Read the newest article on Short Term Rentals in Portland, Oregon, found on our “Oregon News” page. Then remember - if it can happen in the larger metro areas, it can happen right here in Lincoln County.  

In point of fact, I would like to make the argument that as a full-time resident of the neighborhood I should actually have more rights than that STR owner or manager. Some of the STR owners who live outside of our county or state, tried to vote fraudulently against our ballot measure here in Lincoln County, for example, trying to thwart our property rights illegally. 

This industry does not play fair, they say they are being attacked and that their rights are threatened when it is the full time legal residents who have had to play "whack-a-mole" with these businesses time and again. And our rights are virtually non-existent and all but ignored by local leaders and law enforcement. The Sheriff even made comments on the air last year that he does not have staff to handle any but the most serious criminal issues. 

When team STR says it is just enforcement of the rules that need to be followed that is not possible and has never been possible given our small communities and our lack of resources for enforcing the limited rules that exist!  

We need caps with attrition to get our housing back in balance. We do not need any more outside area profiteering-- taking profits and resources out of Oregon or out of our small, local counties to line the pockets of people in Bend, Portland, California or other countries. Most STR owners do not live in the county where they have their rental. At least that is the case in Lincoln County. 

Oregonians need housing not STRs with out of area owners in single-family neighborhoods. This bad practice needs to stop. Housing is for residents, motels are for tourists.“

AND we are still not going away. 15neighborhoods has been out-spent nearly 10 to 1 since this battle began, by billion dollar lodging operation managers. Yet our local battle is still on going and we have been refining our options with our legal advisors and your friends and neighbors throughout the community. 15neighborhoods has an ongoing need to raise funds to defend the clear expectation of the over 10,000 local voters who demanded that the tourist lodging industry be properly managed and sited in our community, and not continue to deplete our available housing or degrade the quality of life in our neighborhoods.  We need your support to continue the fight.  We continue to have legal bills.  Please consider writing a Letter to the Editor (LTE) of any news media (see listing under FAQs), volunteering and contributing what you can to help your neighbors and friends in this battle.   

The future of this movement for a more livable Lincoln County relies on your ideas as well as your financial support.