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(He/Him) councilor.dunphy@portlandoregon.gov

Bluesky @councilordunphy Instagram @councilorjamiedunphy

A Message from Council President Dunphy:

Let’s talk about what happened on Wednesday night and the unspent housing dollars (a story in three parts)

Part one: The Background

The Housing Bureau has many dedicated funding sources, including the Landlord Registry fees, Short Term Rental fees, Transient Lodging Taxes, and funds from TIF districts like Gateway or Lents. They are collected at different times and in different amounts, and can only be used for specific purposes. Sometimes it takes years before there’s enough to meaningfully use. 

Those dollars accumulate until there’s about $20 million available. Then, they release a NOFA, or a Notice Of Funding Availability to get proposals from developers to build affordable housing.

Also, the Housing Bureau has had five directors in six years, including through COVID, where they received hundreds of millions of Federal relief dollars that were spent well, and benefited thousands of Portlanders. In the reporting process, some details were missed, and the City Council wasn’t informed about these funds as part of the budget last year. 

There were about $106 million that were not included in last year's budget. That does not mean they were lost, or that the City Council has $106m to spend.

Part Two: The Substance

On Wednesday, Council met for the third time to discuss these dollars. Every time we have met, the dollar amount has grown, but it has been less clear what those dollars can be used for. This has all been moving so fast that I couldn’t even get a briefing from the Housing Bureau until the day AFTER the City Council hearing.

Most of the Council wasn’t prepared to decide on the use of these dollars, so we postponed the vote. I have scheduled a Work Session with the Housing Bureau on Thursday March 5th to publicly present more information about these dollars, and work with the whole Council on how to use these dollars.

We will have funds to help renters, including rental assistance, eviction legal services, rent buy-downs, and shelter-to-housing assistance. We will have funds to support some affordable housing projects and to invest in Social Housing. And we will send funds to the General Fund to help us with next year's budget deficit.

Part three: The Protests

Portland is a protest city. Always has been. That’s a good thing.

On Wednesday night, a group of protestors loudly disrupted the City Council hearing, forcing us to reconvene virtually. A few individuals seriously crossed the line, and allowed passion and urgency to excuse bad decisions. Protestors were loud, exuberant, and angry. And from behind the dais, it genuinely scared some of my colleagues. There has been real violence against elected officials in recent months, on top of the regular death threats and promises of violence we all endure through emails and phone calls and social media.

I recognize the passion and genuine heartbreak in the protestors who want to help influence a situation that is absolutely out of control, and the need to find someone to hold responsible. I get that. 

But this group is deeply misguided in their demands, their refusal to accept the processes and limitations of a local government, and their unwillingness to listen to groups that actively work with immigrants and refugees.

I will work with the Administration to ensure a safe work environment for all employees in City Hall and for the public to meet with their City Council without being drowned out or threatened by a small but vocal group.

But let me be very clear: that does not mean more guns in City Hall. I think it might mean fewer guns in City Hall. More to come.

Policy Preview:

New President, New Committees

The first task I took on as Council President was proposing a restructuring of our committees. I met with each Councilor individually to preview a broad outline and understand everyone’s positions, priorities, and preferences. With this feedback, Vice President Olivia Clark and I drafted a proposal that met as many preferences as possible. It was a compromise that sets us up with a structure that is fair, balanced, and moves our city forward in a meaningful way.

This is not intended to be a permanent structure, but rather a response to the work we are doing in 2026, the needs of our community, and the interests and skills of members of this body. If this new system leads to dysfunction, delay, our burden on Council or the City, we will change it.

This new structure reduces the total number of committees from eight down to five, which means combining the focus of multiple committees into one.

Housing & Permitting:

• Maintains the original scope of the Homelessness & Housing committee, but includes additional issues around land use and permitting.

Public Works:

• Maintains the original scope of the Transportation and Infrastructure committee, including PBOT, Water, BES, and Parks.

City Life:

• Combines the Arts & Economy, Labor & Workforce, and Climate committee work, and will include issues related to life in Portland. This would include jobs, economic development, music, art, culture, worker and labor issues, climate change, and anywhere else the City of Portland can impact the experience of being in Portland.

Community and Public Safety:

• Focuses on the many efforts to make Portlanders safer, including prevention, intervention, and response; and the policies and priorities related to safety needs.

Committee of the Whole:

• Discusses topics that affect the whole City organization. It includes all 12 members of the City Council. Work areas include:

• Finance (except when Council sits as budget committee as per state law)
• Governance and Strategy
• City Appointments
• Government Oversight
• Federal Response
• The Committee of the Whole will also discuss issues that do not immediately fall into the area of work of another committee; issues that overlap between multiple committees; and any issues assigned to it by Council leadership.

Policy committees will run on alternating weeks on Tuesdays from 9:30a-12:30p, and again from 2:00p-5:00p. The Committee of the Whole will meet Thursday mornings from 9:30a-12:30p, with additional time blocks set aside for work sessions, executive sessions, or additional committee hearings as needed.

Full text of the resolution can be found here. 

If this new committee structure is failing to deliver the anticipated results, or is otherwise not serving the City Council well, we will fix it. I’ll be checking with all the Councilors in July to check in on how we all believe the new structure is going. If it’s not delivering results, then I do not care about the amount of process and effort that I have put into this proposal. 

We must have a City Council that functions. 

Dunphy in the Community:

Joint D1 Community Forum

I will be sharing the stage with both of my fellow District 1 Councilors at a City Club of Portland forum on Tuesday, March 10 at 6:30 pm at the IRCO Sokhom Tauch Community Center, moderated by Sophie Peel from the Willamette Week.

We did a similar event last year, and it was great to share updates on our work and to respond directly to audience questions. Please join us by using this registration link and invite your friends, colleagues and family to come as well! The event is free, but seating is limited so please register in advance. See you there!

Constituent Coffee of the Month!

Our next Constituent Coffee will be back at Parkrose Coffee on February 27th from 1:00PM-3:00PM! These events are intentionally casual to encourage open and meaningful conversation, so come as you are. Creating a space for open dialogue is one of the ways we can ensure every voice in District 1 is heard and reflected in our decisions.

Whether you have specific questions, ideas to share, or simply want to connect, this is a great opportunity to join the conversation.

Winter Lights Festival Comes to Parkrose!

February 6th marked the landing of Mechan 42: Space Explorer in the parking lot of Parkrose Hardware! This larger-than-life light-up robot has officially touched down in Parkrose and will be on display until March 16th, before continuing on to his next intergalactic destination.

This is the first official Portland Winter Light Festival display East of I-205! The launch party was hosted by Historic Parkrose in collaboration with a wonderful group of community partners, including my office. It was a magical winter evening filled with dazzling lights, giant bubbles, and the incredible tunes of the world-famous UnPresidented Brass Band, who you may remember dressed up as bananas in the No Kings march! Families, neighbors, and local businesses alike came together to celebrate the creativity, community, and bright spirit of Parkrose.

Mechan 42’s visit is more than just fun lights, it’s a reminder of the power of public art to bring economic opportunities, creative innovations, and shared moments right in the heart of our neighborhood. I’m so glad my office was able to sponsor this installation, and look forward to bringing more light and love to East Portland in years to come. If you haven’t had a chance to visit yet, be sure to stop by before March 16th to check out this out-of-this-world art piece for yourself!

Gateway Night Market

I had a blast at the Gateway night market hosted by Prosper Portland! I wasn’t even sure if I needed to write a piece about how great it was, or if I should just include this picture:

There was live music, great food, and an amazing community to share in the fun times. Despite the rain, I had a blast chatting with friends, eating good food, and dancing to live music while shopping local vendors. I’m looking forward to supporting future activations done by and in partnership with Prosper Portland, as well as finding more collaborative ways we can support this amazing community during this terrible economic downturn.

Opportunities of the Month:

Childcare for Construction Program

Financial assistance for child care is now available for all registered apprentices and early-career journey workers in construction! Learn more and sign up.

The Child Care for Construction program is a partnership between Business Oregon and the Bureau of Labor andIndustries, fueling economic development by funding supports for the construction workforce.

Not in the trades? Help spread the word to parents who are! Become a vital link in our support network by sharing this information with your family, friends, and community, in-person or online.

Parkrose Educational Foundation Auction Night

Grab your tickets for an April 25th auction dinner hosted by Parkrose Educational Foundation! This lively evening isn’t just a great party, it raises money that directly supports schools in Parkrose. Every bid, every ticket, and every toast helps fund meaningful opportunities for local students.

Like many community events, the auction took a hit during COVID, with many longtime supporters aging or moving on. Now’s the time to build it back up, and we’d love to see new neighbors and longtime community members alike hanging out and bonding for a good cause!

Grab your tickets here, and be sure to follow the Parkrose Educational Foundation on Facebook for updates on the 2026 Auction!

Funding for Election Outreach!

Portland City Elections is preparing for the November 2026 election, and they’re inviting community partners to help lead voter education and outreach efforts across the city.

This election cycle, Portlanders will vote for City Councilors in Districts 3 and 4, as well as a new City Auditor. All races use ranked choice voting. To ensure voters feel informed and confident, City Elections is launching a Community Education Contracts Program to fund community-based, culturally-responsive organizations to provide voter outreach and ranked choice voting education.

Organizations do not need prior voter education experience to apply, and must remain impartial, factual, and nonpartisan. Awardees will receive standardized educational material, access to software for hands-on demonstration, culturally accessible resources and collaborative training opportunities.

Proposals are accepted from February 23rd through March 23rd, and will be awarded May 2026.

Up to $45,000 per contract will be awarded, and up to five organizations will receive full awards.

This is an opportunity to help shape a more informed, engaged electorate while ensuring all Portlanders understand how ranked choice voting works.

For full program details, application materials, and the Request for Proposals, click here! Let’s work together to ensure every Portland voter feels confident casting their ballot in 2026.

Black History Month

February is Black History Month, a time to honor the history, resilience, and leadership of the Black communities of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Portland’s Black History is deeply intertwined with perseverance in the face of systemic racism. The Black Exclusion Laws of the 1800s prohibited Black people from living, working, or owning property in the state, and these laws laid the foundation for generations of discriminatory policies that shaped how Black families could live, work, and earn in Portland.

During World War II, thousands of Black workers were recruited to work in the shipyards. Many settled in Vanport, a wartime housing development located just outside the City limits of Portland. Because discriminatory housing practices made it nearly impossible for Black families to secure housing elsewhere in the city, Vanport became one of the few places people found a home. This effectively functioned as a highly segregated community along the Columbia River.

On May 30th, 1948, the Vanport Flood devastated the area. The community’s 18,500 residents had around 35 minutes to escape, an unimaginable feat. Thousands of Black families were displaced in the disaster, many of whom faced difficulty finding housing in Portland due to redlining practices. For decades afterward, North Portland was the only area where many Black Portlanders could find a home.

Hispanic Small Business Support

Hispanic-owned businesses are facing severe and compounding economic pressures under our current political climate. Many small business owners report sales declining up to 60% due to rising operating costs, decreased consumer activity, and fear tied to immigration raids across Portland. It’s created sustained losses for businesses that have led to temporary or permanent closures for many hardworking folks.

For those striving to keep their doors open, the situation is increasingly unsustainable. Some owners have reduced prices as much as 80% in an effort to put food on their family’s table. While measures like this may provide short-term relief, the long-term implications are significant.

Revenue loss at this scale means people will lose their jobs, neighborhoods will suffer, and all our hard-won progress may be lost. Despite these challenges, workers and business owners continue to prevail everyday under immense stress and uncertainty. While this resilience is inspiring, it cannot substitute meaningful support.

Our small businesses are the backbones of our neighborhoods, and standing with them during this period of uncertainty is a commitment to economic equity and opportunity. Organizations like the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber are witnessing these impacts in real time through their direct work with hundreds of businesses each year.

The Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber offers many services, including No-Cost Small Business Development Assistance, a Latino Leadership Program, a Latino Scholarship Program, and a Hispanic Business Directory. Here are just a few examples of businesses that could use support across D1:

• NENE'S Childcare & Learning Center | Youth & Family Services
• Casa Nido LLC | Youth & Family Services

• Tino's Taco Shop | Food & Beverage
• Music with Lynn | Fine and Folk Art
• globalgoods4Less | Business
• Grissy Cleaning | Cleaning services
• MR Drywall LLC | Construction
• MC Enterprise 1 | Construction
• Heat Relief Heating and Cooling Company | Construction
• Embold Credit Union | Finance services

Now more than ever, our Hispanic business community needs visible, tangible support. We must continue advocating for policies and investments that provide real relief and long-term sustainability for small businesses facing disproportionate harm. Economic resilience does not happen by accident. It requires partnership, community commitment, and intentional action.