Search

Search Results

• 1. [Article] Who is Making Ends Meet in the Portland Region? A Profile of Poverty and Self-Sufficiency among Greater Portland Families

  The Portland metro region economy is near a complete recovery from the damage of the Great Recession that began seven years ago. Unemployment in April of 2015 was 5.2 percent, cut in half from the 2011 ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Who is Making Ends Meet in the Portland Region? A Profile of Poverty and Self-Sufficiency among Greater Portland Families Author: Kimmell, Jamin, Martin, Sheila A. Year: 2015 The Portland metro region economy is near a complete recovery from the damage of the Great Recession that began seven years ago. Unemployment in April of 2015 was 5.2 percent, cut in half from the 2011 rate of 10.5 percent. The region ranked among the top 10 metro region areas in the nation for employment growth in 2014. Unfortunately, the benefits of this economic resurgence are not experienced equally. Ideally, economic recovery should lead to jobs and wages that enable Portland metro region families to earn enough to provide for their basic needs. Low unemployment cannot offer high quality of life if the jobs available do not pay adequate wages to make ends meet. Furthermore, public and nonprofit organizations are burdened by the demand on social services caused by families that cannot earn enough to cover basic needs like food, housing and health care. Many families in the Portland region do not earn adequate income to make up for the rising costs of life’s necessities, and self-sufficiency eludes far more families than is indicated by federal poverty statistics. Households headed by women or people of color, and families with children, are highly overrepresented among those who cannot make ends meet. Education can close part of this racial and gender gap, but it is not a panacea; other barriers persist for those families who are least likely to attain self-sufficiency. This study is a demographic analysis of self-sufficiency in the Portland metro region. Title: Who is Making Ends Meet in the Portland Region? A Profile of Poverty and Self-Sufficiency among Greater Portland Families Author: Kimmell, Jamin, Martin, Sheila A. Year: 2015 The Portland metro region economy is near a complete recovery from the damage of the Great Recession that began seven years ago. Unemployment in April of 2015 was 5.2 percent, cut in half from the 2011 rate of 10.5 percent. The region ranked among the top 10 metro region areas in the nation for employment growth in 2014. Unfortunately, the benefits of this economic resurgence are not experienced equally. Ideally, economic recovery should lead to jobs and wages that enable Portland metro region families to earn enough to provide for their basic needs. Low unemployment cannot offer high quality of life if the jobs available do not pay adequate wages to make ends meet. Furthermore, public and nonprofit organizations are burdened by the demand on social services caused by families that cannot earn enough to cover basic needs like food, housing and health care. Many families in the Portland region do not earn adequate income to make up for the rising costs of life’s necessities, and self-sufficiency eludes far more families than is indicated by federal poverty statistics. Households headed by women or people of color, and families with children, are highly overrepresented among those who cannot make ends meet. Education can close part of this racial and gender gap, but it is not a panacea; other barriers persist for those families who are least likely to attain self-sufficiency. This study is a demographic analysis of self-sufficiency in the Portland metro region. Close

• 2. [Article] Housing Needs Study for the Portland Metropolitan Area Final Report

  The purpose of this report is to respond to the recommendations of the Regional Housing Choice Task Force by providing information to guide housing choice policy for the Metro Council. In particular, the ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Housing Needs Study for the Portland Metropolitan Area Final Report Author: Hough, George C., Jr., Martin, Sheila A., Mildner, Gerard C., Proehl, Risa Year: 2008 The purpose of this report is to respond to the recommendations of the Regional Housing Choice Task Force by providing information to guide housing choice policy for the Metro Council. In particular, the objectives of this project were to: Estimate current and future affordable housing need for the Metro region; Describe the distribution of households by income, age, and size across the metro region; Describe the tenure of these households and the type of housing they will choose; Identify and describe those household types that are most likely to struggle to meet the cost of housing based on their income; and Make recommendations for improving analysis of affordable housing need in the future. Our approach to this task was to use output from the Metroscope model, using the base case scenario, to forecast the housing consumption decisions of households from 2005 to 2035. We chose the Metroscope model after also considering the State of Oregon?s Housing/Land Needs model. We concluded from examining the assumptions and abilities of each model that Metroscope is better able to offer the Metro Council the insight into the housing market required to inform housing choice policy. The Metroscope model incorporates housing supply and demand for the entire four-county metropolitan region (Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, and Clark counties). The region comprises a single housing market; residents travel throughout the region to work, shop, and socialize. Thus, it makes little sense to examine any one county in isolation. Given the assumptions of the Metroscope model (described in Section 2), we address several questions, including: Where will household growth occur? What kinds of households will grow? What kinds of housing will these households live in? What percentage of their income will they pay for housing? What demographic groups are most cost-burdened and where do those households reside? Title: Housing Needs Study for the Portland Metropolitan Area Final Report Author: Hough, George C., Jr., Martin, Sheila A., Mildner, Gerard C., Proehl, Risa Year: 2008 The purpose of this report is to respond to the recommendations of the Regional Housing Choice Task Force by providing information to guide housing choice policy for the Metro Council. In particular, the objectives of this project were to: Estimate current and future affordable housing need for the Metro region; Describe the distribution of households by income, age, and size across the metro region; Describe the tenure of these households and the type of housing they will choose; Identify and describe those household types that are most likely to struggle to meet the cost of housing based on their income; and Make recommendations for improving analysis of affordable housing need in the future. Our approach to this task was to use output from the Metroscope model, using the base case scenario, to forecast the housing consumption decisions of households from 2005 to 2035. We chose the Metroscope model after also considering the State of Oregon?s Housing/Land Needs model. We concluded from examining the assumptions and abilities of each model that Metroscope is better able to offer the Metro Council the insight into the housing market required to inform housing choice policy. The Metroscope model incorporates housing supply and demand for the entire four-county metropolitan region (Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, and Clark counties). The region comprises a single housing market; residents travel throughout the region to work, shop, and socialize. Thus, it makes little sense to examine any one county in isolation. Given the assumptions of the Metroscope model (described in Section 2), we address several questions, including: Where will household growth occur? What kinds of households will grow? What kinds of housing will these households live in? What percentage of their income will they pay for housing? What demographic groups are most cost-burdened and where do those households reside? Close

• 3. [Article] Affordable Housing Needs Study for the Portland Metropolitan Area Draft Final Report

  The purpose of this report is to respond to the recommendations of the Regional Housing Choice Task Force by providing information to guide housing choice policy for the Metro Council. In particular, the ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Affordable Housing Needs Study for the Portland Metropolitan Area Draft Final Report Author: Hough, George C., Jr., Martin, Sheila A., Mildner, Gerard C., Proehl, Risa S. Year: 2007 The purpose of this report is to respond to the recommendations of the Regional Housing Choice Task Force by providing information to guide housing choice policy for the Metro Council. In particular, the objectives of this project were to: estimate current and future affordable housing need for the Metro region; describe the distribution of households by income, age, and size across the metro region; describe the tenure of these households and the type of housing they will choose; identify and describe those household types that are most likely to struggle to meet the cost of housing based on their income; and make recommendations for improving analysis of affordable housing need in the future. Our approach to this task was to use output from the Metroscope model, using the base case scenario, to forecast the housing consumption decisions of households from 2005 to 2035. We chose the Metroscope model after also considering the State of Oregon?s Housing/Land Needs model. We concluded from examining the assumptions and abilities of each model that Metroscope is better able to offer the Metro Council the insight into the housing market required to inform housing choice policy. The Metroscope model incorporates housing supply and demand for the entire four-county metropolitan region (Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, and Clark counties). The region comprises a single housing market; residents travel throughout the region to work, shop, and socialize. Thus, it makes little sense to examine any one county in isolation. While this report does not include the results for Clark County, its impact on demand and supply of housing in the rest of the region is taken into account in the Metroscope model and is reflected in the results presented here. Given the assumptions of the Metroscope model (described in Section 2), we address several questions, including: Where will household growth occur? What kinds of households will grow? What kinds of housing will these households live in? What percentage of their income will they pay for housing? What demographic groups are most cost-burdened and where do those households reside? This report offers a summary of the findings regarding each of these questions. Title: Affordable Housing Needs Study for the Portland Metropolitan Area Draft Final Report Author: Hough, George C., Jr., Martin, Sheila A., Mildner, Gerard C., Proehl, Risa S. Year: 2007 The purpose of this report is to respond to the recommendations of the Regional Housing Choice Task Force by providing information to guide housing choice policy for the Metro Council. In particular, the objectives of this project were to: estimate current and future affordable housing need for the Metro region; describe the distribution of households by income, age, and size across the metro region; describe the tenure of these households and the type of housing they will choose; identify and describe those household types that are most likely to struggle to meet the cost of housing based on their income; and make recommendations for improving analysis of affordable housing need in the future. Our approach to this task was to use output from the Metroscope model, using the base case scenario, to forecast the housing consumption decisions of households from 2005 to 2035. We chose the Metroscope model after also considering the State of Oregon?s Housing/Land Needs model. We concluded from examining the assumptions and abilities of each model that Metroscope is better able to offer the Metro Council the insight into the housing market required to inform housing choice policy. The Metroscope model incorporates housing supply and demand for the entire four-county metropolitan region (Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, and Clark counties). The region comprises a single housing market; residents travel throughout the region to work, shop, and socialize. Thus, it makes little sense to examine any one county in isolation. While this report does not include the results for Clark County, its impact on demand and supply of housing in the rest of the region is taken into account in the Metroscope model and is reflected in the results presented here. Given the assumptions of the Metroscope model (described in Section 2), we address several questions, including: Where will household growth occur? What kinds of households will grow? What kinds of housing will these households live in? What percentage of their income will they pay for housing? What demographic groups are most cost-burdened and where do those households reside? This report offers a summary of the findings regarding each of these questions. Close

• 4. [Article] Age-Related Shifts in Housing and Transportation Demand : A Multidisciplinary Study Conducted for Metro by Portland State University's College of Urban and Public Affairs, Final Report

  Understanding where middle-aged and older adults live, where they are moving, how they get around, and the factors influencing these decisions is essential for planning for the future. To gain an understanding ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Age-Related Shifts in Housing and Transportation Demand : A Multidisciplinary Study Conducted for Metro by Portland State University's College of Urban and Public Affairs, Final Report Author: Neal, Margaret B., Chapman, Nancy J., Dill, Jennifer, Sharkova, Irina V., DeLaTorre, Alan Kenneth, Sullivan, Kathleen A., Kanai, Tomoko, Martin, Sheila A. Year: 2006 Understanding where middle-aged and older adults live, where they are moving, how they get around, and the factors influencing these decisions is essential for planning for the future. To gain an understanding of the impact of age-related shifts on housing and transportation demand, Portland State University's College of Urban and Public Affairs, via its Institute on Aging, was contracted to conduct a review of the literature and to analyze existing key local and national data sources. A multidisciplinary team of faculty and graduate students was assembled and performed the work in the summer of 2006. The literature reviewed and the analyses presented here are intended to inform Metro's Regional Forecast and modeling assumptions and to stimulate policy discussions pertaining to managing the region's land supply and investing in transportation infrastructure. Title: Age-Related Shifts in Housing and Transportation Demand : A Multidisciplinary Study Conducted for Metro by Portland State University's College of Urban and Public Affairs, Final Report Author: Neal, Margaret B., Chapman, Nancy J., Dill, Jennifer, Sharkova, Irina V., DeLaTorre, Alan Kenneth, Sullivan, Kathleen A., Kanai, Tomoko, Martin, Sheila A. Year: 2006 Understanding where middle-aged and older adults live, where they are moving, how they get around, and the factors influencing these decisions is essential for planning for the future. To gain an understanding of the impact of age-related shifts on housing and transportation demand, Portland State University's College of Urban and Public Affairs, via its Institute on Aging, was contracted to conduct a review of the literature and to analyze existing key local and national data sources. A multidisciplinary team of faculty and graduate students was assembled and performed the work in the summer of 2006. The literature reviewed and the analyses presented here are intended to inform Metro's Regional Forecast and modeling assumptions and to stimulate policy discussions pertaining to managing the region's land supply and investing in transportation infrastructure. Close

• 5. [Article] Measuring Dynamic Patterns in the Structure of Substate Economies

  The objective of this study was to explore a new method of analyzing the performance of substate economies. A major limitation of conventional analyses of economic diversity and growth is the reliance ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Measuring Dynamic Patterns in the Structure of Substate Economies Author: McHugh, Richard, Cooper, Ronald, Martin, Sheila A., Otto, Daniel, Johnson, Stanley R. Year: 1990 The objective of this study was to explore a new method of analyzing the performance of substate economies. A major limitation of conventional analyses of economic diversity and growth is the reliance on static measures of economic structure. Such measures do not capture the patterns of growth dynamics or structural change the region may be experiencing. This paper discusses a new measure of dynamic economic diversity and explores its relationship to economic performance. The measure is a statistical index that reflects the degree to which employment in a county's industries move together over time. The more the industries' employment levels move together, the higher the value of the index. A high index indicates a high degree of regional economic integration. The analysis was applied to county-level data from three states: Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The findings: • Metro areas showed the highest values of the dynamic coherence index, and farm counties had the lowest values. Nonfarm/nor~etro counties were in the middle range. • High-coherence counties tend to have higher levels of per capita income. • Dynamic coherence appears to be positively related to the rate of economic growth as measured by employment growth rates. These findings may indicate that conventional static measures do not capture the economic linkages between industry sectors that make them move together. The positive correlations between the index of dynamic coherence and both income and employment growth may be reflecting the importance of interindustry linkages to the growth process. Title: Measuring Dynamic Patterns in the Structure of Substate Economies Author: McHugh, Richard, Cooper, Ronald, Martin, Sheila A., Otto, Daniel, Johnson, Stanley R. Year: 1990 The objective of this study was to explore a new method of analyzing the performance of substate economies. A major limitation of conventional analyses of economic diversity and growth is the reliance on static measures of economic structure. Such measures do not capture the patterns of growth dynamics or structural change the region may be experiencing. This paper discusses a new measure of dynamic economic diversity and explores its relationship to economic performance. The measure is a statistical index that reflects the degree to which employment in a county's industries move together over time. The more the industries' employment levels move together, the higher the value of the index. A high index indicates a high degree of regional economic integration. The analysis was applied to county-level data from three states: Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The findings: • Metro areas showed the highest values of the dynamic coherence index, and farm counties had the lowest values. Nonfarm/nor~etro counties were in the middle range. • High-coherence counties tend to have higher levels of per capita income. • Dynamic coherence appears to be positively related to the rate of economic growth as measured by employment growth rates. These findings may indicate that conventional static measures do not capture the economic linkages between industry sectors that make them move together. The positive correlations between the index of dynamic coherence and both income and employment growth may be reflecting the importance of interindustry linkages to the growth process. Close

• 6. [Article] Traditional and Nontraditional Data as Indicators of Economic Activity in Rural Communities

  The objective of this study was twofold: (1) to identify nontraditional sources of data that can be used to monitor economic activity in rural areas, and (2) to test the relationship between such data ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Traditional and Nontraditional Data as Indicators of Economic Activity in Rural Communities Author: McHugh, Richard, Cooper, Ronald, Martin, Sheila A., Otto, Daniel, Johnson, Stanley R. Year: 1990 The objective of this study was twofold: (1) to identify nontraditional sources of data that can be used to monitor economic activity in rural areas, and (2) to test the relationship between such data and trends in traditional measures, such as income and employment. The need for alternative sources of data arises primarily out of the inconsistent quality and availability of traditional economic data at the subs tate level. New sources of data can help reduce this metro-rural data gap and provide a fuller picture of the diverse experience and structure of subs tate economies. Two sources of nontraditional data were explored: state government administrative records, and data from local private and quasi-private companies, such as utilities and banks. In particular, banking data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, phone connection data from Northwest Bell (U.S. West), and food stamp program data were used. The data series consisted of county-level data for Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. These data were statistically compared to employment growth levels in each county. Banking data (reflecting bank Willingness and ability to lend), phone data (reflecting new household and business formations), and food stamp participation correlated significantly (though weakly) with growth. The weak correlations are expected because the nontraditional data series are generally more volatile, or erratic, than employment data series. Composite indexes were constructed from the data and correlated with the employment data series. The results showed improved correlations and suggest that such indexes may be useful as leading indicators of economic activity. Overall, the results show that there is considerable potential in the development of economic indicators from nontraditional data. Title: Traditional and Nontraditional Data as Indicators of Economic Activity in Rural Communities Author: McHugh, Richard, Cooper, Ronald, Martin, Sheila A., Otto, Daniel, Johnson, Stanley R. Year: 1990 The objective of this study was twofold: (1) to identify nontraditional sources of data that can be used to monitor economic activity in rural areas, and (2) to test the relationship between such data and trends in traditional measures, such as income and employment. The need for alternative sources of data arises primarily out of the inconsistent quality and availability of traditional economic data at the subs tate level. New sources of data can help reduce this metro-rural data gap and provide a fuller picture of the diverse experience and structure of subs tate economies. Two sources of nontraditional data were explored: state government administrative records, and data from local private and quasi-private companies, such as utilities and banks. In particular, banking data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, phone connection data from Northwest Bell (U.S. West), and food stamp program data were used. The data series consisted of county-level data for Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. These data were statistically compared to employment growth levels in each county. Banking data (reflecting bank Willingness and ability to lend), phone data (reflecting new household and business formations), and food stamp participation correlated significantly (though weakly) with growth. The weak correlations are expected because the nontraditional data series are generally more volatile, or erratic, than employment data series. Composite indexes were constructed from the data and correlated with the employment data series. The results showed improved correlations and suggest that such indexes may be useful as leading indicators of economic activity. Overall, the results show that there is considerable potential in the development of economic indicators from nontraditional data. Close