Leach Botanical Garden Town Hall
 On November 15th, my office hosted a town hall at Leach Botanical Garden. Thankfully, it didn’t rain that day and we were able to take in the trees and scenery as we discussed some very difficult topics.
Some folks expressed their concerns about the Morrillo 1 amendment. I want to be clear, we deserve clean streets free from needles and human waste. We all want clean streets and safe neighborhoods. But as I said earlier, we can have a clean, safe community and prioritize support and stability for some of our most vulnerable neighbors who are suffering and dying on our sidewalks and public spaces. When we displace people from one area without stable housing options, they don’t disappear. More often than not, when we sweep a homeless camp downtown or in inner Southeast Portland, those individuals are displaced into East Portland, worsening the conditions in the neighborhoods who have already been bearing the brunt of our failed response to homelessness, which is only getting worse.
It’s clear we need a different approach. This problem is unbelievably complicated, nuanced, and changing rapidly by the day. It’s an emotionally charged issue on all sides, but my bottom line is my deep dedication to saving as many lives as possible. I’m grateful to everyone who showed up, took notes, asked hard questions, and listened with care. It was powerful to see our community come together over issues this big in a place that reminds us what we’re all working toward.
Social Housing Course
This month, I taught a Continuing Education course at Living Room Realty on how social housing could work in Portland. I loved hearing people’s honest concerns and hopes for what a better housing system could look like. One question that comes up often is how long it will take to build something like Vienna’s model here at home. Now don’t get me wrong, Vienna has a 100 year head start on Portland. Portland will not look like Vienna in my lifetime. But there are many things that can be done today.
Vienna offers powerful lessons in community-focused design and intentional planning for the neighbors who are going to be living there. They base their policy and investments around the belief that there are “no bad neighborhoods”. Low-income neighbors, young families, older adults, and people at the beginning of their career live next door to higher-income residents. You can’t tell who lives in an “affordable unit”. Every building has access to thoughtfully designed green space. This combination of factors helps give Vienna residents a more fulfilling home environment, regardless of their income.
There were still signs of distress. We saw people sleeping on the streets, graffiti, and some drug use (though they really don’t have fentanyl the way we do). But far fewer people are suffering on the streets. And their system is equipped to deal with it effectively and affordably. Vienna spends about $266 per person on social housing, while Multnomah County spends roughly $628 per person and sees far worse outcomes.
Vienna’s social housing system is about more than just affordable homes. It’s about building communities that support both the individual and the community. I’m grateful I got to share these insights with realtors and with our broader community. I’m going to keep pushing for what Portland can accomplish today, tomorrow, and for generations to come.
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Dream Big Plaza
This month, my team and I visited the Portland Dream Plaza at SE 9th & Taylor. What was once an attractive place for RVs and homeless campers has become a community-run skatepark. Even in the rain, skaters were out there making the most of this special space. Portland is a skate town, and we need more spaces like this across the city.
Alex Murrell, founder of Dream Big City, launched this project to boost livability and strengthen quality of life for the neighbors. He’s worked tirelessly with City officials and community members to bring this plaza to life, spending his own time and money to make it a reality. I hope to bring that same energy into creating a similar community gathering space in District 1.
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If you’re interested in building something like this in your community, click here to learn more about an open call for plaza partners. This opportunity provides initial funding and supplies to create your very own street plaza. Whether you’re interested in a skatepark or a performance stage or a community garden or a pocket park, PBOT and the City will work with you to launch the perfect community gathering space.
You can contact the street plaza team directly at portlandstreetplazas@portlandoregon.gov, or you can reach out to my office directly at Councilor.Dunphy@portlandoregon.gov with any questions or for help with the application. Applications close December 1st.
The Portland Dream Plaza is a powerful example of what a community can build with a little time, a big dream, and a government that knows when to get out of the way and empower the community. I’m excited to support more spaces like this, and I hope you’ll consider dreaming up one in your own community. We are here for support every step of the way.
Untangling City-County Resources
The League of Women Voters hosted a virtual panel discussing the often overlapping City-County systems responsible for our regional homelessness response.
I was joined on this panel by three incredibly brilliant and dedicated professionals who are doing the hard work responding to this crisis, including Anna Plumb from Multnomah County’s Dept of Homeless Services, Scott Kerman with Blanchet House, and John Karp-Evans with the Peer Company. In this panel, we explored how the City of Portland and Multnomah County joint services are funded and structured, as well as how we can improve this system moving forward.
You can listen to the whole panel here. Understanding how these systems work is the first step toward making them better. I’m committed to continuing this work and advocating for clearer, more effective services for our community.
Building Energy Efficiency (BEE) Grant
This grant program supports small businesses and small (<40k sq ft) commercial building owners by providing funding for energy efficient upgrades that help reduce energy usage and cost, create health benefits, and increase overall resilience.
Parkrose Spark Loan Fund
This fund is managed by Historic Parkrose and provides up to $8,000 in interest-free loans to help small businesses within Parkrose grow, launch, and strengthen their operations. The Parkrose Spark Loan Fund is designed to support entrepreneurs by offering financial assistance, community engagement, and business development resources.
Join the Noise Review Board
Portland’s Noise Review Board helps keep the peace between neighborhood livability and noise.The board reviews requests for noise variances and advises City Council on sound-related policies on everything from construction to concerts.
Portland is looking for a new community member-at-large to serve a three-year term. It’s a great chance to help guide how Portland supports community events and neighborhood livability.
Applicants from all backgrounds, neighborhoods, and experiences are welcome to apply. If you believe government works best when community voices are at the table, this is your chance to be part of the conversation.
Meetings occur via Zoom on the third Wednesday of every month from 6:00PM-8:00PM. Anyone who is passionate about the cause who lives or works in Portland can apply.
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