Dear Reader:
Due to systemic dysfunction, personal character flaws and incompetence, government officials from Multnomah county, Gresham and Portland failed in their oversight of the Public Housing Authority of Multnomah County, aka Home Forward. When government doesn’t fulfill its due diligence, the result will be an abysmal failure to solve public housing problems.
Given that Margaret Van Vliet *, who served as DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of the Public Housing Authority of Multnomah County from 2000 to 2008, wrote in an April 16 email to mayor Wilson and a handful of city councilors that they should REPLACE THE ENTIRE BOARD. **
And,
Given that the mayor of Portland is the only elected official who can dismiss Housing Commissioners; and that mayor Willson has publicly abdicated that responsibility; and that the Portland City Council has the legal authority to compel mayor Wilson to dismiss any and all members of the Public Housing Authority of Multnomah County, then the question arises and was asked of the elected officials and candidates for public office named below:
When can we expect you to contact all of the elected officials on the Portland City Council and request that they submit and support a resolution for a vote to direct the mayor to dismiss the entire board of directors of the Public Housing Authority of Multnomah County, aka Home Forward?
Here are the names of elected officials from Multnomah County, Portland, Gresham and some candidates for those positions who rejected the most credible and compelling advice by Margaret Van Vliet, who served as DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR at the agency for nine years in favor of support for the status quo inefficiency, neglect of duty and misconduct in office behavior of the Public Housing Authority of Multnomah County board.
Shannon Singleton, Multnomah County Commissioner and candidate for Multnomah County Chair in the November 2026 election, has said, “I am calling for the immediate dismissal of the Home Forward board of directors.” ** [ Exactly who did she call? Faux outrage leading to no action. All foam no beer.]
Julia Brim-Edwards, Multnomah County Commissioner and candidate for Multnomah County Chair in the November 2026 election, has said, Mathews’ travel expenditures and the agency’s vacancy rates were “really straining public trust.” ** [Apparently not enough for her to take corrective action. Perhaps she thinks hopes and prayers will return the public trust.]
Sharon Meieran, Multnomah County Chair Candidate in the November 2026 election [Joins her competitors in taking no action.]
Vincent Jones-Dixon, Multnomah County Commissioner
Meghan Moyer, Multnomah County Commissioner
Eric Zimmerman, Portland Councilor, called Home Forward’s board’s response to high vacancy rates, turnover time and Mathews’ travel—“criminal.” “I have seen zero leadership from the Home Forward board on this. Not only do I have no faith in the leadership, but I really think it’s time for all of our bodies to reinterview our board nominees to this organization.” ** [ Eric, Nobody cares if you don’t have faith in the Housing Authority leadership. Faith doesn’t matter, only action. Don’t tell other elected officials what to do. YOU must take action. Which you have chosen NOT to do. All bark and no bite.]
Loretta Smith, Portland Councilor
Dan Ryan, Portland Councilor
Elana Pirtle-Guiney, Portland Councilor
Steve Novick, Portland Councilor
Angelita Morillo, Portland Councilor
Tiffany Koyama Lane, Portland Councilor
Sameer Kanal, Portland Councilor
Mitchell Green, Portland Councilor
Jamie Dunphy, Portland Councilor
Olivia Clark, Portland Councilor
Candace Avalos, Portland Councilor
Eli Arnold, District 4 Council Candidate
Kayla Brown, Gresham Councilor
Janine Gladfelter, Gresham Councilor
Jerry Hinton, Gresham Councilor
Cathy Keathley, Gresham Councilor
Eddy Morales, Gresham Councilor
Sue Piazza, Gresham Councilor
Travis Stovall, Gresham Mayor
Most of these officials refused to even express an opinion and those who did took no action. Inaction does not solve problems.
And so it goes.
Richard Ellmyer
Portland resident since 1975.
Oregon Voter since 1971. NAV, Non Affiliated Voter. Citizen Activist.
Campaign manager and legislative assistant to state senator Bill McCoy 1980-1981.
Campaign manager and senior staff to Multnomah county commissioner Gladys McCoy 1981-1984.
Celebrate North Portland award 2016 for Volunteer Work and Service with Political and Social Issues Impacting North Portland.
Certified Oregon Change Agent by Governor John Kitzhaber 2011.
PSU Senior Adult Learner, Spring 2021 - Public Participation GiS, 500 level class
PSU Senior Adult Learner, Spring 2024 - Planning and Housing Markets, 500 level class
Author of more stories on the politics, players and policies of Public Housing in Oregon over the last twenty-three years than all other journalists and elected officials combined.
Project Champion and Data Wrangler - Metro/Oregon Public Housing Location Maps https://www.goodgrowthnw.org/maps
GIS for Activism conference, May 23, 2022, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon
Richard Ellmyer - How I, A Citizen Activist, Used GIS To Effectively Tell A Necessary Yet Unavailable Truth About Public Housing
30 minute Video https://media.pdx.edu/media/t/1_2vrzokta
Lifelong Learning at PSU by Jennifer Jordan-Wong.
LET KNOWLEDGE SERVE THE CITY [Section] “Richard used a course he audited at PSU to create a citizen activist mapping tool to benefit Oregon residents, stakeholders, and policy makers…His interest in mapping as a tool for change began when he noticed that public housing was not being distributed equitably”
Author of The Ellmyer Report, a newsletter that informs, educates and influences on public policy. Its target audiences are elected officials, journalists and civically engaged citizens. Facebook, Portland Politics Plus. Contributor: Patch news.
*
Van Vliet served under two governors as director of the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department, led the City of Portland’s Housing Bureau, and served as Chief Operating Officer for the Housing Authority of Portland (now Home Forward).
https://www.trillium-advisors.com
**
County Commissioner and City Councilor Call on Home Forward Board to Resign
The departing CEO, who resigned after WW reported on her travel habits, will receive a severance package of six months’ pay—$171,424.80—plus help finding her next job.
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