Investor Index | April 6
Portland might bail out affordable housing landlords, but would that lower rents?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ March report noted that total non-farm payroll employment increased by 178,000, while the unemployment rate remained at 4.3%. At the same time, net hiring for Q1 2026 was 205,000.
That was the positive news.
The not-quite-good news was that the employment growth occurred in a few sectors, with “most new roles tied to health care, dining, construction and courier services,” according to a recent Marcus & Millichap brief.
City of Industry: Portland, Oregon–Number one large metro in new manufacturing firms
Portland leads the nation’s metro areas in the growth of new local manufacturing firms
Over the past five years, Portland has added 250 more new manufacturing businesses than if it were growing at the national average rate
New manufacturing startups are a leading indicator of future prosperity
All of Oregon is a hotspot for new manufacturing firms.
Full Article: https://cityobservatory.org/city-of-industry/
Portland City Council considers zoning changes to pack more housing into inner eastside neighborhoods
Portland City Council is considering changes to zoning in the city's inner eastside which would allow for more apartments. While the move is years in the making, it's now generating a mixed response.
"We need to accelerate the rate of housing production," said Councilor Mitch Green of District 4. "So, if we want to be a place where people move to and stay over the next few decades, we have to take our zoning approach to this very seriously."