Boiling the Frog and Blaming the Thermostat

The housing crisis didn’t sneak up on us. We just kept arguing while the water got hotter.

You know that old metaphor about the frog in boiling water? That’s housing.

Except we’re all the frog, the water’s already at a simmer, and someone keeps turning the dial up while we argue over whose fault it is. Whether you're renting, buying, or just refreshing Zillow with a mix of hope and delusion, the heat is rising.

But let’s not just grumble about inflation or blame all our woes on bumbling bureaucrats. The scary truth is we simply don’t have enough roofs for all the heads. No amount of regulation or finger-wagging will fix the core problem if we’re not building more places to live.

Across Oregon, new construction lags behind population growth. The folks at Oregon Housing and Community Services say we need tens of thousands of units just to catch up. The demand grows—new residents, growing families—but too many of our older buildings are sagging like a thrift-store sofa that’s seen one too many movie nights.

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Landlords: Broke, Tired, and Villainized Anyway

Inflation doesn’t skip landlords. Insurance premiums have surged—fueled by fire zones and risk-averse insurers—while building materials still haven’t recovered from their COVID-era price spike. Property tax bills keep creeping up as assessed values rise. And just to spice things up, local governments love tossing in last-minute zoning twists or mandates that sound great in theory but send budgets into cardiac arrest.

Most landlords aren’t deep-pocketed corporations—they’re regular folks who bought a duplex to retire on or rent out their basement to stay afloat. They’re not just paying bills—they’re juggling roles as handyman, bookkeeper, and occasional therapist, all while trying to keep the lights on.

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Tenants: Stressed, Suspicious, and Tapped Out

On the flip side, if you’re a renter, you might be forgoing groceries to pay rent. In many parts of Oregon, you need to earn $30–$40 an hour to comfortably rent a two-bedroom, which is hardly realistic when the minimum wage hovers around $14. And if you own a manufactured home, you still have to rent the land underneath. One fee hike on that land, and you might lose everything, home and all.

So yes, tenants are angry—and for good reason. Uncertainty about next month’s rent can keep you awake at night more effectively than any caffeinated beverage.

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The Legislature Brought a Toolbox This Time

Oregon lawmakers have been hacking at housing issues for years—tweaking zoning laws, enacting tenant protections, and tossing funds at new development. This session, they’re finally ponying up more money for the behind-the-scenes stuff: sewer lines, water systems, roads. The unsexy infrastructure that, believe it or not, makes a neighborhood livable.

They’re also trying to help first-time buyers get a foothold in the market without needing their own personal oil tycoon. State-backed loans and equity-boosting programs aim to turn homeownership into something more than an Instagram dream.

Still, we can spray money at the problem all we want, but if it’s not targeted properly—like aiming a garden hose in the general direction of your geraniums—some of it will just puddle in the driveway. Means-testing might feel like a taboo phrase in some political circles, but ensuring resources actually reach people who need them should be common sense.

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Preserve, Convert, Retrofit, Repeat

We also have to preserve existing housing. Many properties desperately need repairs and upgrades. A 1970s septic system doesn’t magically fix itself, no matter how many good vibes you send it. When an aging apartment complex needs a new roof, the cost can’t simply be shoved under the rug.

On the bright side, encouraging factory-built homes or converting old office spaces into apartments are sensible ways to add to the housing stock. Might as well use those empty downtown buildings for more than tumbleweeds.

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Reward the Good Guys Before They Burn Out

We shouldn’t discourage landlords who actually want to offer longer leases and keep rents stable. How about some tax breaks or streamlined permitting for those who provide security for tenants? Ditto for homeowners who want to add Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) without drowning in red tape. The best solutions often come from making it easier for regular folks to do the right thing.

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Endless Blame, Zero Bedrooms

We’ve made progress—no spin. But the shortage is huge, and the clock keeps ticking. This isn’t about ideology; it’s about practical measures to get more people under sturdy roofs without hemorrhaging cash. If we don’t keep plowing forward, we’ll be stuck in this endless loop of blame, with renters pointing fingers at landlords, landlords pointing fingers at taxes and regulations, and everyone pointing fingers at each other while the actual crisis grows.

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What the Dentist Sees That the Economist Doesn’t

Stress has a way of revealing itself in clenched jaws and chipped teeth. As a dentist, I see it firsthand. A stable home won’t cure every ailment, but living in constant anxiety over rent hikes certainly doesn’t improve anyone’s health. If we’re serious about lowering the collective blood pressure, we need to build more, maintain what we have, and make the system fair for both renters and owners.

It’s like mopping the floor while the roof still leaks—we can clean up all we want, but the problem keeps dripping in. We need homes—lots of them—and the infrastructure to support them. Let’s do more than slap a short-term bandage on a long-term wound. Because, when it’s all said and done, we’re crammed into the same house. And it sure would help if we had a few more bedrooms.