Homelessness and housing were the central topics as District 3 candidates took the stage at a live-streamed candidate forum hosted by KATU and Willamette University. This was the third in a series of four forums, each focused on a different district as part of KATU’s election coverage.
The forum featured seven of the thirty candidates who will appear on the ballot: Jesse Cornett, Daniel DeMelo, Chris Flanary, Steve Novick, Angelita Morillo, Ahlam Osman, and Luke Zak. An eighth candidate, Tiffany Koyama Lane, was invited but unable to attend.
When asked what their main focus would be if elected, Cornett, DeMelo, Morillo, and Zak all cited homelessness, with multiple candidates also highlighting housing. Novick emphasized the importance of effective public spending, Flanary focused on living wages, and Osman stressed the urgency of addressing climate change.
Housing Solutions: Emphasizing Existing Properties and City-Owned Land
The candidates were asked how they would increase affordable housing options. Luke Zak advocated for acquiring apartment buildings that have dropped in price due to market conditions. “Right now, there are many apartment buildings that are for sale at a far reduced rate because of the market conditions,” said Zak, a sales manager with Travel Salem, a nonprofit promoting tourism in the Willamette Valley.
Former City Commissioner Steve Novick also expressed interest in this approach but acknowledged the challenges of converting office buildings into housing. “It’s very difficult and expensive,” Novick said. He referenced Calgary, Canada, where similar efforts are underway, noting, “I’m actually interested in talking to folks there and seeing how they’re doing it and why they think that’s a good investment.”
Chris Flanary, a housing specialist with the City of Portland, advocated for using city-owned land to build affordable homes. “The city has a lot of land around Portland, and I would love to see us take that land and put cottage clusters on there, small units, starter homes that are affordable to regular working Portlanders at starter home prices,” Flanary said.
Angelita Morillo, drawing on her own experience of being unhoused, argued that funds used for mass shelters could be better spent on providing secure, private housing. “Some of the encampments that we have right now that are being run by the city… cost millions of dollars every single year,” she said, advocating for reallocating those funds toward more permanent housing solutions. Morillo is a policy advocate for the nonprofit Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon.
Differing Views on Public Camping and Enforcement
Candidates were split on whether they support Portland’s current camping ban, which allows for fining or jailing people who refuse shelter and continue to camp in public spaces.
“Criminalization is not an effective way to address being unhoused, and I’m not sure how folks who are unhoused are going to pay their fines,” Flanary said, adding that jailing people is “the most expensive way to shelter them for the night.”
Morillo echoed Flanary’s sentiment, calling the camping ban “political theater” that overlooks the core issues. “I think we need to be asking, why is it that unhoused people don’t want to go into our shelter spaces?” she said, citing safety concerns about existing shelters. Her concerns were shared by Ahlam Osman, a small business owner and sustainability advocate, who called the ban “a waste of resources” and said the city must make shelters safer and more livable.
Novick took a different approach, arguing that enforcement should be a last resort. “Most people, if they’re told that there’s a humane shelter for them to go to… they will go,” Novick said, suggesting that enforcement only be used when all other options have been exhausted. Cornett, a policy advocate for Oregonians in recovery from addiction, agreed. “The goal is not to criminalize, but to make sure public spaces are safe for everyone, and that means having clear boundaries and expectations,” he said.
DeMelo, a software engineer, supported giving the city authority to fine or jail people for continuing to camp in public spaces. “I think it’s really important that the city have the authority to fine and jail people for public camping,” DeMelo said, emphasizing the need for discretion and common-sense rules.
Zak took a more cautious stance. “I think that until the city has the quantity and diversity of shelter options needed to house all of our people, this question is a nonstarter,” he said.
Joint Office of Homeless Services: Calls for Reform, Not Withdrawal
When asked whether the city should remain in the Joint Office of Homeless Services, a partnership with Multnomah County, the majority of candidates supported staying but emphasized the need for reforms.
“We should focus on improving the structure,” Angelita Morillo said, calling for increased coordination and oversight.
Steve Novick agreed that staying in the joint office was the right move but noted that the city should be prepared to withdraw if the partnership doesn’t deliver results. “The threat of withdrawal should always be there,” Novick said, though he stressed the importance of collaboration. He pointed to tiny house villages as one potential solution and suggested that the city and county work together to identify more sites for such developments. Cornett backed Novick’s stance. “We need to stay committed to the partnership, but we must demand accountability and push for reforms that make sure taxpayer dollars are being spent effectively,” Cornett said.
Daniel DeMelo, whose experience includes serving as Chair of the Joint Office’s Budget Advisory Committee, was more skeptical. He posited that the joint office must show real progress or the city should consider other options. “If the county fails to fulfill its obligations, then we should leave. That’s what holding government accountable means,” he said.
KATU extended invitations to candidates who had qualified for Portland’s public financing program and ranked among those with the highest number of small contributions. Fundraising progress among these candidates ranged from frontrunner Angelita Morillo, who has raised over $140,000, to Ahlam Osman, who has raised just over $20,000. Other candidates who fit within that range are Rex Burkholder and Harrison Kass.
