Digital Image of the City - Housing Bowdoin College Fall 2014 Ben Miller, Peter Nauffts, Hannah Rafkin, Claudia Villar, Jonah Watt Presentation given on 12/10/14

1. Housing Portland
Jonah Watt, Ben Miller, Claudia Villar,
Hannah Rafkin, Peter Nauffts
www.mainepersonalinjurylaw.com

2. Research Claims and Research Goals
● Access to housing is a fundamental right of the city. Equal access
to housing is a matter of justice and the common good.
● Lesson of the Fed Up Honeys:
Gentrification, “growth,” is exclusionary.
● Our Bottom Line: Portland has work to do
to remain accessible to all, especially to
those most in need.

5. Data Source: City of Portland (2014)

6. $246,300
$105,000
$123,400
$355,900
$275,800
$338,800
$79,000
$205,000
Source Data: Social
Explorer (2003-2014)

7. “The boundaries of social and spatial
exclusion are clearly visible to longtime
residents, even if newcomers are sometimes
oblivious of the geography of inequality that
divides their neighborhood.” 1
[1] Cahill (2006)
Source: Ibsen

8. Housing Case Study: East Bayside
Social Explorer US Census Data
Higher rents and/or the imposition of surcharges could result from efforts to
augment returns. For individual tenants, these measures may cause declining
living conditions and increased housing insecurity; the loss of affordable units
due to either physical deterioration or increased rents could pose a challenge to
lower-income renters collectively. 1
[1] Fields & Uffer (2014)

9. Affordable/Unaffordable Housing
Portland Press Herald
Gothamist

10. Finding Affordable Housing
Craigslist lowincomehousing.us

11. Solution: Affordable Portland Map
Maine State Housing Authority Data
Listings

12. Homelessness
Maine’s homeless: 14.6%
increase
Nation’s homeless: 10% drop
(2010-2014)
bangordailynews.com

13. Homeless Youth
● Vulnerable to exploitation
● Developmental consequences of
sleep deprivation
● Less predictable circumstances
huffingtonpost.com

14. HOUSEportland
Real-time # bed
openings in Portland
shelters
Username and
password on webpage
with linked cell # for
SMS alerts
“Alert” option: push
notifications and/or
texts when shelter
nears capacity
Embedded maps
with personalized
directions to
nearest shelters
Option for
temporary
employment
notifications
CONSTRUCTION LABOR
NEEDED: Tmr, Wed Nov
12; be @ Oxford & Elm
@ 7AM
Empower people, especially
youth, to find a temporary
shelter quickly and easily

15. Broadening the Response
● Meeting needs beyond sleep and food to get this
population on their feet, and keep them on their feet
● Get Portland’s individuals, businesses, and
organizations involved to bolster these efforts
● Network of community organization - foster “social
interaction and exchange” 1
[1] Mitchell (2003)

16. Urban Dialogue
● Concerns from businesses and
tourists: “Is Portland ‘too attractive’
to homeless people?” 1
● “In the city, different people with
different projects must necessarily
struggle with one another” 2
● Get groups and people “with
different projects” talking to each
other 2
portlandmaine.com
pressherald.com
[1] Bangor Daily News (2012); [2] Mitchell (2003)

17. BoostPortland
● App, website, and texting service
● Users can both request and offer
help, and receive daily updates.
● Range of individualized support.
Examples:
○ Can help teach basic computer skills, will
be at the library from 2-5 on Sunday
afternoon.
○ Giving away used sweatshirts and winter
coats. Reply for address.
○ Need ride to job interview at 2pm
Thursday. From Preble Street to Warren Ave
● Business engagement
● Accessibility concerns
handup.com

18. Munjoy Hill
East Bayside
Bayside
Parkside
US Census

19. What We Want to Avoid...
Ghettotracker.com

20. Million Dollar Block Project
Spatial Information Design Lab

21. Summary Findings
Highly desirable, but room for
improvement:
● Middle income earners being
squeezed out due to gentrification.
● Homelessness on the rise.
● Marginalization of poor, mentally
but also physically.
Improve access to the things that
make it so great!

22. Thank you