Looking for advice from someone living in the Gresham area. THANKS! (Portland: rentals, crime)

[ceaa]

I plan to move with my son, who is entering 3rd grade, for this upcoming school year, end of Augustish.
The reason for our move is to have a more comfortable cultural environment for us to live and grow in. My son has autism, and to keep it simple and not so negative, living in Houston, TX hasn't exactly been warm and fuzzy. We are super goofy and I want him to have a pleasant experience when attending school. He is able and has been succeeding outside of a special needs classroom, but since people in the south are typically not what I would consider to be in touch with such issues as disability, race, religious preferences or lack thereof, etc, and we've really had a hard time because of this. I currently work at a nonprofit, and hope to find work doing something similar (healthcare access facilitation essentially) or preferrably something related to autism.
It seems easiest to list what I do and do not want.
As of now, all signs point to living in/near Gresham.

I DO want:
-as much cultural diversity as possible, I'm biracial, and my son is triracial
-walking capabilities to school, work, coffee, etc
-pet friendly areas
-lots of nature
-i NEED cheap housing, which doesn't seem to be too difficult to find
-no age preferences, but not anything too close to a university
-access to museums, parks, used clothing/item places, coffee, healthy foods, and the like
-people who are physically expressive (i have tattoos, plugs, etc, and do not really enjoy it calling attention when I'm the only one in the vicinity with these preferences in aesthetics

I've been given the suggestion many times to consider moving to Austin. And there are some places in Houston, being the metropolitan city that it is, that could potentially benefit our lives, but the reality of cost is something that prevents me every time. Austin is a lovely place, but at the end of the day it's still Texas. I would rather move somewhere that we love, rather than settle for something ,even if it is great, just because it's relatively easier. I figure, moving states and making a drastic change, while it will be incredibly stressful, will also be the way to make real differences in our lives.

Concerns I have, that have been taking sleep from me, are such things as job availability, housing availability and cost, moving only to find ourselves in a similar situation, etc.

To not create an enormous post, I will not list all the things that have added up to reach this decision. Suffice it to say, we have had a very rough time individually and as a family. Since it's just the two of us, and since his dad is onboard and will help us become situated and actually move, I would like thoughts and opinions of those living in the area, maybe in a similar situation. I'm most curious to find out about the autistic communities! Houston is rather progressive for a city in the south, but no one seems familiar with autism in terms of anything outside of AutismSpeaks, or finding a cure. If anyone has any information whatsoever related to this as well, it's much appreciated.


THANK YOU!!!!!

[crisw]

A couple of questions may help us give you a better answer-

- You state, "i NEED cheap housing, which doesn't seem to be too difficult to find." In reality, cheap housing, presuming you mean a rental, in the type of area that you want- walkable, safe, pet-friendly, etc.- is very, very difficult to find. The vacancy rate here is around 2% for all rentals- not just the cheap ones. I am not sure what you consider to be "cheap;" knowing that would be helpful.

- You want a pet-friendly place. Do you currently have a pet? If so, what type? We often get posts here bemoaning how difficult it is to find pet-friendly rentals here, especially for large dogs, most especially for pit bulls.

-Also, why Gresham? Some parts of Gresham are lovely, although much of it isn't walkable and you're pretty far from museums and the like. But other parts of Gresham- the cheaper parts- are the most-crime-plagued areas of the Metro region. I advice checking out the crime maps on PortlandMaps for anywhere you're actually considering living. At all costs, stay away from the area called Rockwood. In addition, most of the schools in Gresham are not considered to be first-rate.

No one will look twice at you here for tattoos. I'm not so sure about the autism community, but that has been a frequent question in this forum so you may want to search for it.

[Steve Pickering]

I judge a neighborhood or community by how well they control graffiti. I just came from downtown Gresham Old Town via Powel from Main, and Division from 161st to I-205. There is nothing that would make me live there based on just what I saw today. And I actually liked living there years ago.

[patches403]

Gresham is not a walkable community for the most part, except for a limited few areas and those few areas are not the nicer parts. Gresham is one of the cheapest communities in the Portland metro area, but it's still more expensive than Texas.

Gresham is not a common destination for people moving to the metro area so most people will question why you've picked it, especially since it doesn't meet most of the items in your list. It isn't walkable, many areas are not particularly safe, and the schools not known for being very good. I assume you've selected Gresham because you have family here or you've visited a number of times? Is there a great school in Gresham that is geared toward autism? If you have never been to the Metro area before, I highly recommend that you make a trip to see Gresham and the "cheap" properties I assume you've seen online to see if the neighborhoods meet your definition of safe and walkable. It also depends on what you do for a living as to whether you would be working in or near Gresham.

Your tattoos will not make you stand out in Portland, unless you have significant facial tattoos. Your racial status should not be a big deal, but Portland is not as racially diverse as most other large metro areas in the US.

[ceaa]

Based on these replies, my next question would be : Where, based on all I've stated in op, would be an ideal place for what I've marked as important? I have a hard time believing that I would personally find any part of Portland to be rough, especially coming from a difficultish area in Houston. I've come across many complexes in the Gresham area that run very closely to what I pay in Houston. Walkable is preferential, but likely unrealistic.

I have a dog - he's a whippet mix, as well as an indoor cat.

Schools are definitely important to me. I've come across many wonderful options, but I'm concerned based on the fact that being in my financial situation the schools available would be an issue.

I chose Gresham based on suggestions made by those living in and around the Portland area who need access to organizations providing services to children and adults with autism.

I realize that it may seem odd to some, but the "urban" feel would be most welcoming for me as well. I have a friend currently living in Portland who is helping me by following up with different leads/options. Unfortunately visiting would be counterproductive. It is a bit rushed for most, but at this point staying in Houston would mean another year basically lost in terms of my child's education. Rather than a focus on learning, we are constantly battling for understanding and accommodation, that seem to be easier to achieve in places such as Portland or Eugene.

At this point I'm basically looking for a place that will suit my tiny family. I want to choose a place, to then focus solely on the details of moving, and everything a move entails. There's a lot of second guessing happening! Thank you for your replies!

[Steve Pickering]

CEAA, you are looking in the wrong place.

[ceaa]

Originally Posted by Steve Pickering

CEAA, you are looking in the wrong place.

As in, Portland's the wrong place? Gresham?

How about anything positive that won't just make me feel more like I'm in a hopeless situation? Wonderful.

[PNW-type-gal]

Ignore our Negative Nancy.

Given all of your list, I think the single most important thing is going to be how schools handle your son and what kind of programs they have for him. The general issue is that the better schools are located in more expensive areas of town, and there is a big housing cost difference between Houston and Portland to begin with. Certainly you can find place in the overall metro area that will work for you, but Gresham might not be THE place.

Upthread someone mentioned that we have had several posters ask about school district and autism. Some of the threads you might want to take a look at:

Best school district for middle school child with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Where to live with special needs kids
Best Public Schools offering Spec ed for Autism?

[Ms_Christina]

Well, the cost of living will be much higher here. Renting with a dog and cat will not be impossible but you will have to be able to pay additional non-refundable pet deposits and additional pet rent. Because rentals fill up fast landlords tend to say "no pets" because they can. The PDX area is pet friendly but the people that have pets either can afford higher rent or own their own home.

There really is no diversity in PDX as a whole. It is one of the whitest areas in the US. BUT, people here are so politically correct that most won't say anything negative to anyone. My nieces and nephews are mixed race. The older ones will tell you, "white people will smile at you but they will still cross the street when they see you coming" I don't want you to think it's horrible and intolerant here in PDX because it isn't but it's not perfect either.

Jobs are another thing. It is kind of damned if you do, damned if you don't. Unless you are looking for a position with a very specific set of professional skills finding a job can be hard. Especially when it's easier to interview and hire someone locally. It's financially hard to move to an area without a job, but to get a job it's easier to live here. It's a vicious circle. Also, without a job you will not find many places that will rent to you. There are always exceptions but you may have to live next to a meth dealer. (exaggeration to make a point)

I don't want to totally dash your dreams I just want to give you a more realistic approach to not only moving here but deciding to move anywhere. Even the worst school district in PDX seems to have more resources and better environments for special needs. BUT you said you want to move in August and registration for school began in March. While resources here are good, they can only spread themselves so thin. Coming into the school system so late in the year may mean being on a waitlist for some programs.

My first action would be to find a job.

[ceaa]

thank you so much PNW-type gal and Ms_Christina!

i am very, very aware of my situation. the combination of everything has been more than seems possible. i will get started and keep floating about the forum as well for positive information. i work for a nonprofit that provides access to healthcare for under/uninsured in third ward (houston, as i said before). i've been reading posts about people thinking portland is ghetto or unsafe, and it makes me smile. i have a friend living in portland, granted near a university in a "nice" area, at the end of the day i know the best thing would be to move. i love to seen black and brown people from all over, but i can't live in the south any longer and just expect the culture to change around me. i don't know how, i'm very much alone, but it's really not an option at this point. i tried going through the school district, and all we've done is waste time. even in the situation we're in, he's excelled, but has "social and behavioral issues". which is not surprising. again, thank you. venting complete.