Fall Updates from HD 48

 

Fall Updates from House District 48

Xin chào và Chào mừng đến với House District 48

Hello friends and neighbors,

I hope everyone is doing well and has a chance to rest after this hectic, stressful election season. I am certainly glad to have a break—and am incredibly proud that you’ve chosen me to represent HD 48 for another 2 years. Regardless of how you voted this year, I promise to lead us forward together. Now is the time for us to strengthen our community relationships, care for each other, and regularly check in on our neighbors and loved ones.

It’s been several months since I’ve reached out, but now that the legislative blackout period has lifted, I wanted to provide some updates on what I’ve been up to (besides campaigning) for the last 60 days. Going forward, you can expect to see regular updates via social media and newsletters from my office.

As my office prepares for the 2025 legislative session, we welcome your input and participation in the legislative process. If you have thoughts on legislation or need help with a state agency, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. You can find our contact information at the bottom of this newsletter, as well as information on our social media, newsletter, and other ways to engage. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Chronic Absenteeism Workgroup

As I have written before, my primary focus this interim has been addressing Oregon’s chronic absenteeism crisis. I’ve convened a workgroup with former educator Senator Suzanne Weber (R-Tillamook) that will continue to meet until the 2025 session begins. Over the past several months, we’ve heard from administrators, parents, educators—even students themselves—on strategies that improve attendance rates. Partnering with the Governor’s office and ODE, I will be introducing several bills during the upcoming session aimed at keeping students in the classroom. First, we must ensure that every school district around Oregon has more accessible, periodic attendance data tracking capabilities. Once that data infrastructure is in place, we need to support schools as they develop the appropriate plans to respond to that data in real time.

Early numbers from the previous school year suggest that Oregon is seeing a modest rebound from its post-pandemic attendance lows. I was encouraged to read this article in the Oregonian this week detailing how attendance rates are on the rise across the state. While chronic absenteeism rates remain much too high, I’m hopeful that with targeted interventions and district-wide coordination, this rebound will continue. There’s lots of work still to be done as we work toward that goal, and I’m proud to bring my experience as an educator to these critical conversations. 

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Childcare Alliance

I continue to co-lead the Legislative Childcare Alliance with Rep. Jules Walters (D-West Linn). The alliance works to bring together the expertise and advocacy of lawmakers, labor unions, businesses, and other community partners to increase equitable access to quality and culturally relevant childcare. As we prepare for the 2025 session, the alliance will be identifying key legislative priorities that align with these values and protect childcare workers across our state. I am proud to lead this effort and ensure that working families have access to this critical, fundamental resource. Please keep an eye out for updates in coming newsletters on the specific legislation the Alliance will be supporting during the 2025 session.

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Fall Highlights 

Office of Emergency Management Tour

Earlier this fall, my office had the opportunity to tour the Office of Emergency Management’s Emergency Coordination Center. We were lucky enough to tour during OEM’s “IronOR24” statewide emergency exercise, a four-day simulation designed to test the state’s expectations and capabilities in responding to the looming Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake. From advanced emergency communications capabilities to improved operations mobility in case of building failure, our disaster relief capacity has increased significantly since OEM’s Cascadia Rising simulation in 2016. I’m incredibly impressed by the Agency’s coordination with state and local partners and feel heartened by our ability to respond to an event like the Cascadia earthquake. 

While I have faith in our resiliency systems, help may still be several days away in case of a severe disaster. If you haven’t already, I urge you to register for local emergency alerts and make sure your family has a plan in case of an emergency. You can learn more on OEM's preparedness page, including how to build an emergency kit so your family can leave at a moment’s notice.

Berry Ranch Apartments Groundbreaking

Last week I had the honor of speaking at the groundbreaking event hosted by ROSE Community Development and Mercy Housing in our district, at SE Powell and 111th Avenue. This coming spring, Berry Ranch Apartments will open 50 affordable housing units near Earl Boyles Elementary School. The project will help keep low-income families close to the school and its incredible early learning center, as well as the jobs and essential services that make the Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood thrive.

Affordable housing projects like these profoundly impact our low-income communities, offering stability to families at risk of being displaced by escalating housing costs. The Berry Ranch apartments also embody the transformational potential of a collaborative approach to housing; ROSE CDC partnered with Community Vision to ensure the construction of accessible units for folks with disabilities and with the Baby Booster Initiative to connect families with children under 2 to new units. I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the partners, supporters, and community members who made this project a reality. I’m thrilled to have so many community organizations in my district committed to fighting together for working families.

Tour of the New Clackamas County Courthouse

I also had the pleasure of touring Clackamas County’s new courthouse project last week, which is moving forward on schedule to be completed in May of 2025. The new building is a much-needed upgrade over the existing courthouse, which was built in 1936—when Clackamas County had a population of less than 50,000 people. Once completed, the replacement courthouse will have 16 courtrooms, secure holding cells, and expanded space for critical county services. The building also includes important seismic and environmental sustainability upgrades that will lead to substantial long-term cost savings. I’m incredibly proud of the way that local and state leaders brought several funding sources together to make this project possible. This is exactly the kind of cooperation that will serve us well as we tackle the most pressing issues facing our communities.

Eastside Timbers Annual Dinner

This past weekend, our office had the pleasure of attending the Eastside Timbers’ Dinner and Auction fundraiser, where we celebrated the vibrant community that supports youth sports in the Eastside of Portland. A special thank you to Butch Pollard (photo below) for his dedication to serving the youth in our community - your efforts truly make a lasting impact. I am also proud to announce that I will again be sponsoring the organization’s funding request during the 2025 session to complete construction on a vibrant community space serving Gresham and East Portland. The new Sports and Community Events center will be home to youth sports events, business conferences, and ongoing youth services. I’m hopeful that we can secure state investment in this widely impactful project and help the organization finish construction! Together, we can continue to foster opportunity and connection through sports.

Butch Pollard, with my Chief of Staff, Sam, and House District 50 Representative Ricki Ruiz (D - Gresham)

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Resources

Mental Health Resources

With winter approaching, reduced daylight hours can have a negative impact on our individual and collective mental health. If you or someone you know is struggling and needs help, there are several resources available. Oregon’s 988 crisis hotline is available for 24/7 crisis support via phone or online chat. You can also contact your local Community Mental Health Program to find behavioral health, mental health, and addiction support.

Higher Education Scholarship Opportunities

I highly encourage all current and future students pursuing a postsecondary education in 2025-26 to apply for grants and scholarships through the state website OregonStudentAid.gov. This month, the HECC Office of Student Access and Completion (OSAC) officially opened the OSAC Scholarship Application for the next academic year. The State of Oregon has made accessing scholarships easy for Oregon students with its central site for more than 600 scholarships. Through the application, students can apply for several awards at one time. Those who submit their scholarship application by the early bird deadline of February 18, 2025, will have the chance to win a $1,000 scholarship, and the final deadline is March 3, 2025.

Health Insurance Enrollment Assistance

The Oregon Health Authority recently announced that it will offer free enrollment help to Oregonians who qualify for Medicare or buy insurance through the federal marketplace. Open enrollment for Medicare lasts through December 7, and if you’re one of over a million Oregonians who needs health insurance, the state has trained specialists that can help you navigate the enrollment process. Whether you’re renewing your coverage or applying for the first time, you can learn more about this support here or call 800-699-9075.

Benefits Assistance

While inflation is falling, basic goods are still too expensive for many working families. If you need bill assistance, the Oregon Law Center’s Public Benefits Hotline can help you identify the state and federal resources you might qualify for. If you would like to learn more about benefits like Unemployment Insurance, TANF, SNAP (formerly food stamps), Social Security, and other programs, you can call 1-800-520-5292 Monday through Thursday.

For urgent needs like rent assistance, finding food, or getting help with utility payments, you can contact 211info by calling 211, texting your zip to 898211, emailing help@211info.org, or visiting 211info.org.

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Going Forward

That’s it for fall updates! As I said above, you can expect regular communication from my office now that the pre-election “blackout period” has lifted. Stay tuned for a newsletter next month and connect with our office via the social media platforms below. 

Thank you for reading and please stay in touch.

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Stay Connected! 

• Facebook @RepHoaNguyen
• Instagram @Rep.HoaNguyen
• Twitter @Rep_HoaNguyen
• TikTok @StateRepHoaNguyen

You can get in touch with me directly by visiting or connecting through: 

• My Legislative Website
• Email at Rep.HoaNguyen@oregonlegislature.gov
• Call our office at 503-986-1448
• Visit my office in the House Chambers on the fourth floor, H-473

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Trong cộng đồng,

In Community,

Capitol Phone: 503-986-1448

Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, H-281, Salem, OR 97301

Email: Rep.HoaNguyen@oregonlegislature.gov

Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/nguyen

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