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Hey Portland,
It’s finally feeling more like autumn in our city: the leaves are starting to turn red and gold, the days are getting shorter, and yes, the rain is back, too.
September has been another busy month in City Hall, with proposals related to the Keller and PSU performing arts venue moving forward, our first of many renters’ feedback forums in the Housing Committee, and long debates about Zenith and the Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub. I’ve been busy in community too: I’ve been knocking on doors in Parkrose Heights, Glenfair, Sumner, Powellhurst Gilbert, Hazelwood, and Mill Park during Constituent Days!
Before we get into my month, I want to make sure that you have the District 1 Office Warming Party on your calendar for Sunday, October 18, from 1 PM - 3 PM! Council President Dunphy and I can’t wait to welcome East Portlanders to our joint office in Hazelwood. There will be food, games, fun, and plenty of good conversations to be had.
 District 1 Office Warming Party with Councilors Dunphy and Avalos
Sunday, October 18, 1 PM - 3 PM
305 NE 102nd Ave, Portland, OR
Candace Call to Action: RSVP to reserve your spot and learn more about the event schedule here!
Candace at Work:
- Our resolution to stop data center NDAs passed!
- The Climate & Health Standards is coming to Housing Committee
- Unified Housing Strategy Update
Candace in Community:
- Constituent Days and door knocking
- Checking in with Don and Parkrose Local Grocery
- Transit Matters Conference
Candace at City Hall:
- Housing and Permitting Committee
- City Life Committee
- Committee of the Whole
East Portland Stories and Happenings
- I have a new Spanish-only Facebook page! Acabo de crear una nueva página de Facebook completamente en español.
- Reminder: ODOT’s closure of all I-5 southbound lanes near the Rose Quarter area, 24/7 continues in October, with work on track to wrap up by Oct. 16.
- The Portland Housing Bureau is holding Rental Education Week from 10/5 -10/9!
- I shared my concerns about the ongoing Moda negotiations with KOIN.
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On October 1st, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, APANO is holding a Community Open House to shape the future of an open lot at the SE corner of SE 89th Avenue and 90th Place at Orchards of 82nd.
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On October 7th, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival at Midland Library (805 SE 122nd Avenue, 97233)!
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On October 17th, 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM, join Urban Forestry at Harrison Park (1931 SE 84th Avenue, 97216) with APANO for Arbor Day in the Jade!
- Hear more about what renters shared during our first-ever renters feedback forum.
Candace at Work
Our resolution to stop data center NDAs passed!
Portland City Council banded together to pass our resolution that urges the City Administrator to not sign data center non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), tell City Council of any potential data center deals, and make sure data centers are considered through public processes.
Data centers can create massive demands on electricity, water, land, and infrastructure, and Portlanders deserve to be in the know if a developer is trying to build one in our city. Our resolution to prevent broad NDAs for data center developments sets the expectation that these decisions get made in the open and with the public at the table.
This is just the first step: as councilors, we need to continue to pursue strong protections and accountability for data centers. That’s why the resolution also says that City Council intends to pursue a moratorium or zoning restrictions on all hyperscale data centers (the ones you probably hear the most about) and will pursue additional approaches for large-load data centers.
Thank you to all the Portlanders who added their voice to our conversation and all the community members who continue to push us to do more. Let’s keep going.
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The Climate & Health Standards is coming to Housing Committee!
 Oregon is reaching the end of one of the most destructive wildfire seasons in state history, we’re still in the middle of historic drought, and this is just the preview of what to expect if we don’t get a handle on climate change. Meanwhile, utility costs continue to rise and eat into household budgets that are already stretched thin: the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) just asked to raise rates by 6%.
The Climate & Health Standards (C&HS) recognizes that Portland must do our part to reach our climate goals and reduce harmful carbon emissions, AND that we need to improve the livability of homes for tenants residing in our largest multifamily buildings. Because too often, the residents exposed to the most pollution and who struggle the most with their energy bills tend to be low-income and environmental justice communities. These are the communities that call East Portland home.
C&HS builds on the City's existing Commercial Building Energy Program and state guidelines by creating:
- Multifamily residential annual energy reporting
- Minimum carbon performance standards
- Climate and health information and transparency for tenants
By pairing clear carbon emission performance standards with real-world data and public investment, we can improve health, affordability, and climate resilience for Portlanders.
And at our 10/6 Housing and Permitting Committee meeting, we’ll be holding an informational presentation to get an overview of current work related to the Climate and Health Standards. I’ve invited panelists from City and Multnomah County staff working on climate and sustainability, community advocates, and current and former elected officials from other jurisdictions who have championed building performance standards.
I hope you’ll tune in to our committee meeting! This isn’t the last time we’ll be talking about C&HS: Keep an eye out for your chance to testify at the 10/20 Housing and Permitting meeting.
Unified Housing Strategy Update
In August 2025, Council President Dunphy and I led the passage of the Unified Housing Strategy (UHS) to create Portland’s first comprehensive roadmap for all programs, policies, and resources related to housing. This isn’t just another plan: it’s about taking what we’ve already created, what we’re already doing, and making sure those efforts are aligned with the actual need in our City. UHS is also about holding the City accountable and setting clear and measurable goals for the bureaus.
Portland has enough housing plans. Where we’ve lacked is in the follow through and follow up.
In Phase I of the work, staff reviewed over 20 strategic plans and catalogued more than 200 actions, goals, and policies related to UHS.
In Phase II, staff worked with the Council, Mayor and me to further refine the inventory, identify new strategies, and agree to a smaller set of high-priority action items.
Out of that Phase II work, we came to four goals:
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Goal 1. Produce new housing: Add 20,000 new residential units across all housing types and income levels, permitted by 2033 and built by 2035
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Goal 2. Sustain existing housing: Preserve 1,400 units of existing affordable housing by 2035
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Goal 3. Innovate production, preservation, and stabilization: Implement strategies adopted by City Council from the 2026 Social Housing Study to increase the supply of non-market housing options and next-generation housing strategies
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Goal 4. Secure long-term, sustainable funding: Use the City's political will and influence towards the development of new revenue streams and examination of existing city resources to fund construction and preservation of housing
In Phase III, we’re giving the floor to Portlanders: we want to hear what you’ve been experiencing, and what you think we should prioritize. Staff and I have already been holding conversations with people who work in housing, but ultimately, they’re helping us understand what's feasible. They can’t help us understand what’s important to you.
This October, the City will be holding community discussions in each council district to get your perspective on UHS and housing in general as part of our Phase III work.
Candace Call to Action: Save the date! Join us at a Community Roundtable in your neighborhood:
District 1: October 13, 6 - 8 pm
District 2: October 27, 6 - 8 pm
District 3: October 20, 6 - 8 pm
District 4: October 17, 9 - 11 am
Locations will be announced soon. Food, childcare, and interpretation services will be provided at each event.
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Candace in Community:
Constituent Days and door knocking
 East Portland, Constituent Days are back! Constituent Days is a seasonal program where I take time each week to really get to know a different neighborhood and the neighbors in the area. These days are spent meeting with community groups and businesses, stopping by local parks, holding meetings at the D1 district office, and knocking on your doors.
So far, I’ve been door knocking in Parkrose Heights, Glenfair, Sumner, Powellhurst Gilbert, Hazelwood, and Mill Park. I’ve visited Glenfair Elementary, Glenfair Park, Gateway Breakfast House, Broughton Beach, and Merrifield Park. I’ve also attended Neighborhood Association meetings in Parkrose Heights, Sumner, and Mill Park!
At each and every door and with each conversation, I learn something new that I can bring back to City Hall.
For example, in Parkrose Heights, we checked out a streetlight at 108th and Weidler that’s been knocked down for YEARS according to one neighbor. Just this week, PBOT replaced the streetlight! That’s exactly how it should work when community speaks up.
 In Glenfair, I heard from neighbors that they don’t even feel comfortable biking with their kids around the block because of speeding cars and the lack of sidewalks. I’m now asking for a speed study on SE 151st Avenue and NE 91st Avenue after what I experienced in the neighborhood.
These seem like simple fixes. But for East Portland communities, who haven’t always had a voice in City Hall, this is what it looks like when power is shared - and most importantly – felt by working people.
I want to know: anything I should check out in your neighborhood? Is there a favorite restaurant I should go to for lunch, long unresolved problem on your street, or park that’s a hidden gem? Feel free to send me an email!
Checking in with Don and Parkrose Local Grocery
 If you’ve been following me on social media, reading my newsletter, or talking with your friends and neighbors, you probably know Don McKeever! Don is leading the effort to open the Parkrose Local Grocery (after the Grocery Outlet was forced to close). On a sunny Friday in September, I checked in with him to see what’s the latest on the project (including an opening goal of mid-November!) and how our community can continue to help. The following interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Candace: First, I am happy to announce that my office has donated $8,000 to help with standing up our new grocery store in Parkrose. So, tell me about the impact of that investment?
Don: Its impact is gigantic. We have the hard costs covered, the soft costs - getting the lease, the security deposit, paying wages before we actually start sales and taking in money – that's an enormous amount. Beyond that, we wanted to thank you for all the other support you've given us. It contributes to the store. It contributes to job security in the community.
Candace: I’m very grateful to you, too, for access to food that you're giving East Portlanders, and how you’re making this a community effort. So, tell me a little bit about the fundraising and how that’s going?
Don: Fundraiser is super! I wanted to thank everyone for their love and their support. I always had a high sense of responsibility, but with everybody donating and meeting our goals, that just gives me even a higher sense of responsibility to really make this a community store. I want this store to be a community asset, that everybody feels that they're part of, that belongs to everybody.
Candace: Tell me about what's going on with the store opening and what's the latest?
Don: We've gotten a lot of work done. We've gotten things lined up for the new freezers, for the coolers, the new shelving. We got negotiations through with the POS system and the costs on the POS systems. We're still working on the lease and working diligently. And I'm hopeful that will be the breakthrough so we can get in and get to work on the construction and putting the store together.
Candace: It’s been so exciting to see the new concepts and I know community has had a big outpouring of support. Tell me about what that means to you and what can the community keep doing to help?
Don: Okay, that is really beautiful. Because I actually went through all my text messages and emails and I made lists of people like, “who wants to help paint, who wants to help stock shelves,” like everybody's contributing. And that, again, says that this is a community effort. It ain't just like one person or one group of people.
For community members looking to help, just keep giving us love and support on Instagram. Get the word out there on Facebook. What we do have now is a YouTube channel. I'm going to start doing more live videos and we'll put them up on YouTube so people can stay informed.
Candace: Well Don, I just want you to know that my office, the other D1 councilors, all of City Hall, frankly, and the community stands by you. So, what do you want to tell back to the community? What's the message you want to leave them with?
Don: I just wanted everybody to know, especially Councilor Avalos, Jamie Dunphy. They've done a wonderful job supporting me. They really do have interest in the community and the people living here. I know you did some canvassing, you went door to door. That shows a lot of effort to get to know the people, to get to know their needs and that you're really out there for the people contributing to the community, showing love. That you care, and then you take it to City Hall and you actually move things and you're a doer.
Candace: Thank you so much. One last question: When is the opening date?
Don: We're still working hard, getting everything together, but we're still shooting for mid-November.
Candace: Thank you so much for all of your hard work. Thank you to the community who has continued to support Parkrose. We are so excited to have some groceries in our part of town. Stay tuned!
Transit Matters Conference
Transit matters, especially for East Portlanders who can’t or don’t drive. It’s essential for neighbors to stay connected to their community, jobs, schools, and more. But what I’ve heard from constituents in D1 is that our current transit options don’t always align with how people need to move – for example, many lines are designed to take people downtown but people travelling to places within East Portland have fewer options.
At Division Midway Alliance’s Transit Matters Conference, we got to think bigger about our transit system and reimagine what transit could be in East Portland. I joined community members and local leaders like JT Flowers and DMA’s Executive Director Lisha Shrestha to explore how transit investments and programming shape public safety, placemaking, and local economic vitality.
This upcoming legislative session, state lawmakers will be crafting a new transportation package after they failed to pass a substantial bill last year. If transit matters to you, this is the time to let your state representatives know that we need to fund the bus (and the MAX, and the streetcar)!
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Candace at City Hall
Housing and Permitting Committee
At the 9/15 Housing and Permitting Committee, we heard an informational briefing about the City’s Mandatory Relocation Assistance (RELO) policy, 2022 policy recommendations from the Rental Services Commission, and received an update on the upcoming review of the City's tenant/landlord policies.
In 2017, in response to Portland’s rental housing shortage, continued rent increases of 10% or more, and concerns regarding displacement of Portland residents, the Council passed the RELO policy, specifically intended to support tenants who receive a no-cause eviction or rent increase of 10% or more within a 12-month period.
The key context is that RELO came before statewide rent stabilization. Portland developed it as an early local response to large rent increases and involuntary displacements. In November of 2022, the Rental Services Commission voted 9-0 to recommend two changes:
- Increasing the payment standard to reflect inflation along with actual rent changes and the current cost of finding a new home.
- Ongoing indexing of the payment standard over time.
Those recommendations haven’t been implemented. PHB is currently going through a broader landlord-tenant policy evaluation that includes, but isn’t limited to, RELO. Based on what comes out of the study, PHB might suggest further changes to the program.
I wanted to bring this briefing to committee because Mandatory Relocation Assistance has been in place for several years now, and both Portland’s rental market and the state regulatory environment have changed significantly since the policy was first adopted.
The fact that not as many tenants have used RELO in recent years is a flag that we need to look deeper at how the policy is working in practice. I’m interested in revisiting RELO and it’s one of the priorities I named in my 2025 End of Year Report. The rent is too damn high, Portlanders are struggling, and our constituents are looking to us as policymakers to make decisions to support them.
What’s been heard, what’s been moved:
Our next meeting of the Housing and Permitting Committee is on October 6th, from 2 – 5 PM.
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City Life Committee
At the 9/8 City Life Committee meeting, we had a wide-ranging conversation on climate action in anticipation of our 2030 deadline to reduce carbon emissions by 50% or more, compared to 1990 levels.
We touched on the status of the Portland Climate Action Plan and heard from industry, labor, environmental, youth advocates, and community leaders on their priorities for decarbonization and more.
I really appreciated that the conversation didn’t just focus on our goals, and that we actually got into what steps are needed to make meaningful progress. We’ve set these ambitious targets for our City, but we also need policies that are going to actually reduce emissions.
Another thread that came out of our conversation is that we shouldn’t have to choose between ambitious climate policy and goals like affordability, for example. The harder and more important work is to design policies that accomplish both.
I also have a personal connection to some of the Portland Clean Industry Initiative's work to reduce industry’s environmental impact that we heard about. In 2022, I had the opportunity to travel to Denmark to study industrial symbiosis and see firsthand how industry, government, and community can work together differently. Obviously, Denmark is a very different place than Portland, Oregon. But there are important lessons there, and I am encouraged to see that we’re evolving towards a broader partnership using what we took away from that learning trip.
There's also a larger lesson that we don't have to reinvent every climate solution ourselves. There are so many policies moving across the country that we can adapt here in Portland.
What’s been heard, what’s been moved:
Our next meeting of the City Life Committee is on October 13th, from 2 –5 PM.
Committee of the Whole
At the 9/16 Committee of the Whole meeting, we heard a presentation about the current financing structure for Fire and Police Disability and Retirement (FPDR) and potential alternative financing approaches. For those of you who care about our City budget or about how much you pay in property taxes, it’s worth getting familiar with FPDR.
Portland's FPDR pension system for firefighters and police comes straight from property taxes (not a standard practice). In fact, aside from FPDR, Social Security is likely the only remaining open pay-as-you-go pension plan in the US. Newer hires have been transitioned to the pre-funded state PERS system (for all Oregon public employees).
In FY 25-26, FPDR was the largest expense backed by property taxes out of all categories. As was discussed during the Committee meeting, there’s no easy answer for whether we should continue down the pay-as-you-go route or try to move towards a pre-funding model for FPDR. But you can be sure that FPDR will continue to come up at Council as we grapple with budget challenges.
What’s been heard, what’s been moved:
Our next meeting of the Committee of the Whole is on October 8th, from 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
East Portland Stories and Happenings
- I have a new Spanish-only Facebook page! Acabo de crear una nueva página de Facebook completamente en español.
- Reminder: ODOT’s closure of all I-5 southbound lanes near the Rose Quarter area, 24/7 continues in October, with work on track to wrap up by Oct. 16. For commuting tips, check out this PBOT page.
- I shared my concerns about the ongoing Moda negotiations with KOIN.
- The Portland Housing Bureau is holding Rental Education Week from 10/5 -10/9! Learn more here.
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On October 1st, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, APANO is holding a Community Open House to shape the future of an open lot at the SE corner of SE 89th Avenue and 90th Place at Orchards of 82nd. In 2018, the EPA-funded Greening the Jade report identified this lot as a potential park site because nearby residents have limited access to parks within walking distance. Metro is now considering how to develop the site to best serve the community.
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On October 7th, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival at Midland Library (805 SE 122nd Avenue, 97233)! There will be fun events with music, crafting, performances and more.
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On October 17th, 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM, join Urban Forestry at Harrison Park (1931 SE 84th Avenue, 97216) with APANO for Arbor Day in the Jade! This free event includes:
- Tree Planting (Get your free trees here!)
- Naito Community Trees Award and Tree City USA Awards
- Dance Performances
- Arbor Day Bike Bus with PBOT
- Tree-Themed Activities
- Tabling with Local Non-Profit Organizations
- Hear more about what renters shared during our first-ever renters feedback forum.
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In solidarity,
 Candace Avalos
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Traducción e Interpretación | Biên Dịch và Thông Dịch | अनुवादन तथा व्याख्या 口笔译服务 | Устный и письменный перевод | Turjumaad iyo Fasiraad Письмовий і усний переклад | Traducere și interpretariat | Chiaku me Awewen Kapas
Translation and Interpretation: 311
The City of Portland ensures meaningful access and reasonably provides: translation, interpretation, modifications, accommodations, alternative formats, auxiliary aids and services. To request these services, call 311 for Relay Service or TTY: 711.
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