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New poll finds homelessness, housing, congestion are top concerns for voters in Portland region

January 2018

PORTLAND, Ore. – Today, the Portland Business Alliance released the results of a public opinion poll, conducted by DHM Research, designed to better understand the attitudes of voters throughout the region about key concerns, jobs and the economy. Findings from the poll show that a majority of voters believe the region is headed in the right direction for the first time since the recession. Yet, social and quality-of-life issues, such as homelessness, housing affordability and traffic congestion, have jumped to the top of the list of concerns throughout the region.

Additionally, participants across all demographics feel positive about their economic opportunities, but a majority, particularly those who have lived in the region longer, believe quality of life is getting worse.

The Alliance contracted with DHM Research to conduct the poll, which occurred Dec. 27-29, 2017. A total of 506 likely voters participated, 254 of whom lived in the city of Portland and 252 of of whom were from other parts of Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties. Polling was conducted through live interviews from a voter list and the results have a 4.4 percent margin of error.

“We conducted this public opinion poll to gauge what issues matter most to voters in the Portland region,” said Sandra McDonough, president and CEO of the Portland Business Alliance. “It’s encouraging to see that we are on the right track with our advocacy efforts, focusing on solutions to homelessness, housing affordability and traffic congestion. Residents across the Portland region agree that these are the most important priorities. We will continue to work with elected officials to address these top-of-mind issues to ensure economic vitality for the region and opportunity for all members of our community.”

Download survey summary

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The Portland Business Alliance
The Portland Business Alliance is Greater Portland’s Chamber of Commerce. With nearly 1,900 members, the Alliance strives to promote and foster an environment in the Portland region that attracts, supports and retains private-sector jobs, spurs economic vitality and enables quality educational opportunities for the region’s residents. Learn more at www.portlandalliance.com.