Oregon
Sir Francis Drake’s ‘Fair and Good Bay’ was long thought to be in California. Now some experts point to Oregon
English explorer Sir Francis Drake sailed the Pacific in 1579, sacking Spanish galleons and stealing treasure, at least until his boat sprang a leak.
That’s when he found what he called a “Fair and Good Bay” in which to make repairs.
For years, Californians have claimed he landed on their shores. But a scholar at Portland State University says documents in the British Museum show the bay might well have been somewhere along the Oregon coast instead.
Whale Cove, near Depoe Bay, offers a protected beach on which to careen an old wooden ship. Oregon, Jan. 9, 2025. Courtesy of Rick Beasley
Whale Cove near Depoe Bay is a natural harbor with a protected little beach where a ship could be careened — that is, emptied and tipped sideways to expose the hull so sailors can pack gaps in the wooden planks with cotton and tar to stop leaks.
For decades there have been whispers that that’s exactly what Drake did in 1579.
“There are just these little pieces that seem like very tenuous threads,” said retired publisher Rick Beasley, who has heard all the tales.
“There’s a skiff or small boat that is buried in the sediment on the Salmon River,” he said. “There are ballast stones that are out there that divers have found.”
Retired publisher Rick Beasley in Depoe Bay, Ore., on Jan. 14, 2025. Beasley said there are indications that Francis Drake could have landed at Whale Cove: “There are just these little pieces that seem like very tenuous threads.”
Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB
A boy is said to have found an old Spanish coin in his mum’s garden in Newport in 1948. But it was dated after Drake’s landing. Beeswax keeps washing up in the area too. But that’s from a Spanish galleon wrecked off Nehalem.
Exactly where Drake landed on the West Coast in 1579 has been hotly debated for decades. A Wikipedia page lists more than 40 possible locations, from Alaska to Mexico.
California has perhaps the biggest claim, based on findings of old pottery and other artifacts at Point Reyes. The National Park Service even named one area Drakes Bay.
But Melissa Darby, a research scholar in the anthropology department of Portland State University, says her reading of an old document in the British Museum indicates Drake likely landed in Oregon, not California.
The manuscript, from a collection known as the “Hakluyt manuscripts,” was written shortly after the voyage by Richard Hakluyt, one of the queen’s scribes.
“Scholars have been looking at it since the 1850s,” Darby said. “But they’ve been looking at a printed version that was published in 1855. And I went to England and looked at the manuscript itself.”
In her book “Thunder Go North,” Darby says the manuscript indicates Drake sailed as far as 48 degrees north latitude, then landed at 44 degrees for repairs. That puts him somewhere like Whale Cove, near Depoe Bay, instead of Point Reyes, California.
“Thunder Go North,” by Melissa Darby.
Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB
Marco Meniketti, a professor of archeology at San José State University, said people get quite animated about this issue.
“A lot of it has to do with bragging rights, ‘We were the first!’” Meniketti said.
Personally, Meniketti thinks Drake’s descriptions of local tribes match the coastal Miwok tribe in Point Reyes, but there’s room for debate.
“[The debate] is still alive because the evidence is not 100% bulletproof,” Meniketti said.
Drake Navigators Guild points out there are about 30 websites offering what it calls fringe and conspiracy theories on the location of the bay.
Claiming land around ‘Fair and Good Bay’
Back in 16th century England, one way to make a fortune was to gather a few friends together, build a ship and send it out to privateer — that is, steal from Spanish or French ships then divide the spoils with the English crown.
So it was in 1577 that a handful of the most powerful people in England sent Francis Drake out in the Golden Hind and four other ships to sail around South America into the Pacific Ocean.
The voyages proved unbelievably successful, mainly because the Spanish were not expecting English privateers in the Pacific.
“[The Spanish] were caught unawares and unguarded. They had no cannon pointing towards the ocean,” Darby explained. Drake “just went from treasure house to treasure house along the coast. And harried all the shipping.”
Drake’s biggest haul came from a ship called the Cacafuego.
“It took a day and a half just to download all the silver bars and chests of gold,” Darby said.
But Drake couldn’t simply head home with his spoils. In addition to being a privateer, he was a spy. Queen Elizabeth I had charged him with finding the Northwest Passage, a sea route explorers hoped would connect the Atlantic and the Pacific.
Drake headed north. But the Golden Hind was full of plunder and sprung a leak. He had to find a protected bay to careen the ship.
Historical maps left by Drake do bear similarities to Whale Cove, Ore. But they look like several other natural bays too. Here, a print of a historic map is compared to a new online depiction, Jan. 21, 2025.
Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB
In the official record of voyage, Drake landed at a “Fair and Good Bay” where the crew remained for six to 10 weeks, trading with locals and claiming the land.
Europeans had four requirements for a land claim back then. A flag or plaque had to be placed; a religious ceremony held; the claim had to be published; and the explorer had to have an official discussion with the Indigenous leader explaining the claim.
Darby thinks Drake misread the traditional tribal offering to important visitors.
“They gave Drake this feathered headdress and he said: ‘Oh, well they’re giving me the crown of the country.’ Well, that was a total misconception,” Darby said.
Melissa Darby at her home office in Northeast Portland, Ore., Dec. 23, 2024. In her book “Thunder Go North,” Darby puts forth the case that Francis Drake may have come ashore in Oregon — not California — in 1579.
Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB
When Drake returned to England, he proved to be both a hero and a problem. His haul provided enough money for Queen Elizabeth to build a fleet of warships. On the other hand, England wasn’t at war with Spain, so the queen had to distance herself.
“The queen said, ‘Oh no. I didn’t send Drake out. He’s a pirate and we’re going to return the treasure to you [Spain].’ That was a ruse,” Darby said.
“The treasure never got returned.”
Most importantly for this story, Drake gave the queen the logs of his voyage, including how far north he’d travelled. The official account places the Golden Hind at 42-43 degrees north latitude. But Darby and others think the real latitude was kept secret because the country that found a Northwest Passage would make millions on a cheaper trade route to Asia.
Darby also thinks England placed the official latitude lower because it was trying to grab land.
The path to Whale Cove, just south of Depoe Bay, Ore., on Jan. 9, 2025. Some evidence suggests Sir Francis Drake careened his ship here in 1579.
Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB
“The boundary of New Spain was right around San Francisco. So I’m sure they looked at a map and said, ‘This is unclaimed land.’ Drake didn’t see this land because he was looking for the Northwest Passage. ‘Well, we can’t leave this open so let’s just say he was down there.’”
Debate about where he landed may be heated, but some wonder whether it matters in the current era, when colonialism is largely condemned.
Many people think so, because Drake was the first British explorer to contact Native Americans on the West Coast. Also, crew member Diego was possibly among the first Black people to set foot in the West Coast.
Why people believe Drake landed in California
Darby also thinks history gives insight to the present. For example, one of the reasons the California bay has the momentum as Drake’s landing spot is that a brass plaque was found there in 1937. It was dated 1579 and said in part: “I [Drake] take possession of this Kingdom whose king and people freely resign their right and title.”
Herbert Bolton, a University of California, Berkeley, professor at the time, proclaimed it to be authentic. But a metallurgy test in the 1970s showed the plaque was probably a hoax.
Darby thinks racism was at work.
“[Californians] didn’t like the fact that Spain was claiming a lot of the history of California. And so they wanted to make the history of California a sparkling white history and so Drake was their hero,” she said.
Archeology professor Marco Meniketti also thinks Drake’s landing spot is important, because it spurred the Spanish to push their interest farther up the California coast.
“That created an impetus for Spain to start moving the Mission system further north,” Meniketti said.
The oral histories of some Native American tribes in Oregon do refer to visiting ships and wrecks. But not 400 years ago.
Finding a protective bay on which to careen a ship was problematic for explorers sailing in uncharted waters in 1579. Much of the coastline was rocky, like this site near Oregon’s Depoe Bay, photographed on Jan. 9, 2025. But nearby Whale Cove offered more promising protected beaches.
Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB
Robert Kentta with the Siletz Tribe said Drake’s sailors probably did trade during the weeks they were fixing their ship, and there are stories of swords and coins being found in Oregon — but nothing decisive. And, Kentta said, the descriptions of some Indigenous artifacts in voyage accounts give him cause for doubt.
“Drake’s journals even talked about the basketry being decorated with feathers, which is a very Central Californian coastal tradition, which has never been practiced here as far as I know,” he said.
The actual location of Drake’s “Fair and Good Bay” may never be decisively confirmed. There is a rumor that the original voyage logs still exist somewhere among the British crown’s private papers. But the truth is probably that they were incinerated in 1698, when Whitehall Palace in London burned to the ground.
FILE – A replica of Golden Hind in London on Dec. 26, 2005.
courtesy Pikelet68 via Flickr / Flickr
PeaceHealth announced Thursday that Dr. Jim McGovern is no longer serving as chief executive for the organization’s Oregon region, effective immediately.
Following a period of administrative leave, we determined that a leadership change was in the best interest of the organization,” said Sarah Ness, PeaceHealth president and CEO.
Heather Wall will continue in her established interim leadership role to ensure continuity, stability and uninterrupted operations across the Oregon region while PeaceHealth recruits for the chief executive role in Oregon.
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“Together, as we shape our future, PeaceHealth leaders are entrusted to consistently bring our Mission and Values to life by creating environments where caregivers and partners feel seen, heard, supported and inspired to do their best work,” Ness said. “We remain focused on delivering high-quality, compassionate care and supporting our caregivers as we move forward together.”
In Oregon, state representatives serve two-year terms. Like state senators, state representatives represent a specific district based on population. Currently, Democrats hold a 37-23 majority in the state House. Over 100 candidates have filed for the 60 seats up for election. Of the 60 districts, approximately 20 are in the Portland Metropolitan Area (Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties).
State-level representatives address local and regional issues such as education policy, health care, transportation, public safety and taxes. Because state representatives serve smaller districts than state senators, their policymaking tends to be more localized and focused on their respective geographic regions.
Each candidate received a questionnaire containing three questions. Candidates were limited to 150 words per answer. Candidates submitted written responses via email, and may be edited for clarity. Read more about Street Roots elections coverage here.
District 27 Democratic Primary
Currently, Rep. Ken Helm (D) represents District 27, which includes Beaverton, Cedar Hills and nearby communities. No Republicans have filed campaigns for District 27, which is a historically blue district.
Name: Ashley Hartmeier-Prigg
City: Beaverton, OR
Current occupation: Director of product management at Crate & Barrel
Prior political office held: Beaverton City Councilor (2021-present), Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District director (2019-2021)
In recent years, the state has relied most heavily on subsidizing private development to address housing affordability and market shortages. Do you agree with this approach?
Subsidizing private development to address affordable housing has been an effective tool in helping meet our affordable housing needs, but I don’t think it’s the only solution we should consider. In Beaverton, we have built over 600 affordable units using Metro Affordable Housing bond dollars, and that is a huge accomplishment; however, it doesn’t come close to meeting the need. I think public housing is a really interesting option, and has worked very well in other countries. I believe we should find innovative and creative ways to build more housing to ensure people at all income levels have safe and affordable housing.
The Legislature greatly reduced state funding for eviction prevention and supportive housing in favor of more shelters. Researchers say this approach increases evictions and homelessness. Will you push your colleagues to restore eviction prevention and supportive housing funding?
Eviction prevention is critical to ensuring families remain housed and avoid the trauma of the shelter system. While emergency shelters are necessary, investing in prevention is a guaranteed strategy to reduce their demand. However, “Housing First” alone is insufficient; we must also restore funding for supportive services to provide the resources necessary for individuals to thrive long-term.
I am committed to pushing my colleagues to prioritize and restore funding for these vital programs. My plan includes making prevention a budget priority, advancing reinvestment legislation, and collaborating with community partners to ensure effective fund distribution. If we are serious about our Democratic values, we must invest in preventing homelessness at its source, rather than simply responding after our neighbors have already lost their homes.
Some lawmakers wish to repeal the state law requiring local homelessness policies to be “objectively reasonable” to more easily criminalize homelessness. Would you support or oppose the effort to repeal the law?
I strongly oppose any effort to repeal the “objectively reasonable” standard and further criminalize homelessness. We need to fully stop treating homelessness as a crime. Penalizing people for sleeping outside or having nowhere else to go does nothing to solve the crisis and pushes people further into instability, making it hard for folks to access housing and services. I think we have failed as a society that so many folks have to sleep outside. We should be focusing on real solutions: increasing affordable housing, expanding supportive services, and investing in eviction prevention so fewer people end up homeless in the first place. And if someone finds themselves homeless, there needs to be resources to help them get back to stable housing.
Name: Tammy Carpenter
City: Beaverton, OR
Current occupation: Retired. Former anesthesiologist and engineer.
Prior political office held: Beaverton School Board Director (2023-present)
In recent years, the state has relied most heavily on subsidizing private development to address housing affordability and market shortages. Do you agree with this approach?
The public-private partnership paradigm that has long been at the center of our approach to housing is not working. We are not getting enough affordable, family housing from the for-profit system. I believe the government needs to invest in social housing. We should be building dense, transit-accessible housing that is permanently affordable and owned cooperatively by the tenants or by the government. We should follow the lead of the City of Portland, and begin the process of social housing in Beaverton. Government dollars should be spent on publicly owned, high-quality, permanently affordable, environmentally and socially sustainable housing that is insulated from speculation and private equity that drives up the cost of housing in the private market.
The Legislature greatly reduced state funding for eviction prevention and supportive housing in favor of more shelters. Researchers say this approach increases evictions and homelessness. Will you push your colleagues to restore eviction prevention and supportive housing funding?
Preventing homelessness is the most effective way to reduce homelessness. I will work with my colleagues in Salem to help working families by restoring programs that prevent evictions, like emergency rent assistance and relocation funding. More importantly, I will introduce a renters’ bill of rights that will protect tenants from profit-driven landlords who charge excessive fees, unfairly increase rents, or don’t maintain habitability standards. While we are working to prevent evictions, we must also be working to get folks who have been experiencing long-term homelessness into permanent housing and supportive services to finally end the cycle of homelessness in our state.
Some lawmakers wish to repeal the state law requiring local homelessness policies to be “objectively reasonable” to more easily criminalize homelessness. Would you support or oppose the effort to repeal the law?
It is simply inhumane that we have criminalized poverty. This is not a new phenomenon, but the public visibility of the current crisis is leading many elected leaders to attempt to sweep the problem under the rug rather than fundamentally change our approach to housing. Our current affordability crisis makes it almost impossible for folks to even get back on their feet without some kind of help. I believe that we must repeal this law and make significant investments in directly helping folks experiencing homelessness through each step of the rehousing process.
District 38 Democratic Primary
District 38 includes South Waterfront, Lake Oswego and portions of Southwest Portland. Incumbent Rep. Daniel Nguyen, currently serving his second term, is up against John Wasielewski, who has no prior political experience.
Name: Daniel Loc Nguyen
City: Lake Oswego
Current occupation: Representative serving House District 38 and Founder of Bambuza Hospitality Group
Prior political office held: Lake Oswego city council (2019 – 2022)
In recent years, the state has relied most heavily on subsidizing private development to address housing affordability and market shortages. Do you agree with this approach?
“Yes, and” is the answer.
Every Oregonian deserves a safe, affordable place to live, regardless of income and government should help support and create the conditions to make that happen.
My “yes” is because we need to build more housing and for that, private developers are best positioned. That’s why I supported one of the largest-ever investments in housing in Oregon’s history, which prioritized middle-income, temporary housing, and first-time home ownership.
And we need to focus on and ensure housing production in the 0-80 MFI range. We have learned the hard way in Portland that building, managing, and maintaining public housing is difficult. Private developers partnered with funding and strong long-term agreements with local governments and communities may be our best path.
The Legislature greatly reduced state funding for eviction prevention and supportive housing in favor of more shelters. Researchers say this approach increases evictions and homelessness. Will you push your colleagues to restore eviction prevention and supportive housing funding?
Funding eviction prevention is the most humane and cost-effective tool we have to prevent homelessness. It was very disappointing to see a reduction. Our next economic forecast comes out May 20th and I’ll be watching to see if there is an opportunity to commit additional dollars to eviction prevention. And if it’s a no in May, I’m going to try again in September.
Likewise, supportive housing is a proven pathway out of homelessness, reduces reliance on emergency systems–pairing housing with access to mental health care, addiction treatment or case management has significant public health benefits as well.
I appreciate Street Roots’ consistent coverage of the shortcomings of our funding levels and system failures. Keep the pressure on us to do better.
Some lawmakers wish to repeal the state law requiring local homelessness policies to be “objectively reasonable” to more easily criminalize homelessness. Would you support or oppose the effort to repeal the law?
Oregon’s “objectively reasonable” standard is a vital safeguard—it prevents punishing people for having nowhere to go. As a former city councilor, I understand the pressure local governments face. But moving people without real alternatives like shelter or housing is cruel, counterproductive and costly.
The fight to overturn this common-sense standard is a distraction that keeps us from holding the federal government accountable for its inaction on the housing crisis. We haven’t seen homelessness at this scale since the Great Depression, when Roosevelt responded with large-scale federal housing efforts. Oregon and the Portland metro regional taxpayers have invested millions, but we need federal leadership to match the scale of this crisis and deliver real, lasting solutions.
Name: John Wasielewski
City: Lake Oswego
Current occupation: Middle school teacher at Lake Oswego Middle School, cross-country and track coach
Prior political office held: None
In recent years, the state has relied most heavily on subsidizing private development to address housing affordability and market shortages. Do you agree with this approach?
Subsidizing private development is one tool available to address housing affordability and market shortages, but it cannot be the only one. Just as we wouldn’t build an entire house with a
single tool, we must utilize a diverse set of strategies to effectively solve the housing crisis. We need to explore innovative alternatives to meet our community’s needs, as market-rate housing remains inaccessible to many, especially those in the greatest need. It is essential that we consider and experiment with options like social housing and rental assistance to provide opportunities for mitigating this crisis in our city.
The Legislature greatly reduced state funding for eviction prevention and supportive housing in favor of more shelters. Researchers say this approach increases evictions and homelessness. Will you push your colleagues to restore eviction prevention and supportive housing funding?
As a middle school student support specialist, I work within a data-informed pipeline designed to deliver targeted interventions. This system only succeeds when every stage is adequately resourced. Divesting from one area to consolidate funding into a single solution, like shelters, would, at best, create an expensive holding cell with no clear off-ramps for those seeking to exit homelessness. We cannot prioritize one fix over another; eviction prevention and supportive housing are not secondary. They are co-equal components of an effective, integrated strategy. Just as in education, a gap in any part of the system causes the entire pipeline to fail. We must commit to a comprehensive approach that includes eviction protection and supportive housing funding. (Suggested: I would also join my colleagues in passing a moratorium on the ban of rent control measures to keep rents from being raised so exorbitantly.)
Some lawmakers wish to repeal the state law requiring local homelessness policies to be “objectively reasonable” to more easily criminalize homelessness. Would you support or oppose the effort to repeal the law?
I do not support repealing this law; the standard for moving individuals should remain “objectively reasonable.” However, I do support providing greater statutory clarification on what “objectively reasonable” means so that the courts are not the sole determinants of that definition. Homelessness is not an individual economic choice; it is a systemic economic failure. While criminalizing homelessness might make it easier for our current system to “address” the issue by hiding it, it does not solve the underlying problem. Criminalization merely hides homelessness. To truly solve it, we must ensure there are dedicated resources effectively coordinated within a holistic pipeline that addresses the crisis at its roots
District 40 Democratic Primary
District 40 includes Gladstone, Oregon City, Johnson City, Jennings Lodge, Oatfield and parts of unincorporated north Clackamas County. Democratic incumbent Rep. Annessa Hartman announced in September that she will not seek reelection. Neither of the Republican candidates, Adam Baker and Sue Leslie, provided answers.
Name: Charles Gallia
City: Oregon City
Current occupation: Retired
Prior political office held: None.
In recent years, the state has relied most heavily on subsidizing private development to address housing affordability and market shortages. Do you agree with this approach?
Subsidizing private development can be part of the solution, but it cannot be the backbone of our housing strategy. In high-cost markets like ours, subsidies alone often produce too few truly affordable units, too slowly, and at too high a per-unit cost. We need a more balanced approach: significantly expand non-market housing (public, nonprofit, and community land trusts), streamline approvals for deeply affordable projects, and align subsidies with long-term affordability requirements. I also support using public land more aggressively and tying incentives to outcomes—units affordable to people at the lowest incomes. It’s time we thought of smaller cottages that become owned and create intergenerational wealth and community.
The Legislature greatly reduced state funding for eviction prevention and supportive housing in favor of more shelters. Researchers say this approach increases evictions and homelessness. Will you push your colleagues to restore eviction prevention and supportive housing funding?
Yes—I would push to restore and stabilize funding for eviction prevention and supportive housing. The evidence is clear: it is far less expensive—and far more humane—to keep people housed than to rehouse them after displacement. It should also not just shift the burden onto people renting out homes to absorb the expense. Overreliance on shelters is costly and doesn’t solve homelessness over time. A smart approach prioritizes upstream interventions: rental assistance and services that stabilize people with complex needs. Shelters have a role, especially in emergencies, but they can not displace proven strategies that prevent homelessness in the first place. 1:1 support. We need a housing continuum that works, and right now we are underinvesting in the parts that deliver the best outcomes.
Some lawmakers wish to repeal the state law requiring local homelessness policies to be “objectively reasonable” to more easily criminalize homelessness. Would you support or oppose the effort to repeal the law?
I would oppose repealing the “objectively reasonable” standard. It exists to ensure that local policies balance community concerns with basic constitutional protections and human dignity. Criminalizing homelessness without adequate shelter or housing options is not only ineffective—it exposes cities to legal risk and pushes people further from stability. We should focus on solutions that reduce homelessness, not policies that simply move it around or make it less visible. That means expanding access to shelter and housing, investing in behavioral health services, and supporting local governments with clear, lawful frameworks. Accountability matters, but it must be paired with realistic options for people to comply. Otherwise, we are legislating failure rather than solving the problem.
It should be very clear what that means too.
Name: Michael Sugar
City: Oregon City
Current occupation: High school social studies teacher.
Prior political office held: None
In recent years, the state has relied most heavily on subsidizing private development to address housing affordability and market shortages. Do you agree with this approach?
We should continue to subsidize private development, but we can go further by supporting Main Street Grants that don’t just help restore historic building facades, but also subsidize renovation of aged or historic office space to expand housing. Over the long term, we can also invest in social housing similar to the Austrian model that actually helps families stabilize permanently in mixed-income communities instead of temporarily and precariously in poverty-dense areas as current affordable housing models sometimes do.
The Legislature greatly reduced state funding for eviction prevention and supportive housing in favor of more shelters. Researchers say this approach increases evictions and homelessness. Will you push your colleagues to restore eviction prevention and supportive housing funding?
All of these are important: eviction prevention, supportive housing and shelters. I would push my colleagues to find balance there, and also to improve on the supportive housing models: frequently, these models are so time-limited or income restricted that they push people out right as they are starting to stabilize, reigniting housing instability for them. We need supportive housing that allows people to have stability over a long period of time, which can also create income diversity within these areas.
Some lawmakers wish to repeal the state law requiring local homelessness policies to be “objectively reasonable” to more easily criminalize homelessness. Would you support or oppose the effort to repeal the law?
I do not support criminalizing homelessness. I do support programs that address both the housing crisis and the public health crisis inherent to homelessness. That’s everything from Oxford houses and non-profits like Father’s Heart & Love One to helping Clackamas County & regional cities start a crisis response program like Lane County’s Cahoots. In the end, we should protect and support the most vulnerable members of our communities (the unhoused) and compassionately ensure street camping becomes a relic of the past by getting people the support, services, and housing options they need.
District 41 Democratic Primary
Incumbent Rep. Mark Gamba (D) is running for reelection in House District 41, which represents Milwaukie, Oak Grove, Northern Clackamas County, and the Sellwood, Eastmoreland and Woodstock neighborhoods.
Name: Rep. Mark Gamba
City: Milwaukie
Current occupation: Representative serving Oregon’s 41st district.
Prior political office held: Milwaukie City Councilor, Mayor of Milwaukie, State Representative
In recent years, the state has relied most heavily on subsidizing private development to address housing affordability and market shortages. Do you agree with this approach?
No, I don’t think that “the market” can solve all of our problems. If it could, we wouldn’t have a problem in the first place. I have been running a workgroup for almost a year now to try and stand up a social housing program that would mass produce 10,000 – 1,000 square foot units a year. We are aiming at a sale price of $250,000 each. This would give a couple, both making close to minimum wage, the opportunity for home ownership which would stabilize them. Currently most people are stuck in a skyrocketing rental market which their pay can’t keep up with.
The Legislature greatly reduced state funding for eviction prevention and supportive housing in favor of more shelters. Researchers say this approach increases evictions and homelessness. Will you push your colleagues to restore eviction prevention and supportive housing funding?
Yes, but our real problem is our very broken revenue system, and the cuts coming from the federal government all of which affect the same population. It is far cheaper to keep folks housed, but as I said above, rents increase faster than anyone’s paycheck, leading to a downward spiral with only one outcome. It’s financially unsustainable currently for the state to keep up with that and it’s only going to get worse. For someone to be able to afford the average one-bedroom apartment in the Portland metro region, they need to be making around $34/hour. Huge companies, making astronomic profits, are paying half of that. As a state we can’t continue to subsidize their profits by keeping their employees housed with our limited tax dollars.
Some lawmakers wish to repeal the state law requiring local homelessness policies to be “objectively reasonable” to more easily criminalize homelessness. Would you support or oppose the effort to repeal the law?
I would oppose it. Criminalizing poverty is not going to solve anything for the houseless, just hide it from the people it makes uncomfortable. Maybe if they become uncomfortable enough they will be willing to push elected leaders to actually solve it with things like a “housable minimum wage,” better behavioral health care, housing first solutions etc.
Name: Priyesh Krishnan
City: Portland
Current occupation: Principal data scientist
Prior political office held: None
In recent years, the state has relied most heavily on subsidizing private development to address housing affordability and market shortages. Do you agree with this approach?
I don’t think that subsidizing private developers is the best way to address affordability. At best it subsidizes the first sale cost. At worst, it inflates developer margins. I favor also trying models like the Home Trust or Community Land Trust models that allow for organizations to sustain affordability through generations.
Recent legislation, like HB 4082, is a good case in point. It must be new housing, to expand the urban growth boundary, for seniors only, and built with defined amenities together in a community. The developers are happy with that subsidy. We need to build systems that build on themselves, not just try to find a short-term band-aid. It is not just a supply and demand problem. People deserve options.
The Legislature greatly reduced state funding for eviction prevention and supportive housing in favor of more shelters. Researchers say this approach increases evictions and homelessness. Will you push your colleagues to restore eviction prevention and supportive housing funding?
When you try to protect the most vulnerable, you must protect those that are in danger of becoming vulnerable as well. In healthcare, you don’t wait for a heart blockage to give cholesterol medicine. Eviction protection, safety housing and grants are all ways to help people smooth out the bumps in their life.
For eviction protection specifically, there is an imbalance between renters and landlords. This only brings balance, without favoring one side or another. While cities have their own laws, the benefit of state-mandated baselines is to keep all Oregonians on an even playing field.
Some lawmakers wish to repeal the state law requiring local homelessness policies to be “objectively reasonable” to more easily criminalize homelessness. Would you support or oppose the effort to repeal the law?
Time has shown that there is not a law in the land that fixes the core issues leading to the multiple causes of houselessness. And without that multilayered approach to attempting the core fix, we would be selling ourselves short by allowing for the symptom to be criminalized.
In the story of houselessness, we are facing the same ideas of human dignity and opportunity that is being faced elsewhere in our state. Yes, it is harder to work through all the layers of the issue. But that is the right path for our state. Again, cities have some opportunities here, but the need for a state approach (at baseline) is one that Oregonians deserve.
District 43 Democratic Primary
District 43, which includes North and Northeast Portland, is currently held by incumbent Rep. Tawna Sanchez (D), who is running for reelection. Rep. Sanchez chose not to respond to Street Roots’ candidate questionnaire because she said she could not adequately address the questions with a limited word count.
Name: Cye Sterling
City: Portland
Current occupation: Self-published author, volunteer with 7 Cups and active with Indivisible Oregon
Prior political office held: None
In recent years, the state has relied most heavily on subsidizing private development to address housing affordability and market shortages. Do you agree with this approach?
Having lived in public housing, I know firsthand how systems impact families. Oregon’s hybrid model is cost-effective, but for real stability and better quality of life, we should invest more in state-owned housing. This would cut through bureaucracy that slows families from getting into homes — a problem too many Oregonians face today.
The Legislature greatly reduced state funding for eviction prevention and supportive housing in favor of more shelters. Researchers say this approach increases evictions and homelessness. Will you push your colleagues to restore eviction prevention and supportive housing funding?
I will absolutely push to restore funding for eviction prevention and supportive housing. It’s far more cost-effective and humane to help families stay in their homes than to start from scratch. Supportive housing provides long-term stability, essential services, and safety, while shelters are temporary and cannot replace a home. Everyone deserves a foundation to build their life, and without housing, that’s impossible.
Some lawmakers wish to repeal the state law requiring local homelessness policies to be “objectively reasonable” to more easily criminalize homelessness. Would you support or oppose the effort to repeal the law?
I strongly oppose any effort to repeal this law. Criminalizing homelessness is cruel and comes from ignorance about the struggles people face. Housing is a basic need, and punishing someone for losing theirs is ineffective and unjust. At the same time, I recognize the frustrations of neighbors who deal with property damage, trash, or safety concerns. Our approach must balance compassion for those experiencing homelessness with respect for the public. The state should work with cities to implement policies that protect both residents and those without homes, ensuring safety, stability, and dignity.
Shared responsibility and thoughtful policy — not criminalization — are the only solutions that truly work.
This article appears in May 13, 2026.
Related
PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) – Guard and former Oregon Ducks player Holly Winterburn has been signed to a developmental contract with the Portland Fire, the team announced Wednesday.
Winterburn played at the University of Oregon during the 2019-20 season. The native of Northampton, England, then went back to Europe where she last played for Athinaikos in the Greek Women’s Basketball League.
Winterburn, who went undrafted in the 2026 WNBA draft, was signed by the Atlanta Dream before being waived on prior to the season.
The Fire won their first game of the season on Tuesday, beating the New York Liberty 98-96.
The Fire face the Liberty again at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Moda Center. Get tickets to the game here.
Copyright 2026 KPTV-KPDX. All rights reserved.
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