Exploring Portland’s Bayside neighborhood to investigate housing conditions was eye-opening in several ways. Noticeable divisions between older, dilapidated homes and modern housing units brought a particular reality to my attention; Bayside, and the greater City of Portland, is experiencing financialisation and gentrification similar to many formerly “undesirable” areas of New York City. As shown by Neil Smith, fallout occurs when neighborhoods like Loisaida begin to change hands, most notably in the displacement of lower income populations to make way for development.[1] In terms of zoning, Fields and Uffer clearly illustrate direct conversions of subsidized housing into market-rate condominiums.[2] This is happening right now in Portland, and the city’s ongoing struggles with homelessness, elder care, refugee integration, and housing capacity will only become exacerbated by this trend if smart solutions are not implemented.[3]

Various bureaus of both the state and city housing authorities are already very open with affordable housing data (vacancies, prices, locations) available online.[4]^,[5] Unfortunately, this data is neither centralized, nor is it user-friendly. To serve the common good by aiding at-risk citizens of Portland in the search for homes, affordable housing data should be centralized, visualized, and updated regularly on a user-friendly map interface. Additionally, this interface would support filters for a user’s specific needs like handicap accessibility, family occupancy, or individual occupancy.

This smart solution would allow families to stabilize their living situation more rapidly and reliably, largely avoiding the burden of countless phone calls or time-consuming trips to the Portland Housing Authority office (not centrally located). In tackling this issue, there is no deficit of available resources for Portland citizens in search of housing, but a better system for utilizing those housing resources is necessary to support Portland’s low-income citizens. This solution would ideally be available as a smartphone app, online, and on designated iPads at resource centers. Having encountered large crowds at Preble Street, Avesta Housing, Oxford Street Resource Center, and Salvation Army on my transect walk, I believe these specific centers would benefit from providing this technology to clients, and thereby making the process of finding a home as personal it should truly be for everyone.

[1] Smith, Neil. “Class Struggle on Avenue B: The Lower East Side as Wild Wild West.” In The People, Place, and Space Reader, edited by Jen Jack Gieseking, et al, New York: Routledge, 2014. 314-319.

[2] Fields, Desiree, and Sabina Uffer. “The financialisation of rental housing: A comparative analysis of New York City and Berlin.” Urban Studies July (2014): 1-17.

[3] Miller, Kevin. “Developer Wants to Build Market-rate Apartments, Commercial Space in East Bayside.” Portland Press-Herald, July 2, 2014. Accessed October 6, 2014. http://www.pressherald.com/2014/07/02/developer-wants-to-build-market-rate-apartments-commercial-space-on-east-bayside-lot/.

[4] Maine State Housing Authority. “Subsidized Housing.” Subsidized Housing. Maine State Housing Authority, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2014

[5] Portland Housing Authority. “Public Housing.” Portland Housing Authority. Portland Housing Authority, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.