SALEM -- Gov. Kate Brown on Tuesday brought some national attention to Oregon's housing crisis and one of her remedies for easing it -- an ambitious request to borrow $100 million and build thousands of affordable units.

Brown folded the plan into the preface she wrote for this year's version of the the the National Low Income Housing Coalition's "Out of Reach" report, a state-by-state examination of the growing gap between wages and housing prices for low- and middle-income Americans.

In Oregon, where the inflation-indexed minimum wage is $9.25 an hour, someone looking to rent a fair-market two-bedroom apartment, at $864 a month, would need to earn $16.61 an hour.

In the Portland metro area, that so-called "housing wage" would rise to $18.15. In cities such as San Francisco, that number comes close to $40 an hour. (See a statewide chart below.)

"Housing that meets the needs of individuals and families is an essential part of the infrastructure that builds a strong workforce and sustains local economies," Brown wrote in the report, released Tuesday. "I have proposed a $100 million investment in affordable housing for Oregon that will add approximately 4,000 new homes to help meet this essential and most fundamental need."

That investment, technically unveiled last year by then-Gov. John Kitzhaber, earned Brown's embrace this spring. She's since made it one of her early priorities, emphasizing it in major speeches and policy statements, including last month's State of the State address.

In a conference call with advocates and reporters, Brown praised the plan as an only-in-Oregon solution for what's become a national shortage of affordable units -- and sharply increasing demand -- at a time of stagnating wages.

She also said she'll insist on the full $100 million, despite concerns from lawmakers looking to pinch pennies in upcoming budgets as they stare down ballooning pension obligations and demand for other infrastructure projects, such as seismic-safety improvements for schools. By borrowing less money on the bond market, the state would owe less in debt service.

"I am committed to that level," Brown said when asked about legislators' questions by The Oregonian/OregonLive. "I'm going to use the power of my bully pulpit and the persuasiveness of my personality. What's exciting about his proposed investment is that it's sparked the imagination of partners all over the state."

Oregon apartment affordability

Minimum wage:

$9.25

Estimated average renter wage:

$13.61

Monthly cost of 2-bedroom "fair market rent" apartment:

$864

Hourly wage needed to afford that apartment:

$16.61

Annual income needed to afford that apartment:

$34,547

Weekly hours at minimum wage needed to afford that apartment:

72

Number of renter households, 2009-13:

576,313

Percent renters:

38%

Note:

Affordability assumes no more than 30% of income goes to housing

Source: "Out of Reach 2015," National Low Income Housing Coalition

But the report's authors, in laying out their findings, continually made the point that solving the affordability crisis in Oregon and around the country depends not just on housing availability but also on wages' ability to keep pace with rising rents. Rents are deemed affordable when they amount to no more than 30 percent of a family's income.

"In three out of five states, the two-bedroom housing wage is more than twice the minimum wage," said Megan Bolton, the report's lead author. "This really helps us understand that full-time minimum-wage workers are unable to find even modest affordable housing in their communities."

The Portland Business Alliance last week issued a report sounding alarms locally that low- and middle-income workers are increasingly struggling to afford housing near job centers such as downtown Portland. Adding to concerns, the Portland Housing Bureau recently released data showing African Americans, making the median income for ethnic group, are entirely priced out of Portland.

Of course, it's not just Portland. In Bend, for example, officials say the rental vacancy rate is less than one-half of a percentage point.

Brown, when asked if she'd also put her support this legislative session behind bills that would raise Oregon's minimum wage as high as $15, said she supports increasing the state's wage but declined to say by how much or when.

"We are talking with legislative leadership about the timing and the level of increase in terms of the minimum wage," she said before turning again to her housing proposal. "But the reality is that wages are only once piece of the puzzle. Our challenge is providing Oregonians with affordable housing."

Brown's housing request won't take its final shape until close to the end of the legislative session. But an important piece, policy parameters for how that money would be spent, no matter the eventual amount, could move forward this week.

House Bill 2198 is set for a work session Wednesday in the House Rules Committee. Its proposed guidelines would call on housing officials to measure "rent burden" on a county-by-county basis, and favor families with children.

Brown also said neither she nor anyone else in the executive branch is planning to lobby lawmakers to adjust an "inclusionary zoning" measure making its way through the legislature: House Bill 2564, which would cancel a state law keeping local governments from requiring affordable housing in large developments.

The version of HB 2564 that cleared the House last month currently exempts rental projects, a nod to opposition from builders. That's raised some concerns among advocates and officials in cities such as Portland that the bill might not do enough to ease the state's housing crunch.

That bill is currently before the Senate's human services committee. Legislative insiders say it isn't expected to be amended.

"I know housing advocates are looking hard at that," said Margaret Van Vliet, the state's housing director. "I don't think there's anything coming forward."

Oregon: Gap between rent and income Monthly cost of 2-bedroom "fair market value" apartment What average rental household can afford Gap Oregon $864 $708 -$156 Portland metro area $944 $817 -$127 Eugene metro area $829 $587 -$242 Salem metro area $768 $573 -$195 Bend metro area $804 $606 -$198 Medford metro area $844 $595 -$249 Corvallis metro area $823 $525 -$298 Notes: Affordability assumes no more than 30% of income goes to housing Metro areas based on Census Bureau MSA

-- Denis C. Theriault

503-221-8430; @TheriaultPDX