Feature of the Week
Tour and Ride-Along with Station 9
What an amazing way to end the week! I had a great time learning more about Portland Fire and Rescue today. My staffer Sprout and I rode along for a call and took a tour of Station 9, just south on Hawthorne on Cesar Chavez Boulevard. It was fun to see familiar sites in the neighborhood from a new angle, and I’m so impressed by the commitment of everyone I met!
Many of the firefighters are from the neighborhood or grew up in Portland. They shared their experiences about what is going on in their role as public servants, and talked about how they have seen the city change over the last several years. As first responders, firefighters are dealing with unique challenges, with more calls and limited resources. During our discussion they highlighted how helpful the Community Health Assess and Treat (CHAT) and Portland Street Response (PSR) programs are to their work. I really appreciated hearing their concerns and stories, and am even more committed to making sure Portland Fire Association members feel heard and valued.
As part of today’s tour I also got to meet with our new Portland Fire Chief Lauren Johnson. It is even more clear to me that she is the just right person for this job! I appreciated her fresh perspective and wealth of experience, and loved hearing that she is feeling welcomed and involved in the bureau.
One exciting thing I want to share is that all community members are able to request a tour of a fire station. Of course that includes schools requesting field trips – I highly recommend it! Definitely time well-spent, and a great way to get a new perspective on our city. A huge thank you to the firefighters of Station 9 and fire bureau staff, for an informative and fun morning. Most importantly, THANK YOU for your service to our city!
Fall Budget Discussion
This Wednesday, Portland City Council discussed the Fall Technical Adjustment Ordinance (known as the TAO) and its proposed adoption. Each year the TAO is an opportunity to check in on the approved city budget and make sure it is on track. In most of the recent years there has been an increase in available funds, but this year we are facing a deficit. As part of the discussion of adopting the fall supplemental budget, several amendments were proposed. An amendment from Councilor Angelita Morillo addressed several issues, including the proposal to reallocate some of the money used for sweeps of homeless encampments to fund longer-term solutions for services and housing support.
At Wednesday’s meeting, more than 1,000 Portlanders submitted written testimony or came in to speak about their experiences. I am so grateful for all those sharing their perspectives and taking the time to voice their concerns and hopes. It is clear that Portlanders want compassionate, effective policies to improve livability for all members of our community.
As I said from the dais, I think the amendments brought forward were a sign that there are councilors, community groups, and community members that don’t feel brought in early enough, or meaningfully enough, to help shape our current plan around homelessness. Specifically, data shows us that sweeps don’t solve the lack of housing – they make it worse. Our unhoused neighbors are often told to move a few blocks in any direction, and then they spend the day trying to find the belongings, medication, and community connections that were lost in the process. That constant displacement disrupts the very stability and trust that outreach workers are trying to build.
We need to connect people to services, not disconnect them from what little support they have left. As part of this process, we need to be presented with data that show how our policies and investments are making lasting progress. Currently, more people are entering homelessness than transitioning to housing. We need to continue to find a better path forward, led by organizations doing the work. The advocacy group Welcome Home Coalition recently released a report about causes of homelessness and policy recommendations, including the need for increasing the supply of affordable housing, providing wrap-around services, and including impacted communities in decision-making and planning.
I hope that this process underlines the need for an improved partnership between Mayor Wilson’s office and City Council – councilors, community groups, and the public should be pulled more fully into the planning and decision-making process for supporting our unhoused community members. That’s the only way we will truly make progress on ending unsheltered homelessness. Let’s continue to work toward building public trust and strengthening honest policy debate. I look forward to the next TAO discussion at the City Council meeting on Thursday, November 20.
A bright spot for me at Wednesday’s meeting was the advancement of an ordinance I co-sponsored with Councilors Morillo and Green prohibiting price fixing in the rental market. The ordinance addresses the unfair use of algorithmic software, which is directly linked to renter affordability. The Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the State of Oregon have all taken legal action related to pricing algorithms for rental units, and cities including San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Seattle have passed similar local ordinances. This legislation strengthens protections for renters, especially low-income folks, people of color, seniors, and people with disabilities who are at risk of homelessness, and protects fair market competition in Portland’s housing market. I’m proud that it is closer to passing, and optimistic that it will be another step toward making Portland more affordable. The final vote will be held at City Council’s meeting this Wednesday, November 19.
Joint Work Session with Multnomah County Commissioners on the Homelessness Response Action Plan
On Thursday, City Council held a Joint Work Session with Multnomah County Commissioners on the October 2025 update of the Homelessness Response Action Plan. The meeting gave me an opportunity to learn more about my County Commissioner colleagues’ views and approaches to homelessness, and to ask questions to staff working on the Action Plan. The discussion included important discussion of how our investment strategies would lead to more measurable change, and detailed the importance of investing in housing for Portlanders.
I pressed for more data on racial disparities and to understand how we are taking culturally appropriate approaches. I also called for more information on the actions being taken to address chronic homelessness among older adults. As the June 2024 Plan highlighted, people 65 and older are the fastest growing age group of people who experience homelessness, amd by 2030, without intervention, their numbers will triple. How we care for elders and vulnerable members of our community is so important to me. We need to do more to support older adults and to find ways for them to age in place and in community.
Supporting New Electeds
I was so excited for the opportunity to speak on a panel last Monday for newly elected officials across the nation! I talked about how the group Local Progress has helped me find policy expertise and build coalitions, and work with allies who are interested in similar causes. At a time when we are going to have to find creative and effective ways to stand up and resist a federal agenda determined to undermine working people, I’m grateful for these groups and the ways they help me better serve my constituents and our District 3 community.
Coming Up
World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
Portland’s World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims event will take place from 11 a.m. to noon this Sunday, November 16 at Luuwit View Park, NE 127th Avenue and Fremont Street. The event is hosted by Families for Safe Streets Portland (FSS) with support from sponsors Oregon Walks and The Street Trust.
I will be speaking at the event, and will continue to push for ways to make our streets safer through the Vision Zero program. Among other solutions, I am in support of continuous, semi-dedicated bus lanes on 82nd Avenue, and am working with partners at the state and local levels to support the full lanes being implemented. FSS recently put up memorial signs for every person who has been killed on 82nd Ave. Working together we can prevent more tragic deaths and injuries, while remembering those who have been victims of road traffic harm and the families and loved ones impacted.
Sunnyside Shower Project Open House
In July, I visited the Sunnyside Shower Project (SSP) and was so impressed by the compassion and creative solution-finding SSP represents. I wrote then, and still feel strongly now, that “In a time when we often hear about what’s not working, the Sunnyside Shower Project is a beautiful reminder of what radical neighborliness looks like – people listening, caring, and building something transformative together.” You can read all of what I wrote in my July newsletter.
This Sunday, November 16, the SSP is holding an open house from 3 to 4 p.m., and an interactive panel from 4 to 5 p.m. at 3520 SE Yamhill St. I am honored to be on the panel, alongside Hannah Wallace, SSP Founder and Sunnyside Neighborhood Association Vice President, and several other members of the program. I hope to see you there!
School Tree Planting at Vestal Elementary
Learning Landscapes and Depave will hold a school tree planting from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, December 13 at Vestal Elementary School. No experience is needed – tools, snacks, coffee and lunch will be included. You can sign up here to volunteer. |
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In the Media
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/11/13/homeless-camp-removal-sweep-portland/
Community Resources
MigraWatch Trainings and ICE Activity
Protect Oregon holds MigraWatch trainings to teach Portlanders how to recognize, report, and record ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) activity. There is one scheduled for tomorrow, November 15, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Portland Immigrants Rights Coalition has confirmed 329 arrests in Oregon in October, an increase of at least 550% compared to previous months. |
