must ask: Who pays the price for substandard construction? It’s not them—it’s us.
A Nuanced Approach to Development
Critics who call for the GND to be repealed entirely reflect a reactionary stance rather than a constructive one. Sweeping statements like these overlook the nuance required to address Portland’s housing crisis. Portland’s growth is not a zero-sum game; thoughtful adjustments to the GND and complementary efforts like my proposal for a Mayoral Task Force on Social Housing, which will come before the Housing and Economic Development Committee in early 2025, can help us achieve a balanced, equitable, and sustainable city.
Rejecting False Choices
The media loves to frame these debates as “regulation versus growth” or “affordability versus progress.” But these false choices oversimplify a complex issue. The GND isn’t about choosing between housing or sustainability, between development or fairness—it’s about creating a system that balances these priorities.
Policies like inclusionary zoning, ReCode’s upzoning for density, and social housing aren’t competing solutions; they’re complementary tools in addressing Portland’s housing needs. By embracing nuance and rejecting black-and-white narratives, we can develop solutions that reflect the complexity of the challenges we face.
Defending Portland’s Vision
Make no mistake: a fight is coming. The champions of corporate greed are eyeing 2025 as the year to dismantle the Green New Deal. But they’ll have to contend with me—and with everyone who believes in a Portland that works for all of us. Now is not the time to turn back or abandon a framework that has already made real progress. Together, we’ve laid the foundation for a sustainable and equitable city. It’s up to all of us to protect that vision and keep building toward it.
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.
Kate Sykes for District Five 