Portland has taken a big hit since the beginning of COVID. We need to accelerate our work restoring the unique spirit that defines our special community and our reputation as one of the nation’s most livable cities.
Ending homelessness: Homelessness has multiple causes—including economic, mental illness, drug addiction, and criminal. I’ve worked with clients in the majority of these categories, and their reasons for ending up homeless differs substantially. To take people off the streets, we need to take a collaborative and integrated approach that addresses each of these root causes. We also need creative solutions such as more “tiny homes” with onsite medical and social services, and a stepping stone approach to permanent housing.
Revitalizing Portland’s economy: With more companies offering hybrid work arrangements, some are cutting costs by downsizing and moving to the suburbs. Others have moved out of Portland because of increased crime and theft. We must revitalize the downtown core by encouraging investments in high-quality jobs and developing tax incentives that spur economic development. We must also hire the police officers needed to protect retailers from shoplifting and theft.
Removing trash and graffiti: As a city, we must invest the funds needed to remove trash and graffiti on a regular basis. Mounds of trash have been littering Portland streets since the beginning of COVID, and graffiti complaints have grown sixfold. To make Portland a livable city, we must fix our fragmented sanitation system, while coordinating the removal of trash on an ongoing basis. We must also quickly cover over graffiti to discourage future taggers and restore the Portland Police Bureau’s graffiti unit to prosecute those who deface our city.
Restoring historical statues: Since 2020, several prominent statues—including statues of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt—were toppled or damaged and transferred into city storage. The Regional Arts and Cultural Council (RACC) should restore these statues. Removing them sends the wrong message both to city residents who need to understand our past and to the vandals who illegally damaged these landmarks. Rather than erasing our history, I believe RACC should add to it—by incorporating more statues that represent a diverse range of cultural identities and histories.
Make Portland a safe and affordable place to live
Every Portlander deserves a safe and affordable place to live, work, and thrive.
Getting drug use off the streets: While Measure 110, was filled with good intentions, it ultimately increased drug use and drug sales on the streets of Portland, making our city unsafe. I support the recent reforms to Measure 110. By restoring criminal penalties for the possession of drugs, we now have a way to steer users to treatment and recovery.
Increasing affordable housing: Although progress has been made since Portland declared a housing emergency in 2015, a lot of work remains to be done. I believe the best way to lift up Portlanders is to increase affordable housing across every neighborhood through inclusionary zoning. We should also consider innovate solutions to Increase our housing supply such as converting vacant office space into housing.
Expanding community policing: A militarized police force has no place in our community. We must adequately fund our police force, but we must also restore the personalized style of community policing first introduced by Mayor Bud Clark, in which police get to know their communities and forge relationships with neighborhood citizens to collectively identify and solve crime. This humane style of policing, which works to prevent criminal activity rather than react to it, wil forge the safe yet compassionate environment that Portlanders are proud of.
Prepare Portland for a prosperous future
Portland is at an inflection point; the foundation we lay today will have a profound impact on our livability of tomorrow.
Expanding transportation options: Last year, Portland rush hour commuters spent a full work-week stuck in traffic. This is unacceptable. As traffic congestion worsens, we must double down on efforts to build a vibrant alternative transportation system—extending light rail, improving bus service, and continuing to build out the bike and pedestrian paths that make Portland a great place to live.
Becoming more climate resilient: Over the past decade, Portlanders have lived through increasingly intense wildfires, heatwaves, and drought. There’s no time to waste as we combat climate change and increase our climate resiliency. We must accelerate our efforts to reduce carbon emissions across all sectors including buildings, transportation, and industry. We must also build the emergency centers needed for Portlanders to shelter during extreme events.
A thoughtful approach to planning: As Portland continues to develop, we must ensure new buildings preserve the city’s architectural heritage and majestic skyline, that buildings match the character of their surroundings, and that business and community functions are neighborhood-appropriate. And we must get the Portland Planning Commission back on track by offering clear land use and planning guidance that’s needed.
