The Membership of the Blue Scorcher Bakery endorses the Housing Initiative. As a co-op, Strong Community is one of our core business values. Our full-time residents see us through the quiet season and the relationships we build makes this work worth doing.

Joyful Work is another of our core business values. Work cannot be joyful if workers aren’t able to secure their basic needs, including adequate housing. The person making your latte shouldn’t have to commute half an hour into town from a moldy apartment that they can’t afford to complain about. Bakers shouldn’t have to drive in on 202 at 3 AM while homes within walking distance are empty.

Every year we lose workers and friends because they can’t see a future for themselves in Astoria. The housing problem is a huge part of that calculus. Astoria is at a critical point and we have to decide—do we want to be a community or a theme park?

I’ve run a small business in Astoria for 13 years and lived here for 20. I’ve watched our housing shortage put a squeeze on our downtown — why has a favorite restaurant cut their hours, why do shops never seem fully staffed anymore? It’s because there’s nowhere for our workers to live.

This measure doesn’t touch full-time homeowners, folks renting out their place while they’re away, houses used as part-time rentals or even vacation homes with an occupied ADU. It just asks empty second homes to help solve a problem the rest of us live with.

I believe that housing is a human right, and we all have to do our part to protect that right. I support the Astoria Housing Initiative because it would provide a way for people who have the luxury of a second home to help ensure that everyone in Astoria has a roof over their head.

As a born and raised local and a tiny business owner I value our artist heart community deeply and my biggest fear is that the artists and workforce will be forced to leave because of housing costs sky rocketing. So many have left already and we have more on the verge because of housing costs. This corner “where the river meets the sea” is legendary and it’s soul is based on the artists heart. I can’t watch it waste away. I absolutely support this measure. I will do anything to help.

As a longtime resident and community-builder in Astoria, I support the Astoria Housing Initiative. A real quality of life for all requires us as citizens to choose humane ways forward rather than simply deferring to the bottom line, and this initiative has just such a care-orientation written all over it. It’s time to change the housing landscape here in Astoria and I believe this is a wise action-step in that direction.

By recognizing the impact of second-homes on housing availability, we’re investing in the communities that make this town so unique— many of the same things that make Astoria appealing as a second-home and tourist destination. Without the ability to continue living here, put down roots, and reinvest in the community, we will lose the things that make our vibrant neighborhoods so special.

The people that uphold Astoria’s community are the exact folks that struggle to find and afford housing. I own Simply Human Art, a small tattoo studio in town, and have a one year old daughter. I support the Astoria Housing Initiative because family values and small local businesses are only able to grow and thrive when we have the time, accessibility and resources to put in. All things that aren’t a priority when we’re struggling to secure basic housing.

As a mother and artist, I support the Astoria Housing Initiative. Astoria is the first place I’ve ever felt a true sense of community, and it is the people who live and work here that give it life. If we cannot house our young families and professionals—our educators, entrepreneurs, artists, makers, servers, baristas, brewers, and so many more—we stand to lose everything that makes Astoria the vibrant home that it is.

We have a small business in downtown Astoria, and would love to continue to do so. We employ two people part time. We’re part of the fabric of the community. But if we can’t afford to live here, we’ll have to leave — It’s very simple.

“We believe strong communities are built when people have places to gather, connect, and feel like they belong. But that starts with being able to afford to live here. We support the Astoria Housing Initiative because we want Astoria to remain a place where people can put down roots, build connections, and belong for years to come.”

There’s something deeply sad about people struggling to find housing while beautiful homes sit empty most of the year. Astoria has always stood out to me as a place where working-class life and community are still valued, and I want to keep it that way. I support the Astoria housing initiative because it provides a way for homes that sit empty to still contribute something to the community that they benefit from.