Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · 5h

I find chatgpt and gemini to be more efficient and less spammy than other search engines, so I am happy to use them as search engines

Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · 5h

In this case it is true. I found this by using chatgpt to do an internet search projects.oregonlive.com/data-points/...

Portland homicides, 2025

projects.oregonlive.com

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Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · 5h

Ok, we are no longer on pace for 2019 levels. We are on pace for the fewest annual homicides since 2019 bsky.app/profile/noah...

Noah Heller @noahheller.bsky.social · 6h

Yeah after I posted, I looked it up. We would have to have zero murders in 2.5 months. That seems unlikely.

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Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · 5h

Agreed, I didn’t look up anything after the June report

Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · 6h

Portland saw just 17 homicides in the first six months of 2025, a 51% drop from 2024. On pace for 2019 levels www.portland.gov/mayor/keith-...

Portland Sees Decline in Violent Crime; Homicides Down 51% in First Half of 2025

New report from Major Cities Chiefs Association shows promising progress in reducing homicides and other major offenses.

www.portland.gov

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Reposted by Michael Andersen

pumpkin spice amb 🎃 @amb.fyi · 9h

an american citizen, mother of three, who was playing the clarinet in a peaceful protest outside the city has been nabbed by ICE, held in a jail across state lines, without bail nor any specific charges.

i mean, yikes?

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Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · 1d

One per lot is legal if there’s a primary residence + water, sewer, electric! Crucially, no permit is required for the vehicular structure itself

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Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · 1d

Np! And to be clear the report is by Cascadia Partners; I just put it on Sightline’s wordpress due to my sad history of finding that bps had deleted precious documents

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Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · 1d

Holy shit

Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · 1d

I was cheerleading the “below-market or mixed-income” possibility I mentioned. Doesn’t seem like that’s the current plan.

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Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · 1d

Related: we have some bad news

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Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · 1d

Do you have to order grocery delivery to get this data?

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Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · 1d

But that’d require a targeted sale, probably at a discount, and also some current tenants would probably get kicked out of their homes with no realistic option (& I suspect in some cases no desire) to buy one of the new below-market places. Maybe that last part is what soured Reach on redevelopment?

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Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · 1d

There isn’t! I’m neither cheering that possibility or predicting that outcome. I’ve been aware of Reach’s inventory since like 2017; in 2018 some students even did a paper estimating the value of Reach using the then proposed RIP to convert these lots to affordable homeownership by developing them.

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Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · 1d

Sounds like those are all designed to fit the market rate allowances (which allow bigger homes, up to 1.1 FAR total per lot, in R2.5; in R5 it’s just 0.8).

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Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · 1d

However I understand it will apply to the Pacific

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Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · 1d

Well, the townhomes that have popped up in the last few years are almost 100% market-rate, different from what I'm imagining on the REACH properties. But as for the market-rate stuff, there's a lot of good data on p. 38-47 of this city-funded study: www.sightline.org/wp-content/u...

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Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · 1d

"About a third of the units stand vacant, and many require extensive repairs to get them into good enough condition that a bank will approve a mortgage."

Seems like many of these 66 lots could become hundreds of new below-market or mixed-income 6plex homes.

www.oregonlive.com/business/202...

A Portland housing nonprofit is selling dozens of its rentals. Low-income tenants could be the buyers

Tenants of Reach Community Development’s “scattered site” portfolio will receive up to $12,000 in either down payment or relocation assistance.

www.oregonlive.com

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Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · 1d

the code priesthoods have a pretty persuasive heroic narrative about themselves and that's very powerful! the only thing that will make them think this may have led them to act in unreasonable ways is for them to find their powers threatened.

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Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · 1d

yes, I agree - though I think "level of congestion" and "level of damage" are distinct variables

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Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · 1d

check out the second paragraph of the "Portland success story" section in this article by my colleague: www.sightline.org/2025/09/11/h...

where's home for you?

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Reposted by Michael Andersen

Patrick Siegman @siegman.biz · 1d

Should cities allow parking for homes instead of requiring parking for cars?

Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · 1d

I'm hearing more & more about backyard homes on wheels

legal in Portland, but probably not in your town

mobile, lightning fast, dirt cheap

www.msn.com/en-ca/money/...

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Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · 1d

And a longer dive from Eliza Relman www.businessinsider.com/tiny-homes-o...

A cross between tiny homes and van life could help solve the housing shortage

It's illegal to live full-time in a tiny home on wheels in most places in the US. If that changes, it could open up a new form of affordable housing.

www.businessinsider.com

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Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · 1d

More coverage from @citizen-cate.bsky.social www.sightline.org/2025/09/11/h...

Homes on Wheels Are Filling a Big Gap in Portland | Sightline Institute

Three personal stories showing how small, affordable, and flexible homes on wheels can provide big solutions for Portland families.

www.sightline.org

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Michael Andersen @andersem.bsky.social · 1d

I'm hearing more & more about backyard homes on wheels

legal in Portland, but probably not in your town

mobile, lightning fast, dirt cheap

www.msn.com/en-ca/money/...

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