This summer, three Portland city councilors—including District 4’s Mitch Green—caused a stir when they spent about $47,000 in taxpayer funds traveling to Vienna, Austria, to study one of the world’s most ambitious social housing systems.

The trip was connected to a concept that may already have traction at City Hall. In April, the council voted unanimously to study whether Portland should adopt a social housing model.

What exactly is social housing? In simplified terms: publicly owned or subsidized housing with rents tied to tenants’ incomes, typically capped at 30%.

A report on its viability in Portland is expected this spring. Spirited debate is almost guaranteed to ensue: whether to pursue the idea, how to fund it, and what role the city should play alongside the private sector.

In this episode, Green—an economist, a self-identified socialist, and a chief co-sponsor of the resolution—explains what social housing is, what he learned in Vienna, and why the discussion is just getting started.

Stump Talk is hosted by Maja Harris and produced and edited by Jon Garcia of Lake Productions.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rosecityreform.substack.com