Costs, crime threaten affordable housing units

Driving the news: Innovative Housing Inc. told city leaders in a letter last month that, in addition to crime concerns, fewer tenants are paying rent as they struggle with mental health issues and addiction, the Oregonian reported.

• The company asked the city to provide funding from the $56 million in housing funds allocated by the City Council earlier this year.

What they're saying: Operating costs have skyrocketed, executive director Sarah Stevenson wrote in the May 27 letter, obtained by the Oregonian, and the nonprofit needs "these funds now to keep our doors open."

Between the lines: Mayor Keith Wilson sent a memo to councilors earlier this week asking them to tweak tenant protections to allow landlords to vet potential renters for criminal histories and streamline evictions of problematic residents.

Yes, but: Councilor Candace Avalos was skeptical of rule changes, noting that a criminal past doesn't necessarily predict criminality in the future.

• Instead, Avalos told the Oregonian she would advocate for "strengthening our behavioral health system, building our wraparound services and reforming property management services."

What's next: Without additional funding, the nonprofit says it could be forced to sell some properties, potentially reducing the stock of affordable housing.

The bottom line: "We're housing people, which is great, but we're not collecting enough rent to pay the bills," Stevenson said.