Policy powered by community voices. See what we've passed, what we're working on, and how you can shape what comes next.
Active Policy Pipeline
Code Alignment Project 2 | Build more housing, affordably
Status:
Exploring
Summary:
When development-related codes get updated, we haven't always checked to see if the new code is in conflict or redundant with existing code. After years and years of updates, our current code is confusing and misaligned. That means longer construction delays and added costs for developers trying to build new housing and other buildings. The City is currently going through existing code and cleaning it up through the Code Alignment Project. I'm working on the 2nd package of updates with Councilors Dunphy and Clark.
Engagement Options:
TBD
Tenant Protections | Address homelessness by preventing it in the first place
Status:
Exploring
Summary:
The existing Mandatory Relocation policy needs reform to make sure it is still providing the best benefit to tenants. In addition, a Tenant Opportunity to Purchase policy will better enable tenants and the City to buy existing units which will help empower our social housing goals and prevent displacement.
Engagement Options:
TBD
Slow the Inflow into Homelessness | Address homelessness by preventing it in the first place
Status:
Introduced
Summary:
In November 2025, Council offices were alerted to the fact that the Rental Services Office found close to $21 million in unspent funds. The resolution I'm leading with fellow East Portland Councilors Jamie Dunphy and Loretta Smith establishes City Council's priorities for the allocation of those funds in the Mayor's proposed budget, with the vast majority going directly to renters in the form of rental assistance and emergency housing vouchers.
Full text HERE
Engagement Options:
TBD, will come to full council after it passed committee on Dec 9th.
Anti Displacement Framework | Address homelessness by preventing it in the first place
Status:
Exploring
Summary:
Capital investments and infrastructure projects, like building a new MAX line, often increase economic activity and livability in the surrounding neighborhood. But one drawback is that this can lead to longtime residents being priced and pushed out of their homes, leading to gentrification and displacement (like in N/NE Portland). The Anti Displacement Framework will help evaluate the potential of displacement in the planning stage of projects, so we can better mitigate any negative effects.
Engagement Options:
TBD
Continuing What We Started in 2025 | Build more housing, affordably
Status:
Underway
Summary:
We will continue the focus and momentum we've built on the Unified Housing Strategy (Phase 2) and the Social Housing Study. Both of these items need more work and development in the coming year to turn them from ideas into reality.
Engagement Options:
TBD
Expand Rose Lanes/82nd Ave | Make transit work for East Portlanders
Status:
Exploring
Summary:
Strategically giving dedicated space to buses makes transit faster, makes our streets safer, and helps us reach our climate goals. Portland has different versions of lanes that give buses priority, such as Rose Lanes. I'm interested in renewing our commitment to creating an actual network of fast, frequent buses, because current service is just too slow or disconnected for many Portlanders to make their daily commutes.
Engagement Options:
TBD
CHAT 24/7 | The right responder, at the right time, for the right reason
Status:
ExploringSummary:
Similar to our resolution to expand PSR, we need to commit funding for the Community Health Assess and Treat (CHAT) teams, so Portlanders have access to non-emergency health services 24/7.
Engagement Options:
TBD
Commercial Vacancy Fee | Use innovative TIF districts to help develop East Portland
Status:
Exploring
Summary:
Commercial units are left sitting empty across our city, and it's not always because landlords can't find tenants. Sometimes properties are left vacant for tax write-offs, and sometimes property owners refuse to lower rents to meet current market conditions. A vacancy fee on commercial properties that have been empty for a long time helps encourage property owners to rent out available units and can help activate the surrounding area.
Engagement Options:
TBD
HEART Standard | Healthy environments lead to healthy communities
Status:
Exploring
Summary:
The HEART Standard aims to update building codes to reduce energy costs for renters while increasing sustainability and climate resilience. HEART stands for Healthy housing, Equitable energy, Anti-displacement, Resilience, and Temperature. This is part of a larger body of work that started in 2020 to decarbonize buildings, led by the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS). I'm interested in leading the code change package that comes out of BPS's work with community to develop the HEART standards.
Engagement Options:
TBD
Workshop With Me [TBD]
Workshop With Me is a project my office is currently developing with the goal of opening up the legislative process to the community. You'll have a chance to shape City policy directly. Instead of showing up at the end of the process, you get to sit down with me and neighbors early on — with the draft ordinance, background info, and guiding questions in hand. Together, we'll refine the proposal so that when it goes to Council, it already reflects community voice.
I want to be clear: this is NOT just another town hall meeting. This is for East Portlanders to be true co-creators in City Hall.
We're still figuring out what the process looks like and what materials are needed to make Workshop With Me successful. Stay tuned for future updates!
Legislation Passed
Protect Portland Initiative | Public Safety
Date passed: October 2025
Final Vote Tally: 12-0
Summary:
The Protect Portland Initiative outlines the tools our city has to resist any deployment of armed forces or militarized immigration enforcement, helps local police officers stay focused on Portland's public safety needs, and provides City staff, contractors, and Portlanders with knowledge and resources if they interact with a federal agent.
Full text HERE
Sanctuary City Codification | Public Safety
Date passed: October 2025
Final Vote Tally: 12-0
Summary:
The ordinance puts Sanctuary City status into law, strengthening rules that prevent any City employees or resources from assisting any federal agency with immigration enforcement. It also requires the creation of policies, trainings, and resources to guide how the City must handle interactions with immigration enforcement agents - including officers in the Portland Police Bureau.
Full text HERE
Moving to Weekly Council Meetings | Governance
Date passed: September 2025
Final Vote Tally: 12-0
Summary:
Under the ordinance, Council meets every Wednesday at 9:30am except on the 3rd Wednesdays of the month, which are scheduled at 6:00pm. The previous council schedule created artificial limits on debate and public testimony. Moving to weekly council meetings is about meeting the expectations of the Portlanders who elected us to create a more open, effective, and responsive government that can solve the complex issues we're facing as a city,
Full text HERE
Community Impact:
No more second guessing - Portlanders know that they can offer their feedback and make their voices heard every Wednesday at City Council.
Unified Housing Strategy | Housing
Date passed: August 2025
Final Vote Tally: 11-1
Summary:
Portland is facing a deepening housing and homelessness crisis. Housing costs continue to rise faster than incomes, half of all renters pay more than 30% of their income on rent, housing production is lagging, and homelessness has increased. The Unified Housing Strategy will:
- Align all existing strategies—from homelessness to permitting to climate
- Consolidate work across departments;
- Set clear, measurable goals and actions;
- Reflect equity, community input, and urgency; and
- Coordinate housing supply with homelessness needs.
Full text HERE
Community Impact:
The final Unified Housing Strategy will come to council for approval by Spring 2026; a draft is due by December 1, 2025 to the Homelessness and Housing Committee.
Making Portland Street Response a Co-equal Branch | Public Safety
Date passed: June 2025
Final Vote Tally: 10-2
Summary:
A resolution to support and expand Portland Street Response (PSR) as a co-equal branch of the first responder system and establish the Portland Street Response Committee. Improving PSR means that Portlanders can receive the right responder at the right time.
Full text HERE
Community Impact:
Applicants for the Portland Street Response Committee, who will help shape the program's future, are currently being reviewed. Applications closed on October 27, 2025.
Social Housing Study | Housing
Date passed: April 2025
Final vote tally: 12-0
Summary:
A resolution to require the City Administrator to study alternative housing financing and ownership models and deliver a report of findings to Council. Social housing is a broad category of models where housing is owned and managed by the public or non-profit entities with a focus on affordability and community benefit. This could be a missing piece of our housing strategy, and I'm excited to see the results of the study.
If you want to learn more, check out our report back from Vienna, the gold standard of what social housing can look like.
Full Text HERE
Community Impact:
A comprehensive report is due by May 31, 2026.
FY 24-25 Budget Wins
- Parks Maintenance (Councilors Avalos/Morillo): $1.9 million added back to Parks to ensure access to clean, safe, and usable parks across District 1.
- Small Donor Elections (Councilors Morillo/Avalos): Restored funding for Portland's public campaign finance system, ensuring candidates don't need wealthy donors to run for office.
- Communications & Equity Protection (My budget note): Mandated unified strategic planning for community engagement services while protecting against harmful cuts.
- Addiction Recovery Housing (My amendment): $1.2 million in opioid settlement funds for addiction recovery beds serving our most vulnerable neighbors.
- Protecting Workers from Future Healthcare Cuts (My budget note) Directs the Mayor to set aside approximately $15M in contingency to prevent repeat benefit cuts in FY 26–27.
Current Priorities
Housing Justice
Livable communities are possible
Portland’s housing and homelessness crisis is not limited to downtown. It’s on every block in East Portland, yet City Hall focuses most of their attention in the downtown core. We are where most people go when they are priced out or swept out of other parts of the city. Instead of more empty promises, now is the time to take action. There is a path forward and we know what works: keeping people in their homes, offering a range of shelter options that meet different needs, and getting people housed quickly with supportive resources that will keep them stable. What we need most is a leader who can rally Portlanders together around proven solutions. I’m ready to step up to the plate.
- Build stronger pathways to homeownership.
- Address homelessness by preventing it in the first place.
- Build more housing, affordably.
- Housing first but not housing only.
- Decriminalize poverty and support our unhoused neighbors.
Transportation Justice
Modern infrastructure is possible
Navigating our city is a key part of daily life, but in East Portland it can be confusing and dangerous. Whether it be the lack of sidewalks and safe ways to cross streets, unpaved roads, or poor lighting, East Portlanders never got the improvements they were promised. Crumbling infrastructure isn’t just inconvenient, it’s costly and potentially deadly. Transportation systems are the connective tissue of society, and in East Portland those systems are on life support. We need to rebuild our infrastructure, not just repair it with bandaid solutions. Our kids deserve safe routes to school and for our streets to be prioritized for upgrades and improvements. We need to invest as aggressively on East Portland’s infrastructure as we do other critical issues. Transportation investments are good for everyday people, small businesses, and our growing East Portland community.
- East Portland deserves safe streets.
- Sidewalks are a vital lifeline for our community’s safety and well-being.
- Make transit work for East Portlanders.
Social Justice
Resistance is possible
Our city thrives when everyone—no matter where they come from, how they identify, or who they love—feels safe, valued, and empowered. Yet too many immigrants, refugees, and LGBTQIA+ community members face discrimination, barriers to opportunity, and even threats to their basic rights. While some leaders offer empty words of support, real justice requires action. We must ensure that every person has access to safe housing, fair wages, and protections from hate and violence. That means strengthening legal safeguards, expanding inclusive services, and fostering a city where diversity is celebrated, not just tolerated. Now is the time for bold leadership that brings people together and fights for a future where everyone belongs. I’m ready to stand up and make that future a reality.
- Protect immigrants and refugees.
- Protect LGTBQIA+ communities.
- Protect Portland from federal government overreach and intimidation.
Government Accountability
Functional government is possible
Too many Portlanders feel like Portland City Council is out of touch and not working to address the challenges they face everyday. With our new form of government, East Portland has a chance to elect champions that will keep the city accountable to deliver the services our communities need. We deserve to elect members of our own unique communities who understand the lived experiences of our neighbors, and can bring new diverse voices to the table where crucial decisions are being made for our future. The valuable time and energy community members give to our city when sharing their ideas, needs, and dreams must be honored with a response and action by our City’s leadership. As your champion in City Hall, I will make sure East Portland gets the investment and services it is owed, along with the robust constituent services needed to reflect our voices into the decisions we make for our collective future.
- East Portland needs a strong voice in city government.
- Communities need real opportunities to make decisions about their city government.
- Build pathways into city government careers with our youth for the future.
- Ensure the transition into our new government system succeeds.
Public Safety
Community safety is possible
The communities east of 82nd Avenue have the highest visibility of police but the least services provided. East Portland deserves a responsive and accountable public safety system rooted in what our communities need to be safe. While political talking heads and City leaders bemoan the challenges facing downtown, here in East Portland our neighbors have felt unsafe long before the pandemic exacerbated these challenges. While City Hall is focused on increasing tourism, East Portlanders are facing increased break-ins and gun violence without an immediate response when we need help. We need every tool at our disposal to ensure safety in our communities. I’ll prioritize expanding Portland Street Response, a program that assists people in crisis without the intervention of an armed police officer. When we modernize our public safety system to dispatch the right responder to the right call, we create a Portland where everyone feels safe.
- The right responder, at the right time, for the right reasons.
- Prevent crime, not just respond.
- Increase safety through mental health and addiction treatment services.
- Hold law enforcement accountable to build trust with residents.
Economic Justice
Economic opportunity is possible
Our city’s recovery hinges on the success of our small businesses through entrepreneurship and innovation, as well as the growth of union labor and workforce development. There are important and realistic steps we can take to get East Portland back on track after the very real challenges of the pandemic. We need a City Council that gives Portlanders clear pathways to economic mobility and good paying jobs. This includes supporting East Portland’s small businesses, creating more apprenticeships for young people and career changers to learn trades, and generating living wage jobs with City investments. There is a disconnect when the average Portlander can see the influence of big business interests in City Hall, but that influence is not felt across all businesses equally, particularly the small businesses that have made their home in East Portland. By prioritizing everyday Portlanders and working to decrease the stark wage pay gap, we can ensure that the affordability and livability of our city continues to be a cornerstone for how we grow.
- Small, local businesses are essential for East Portland’s economy.
- East Portland has economic assets. Let’s make them work for us.
- Unions are essential for a healthy democracy.
- Set up young Portlanders for success.
- Use innovative TIF districts to help develop East Portland.
Environmental Justice
Healthy communities are possible
The impacts of environmental injustice are increasing and strongly felt across East Portland. For decades the neglect and disinvestment have created urban heat islands; poor air quality; less tree canopy, green spaces, and parks; and a lack of infrastructure to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. The threat of deadly heat waves and wildfires gets worse each year and our communities need urgent solutions to strengthen our resilience and recovery. As the Executive Director of Verde, I’ve led a community-based organization that has actively saved lives installing cooling devices for seniors and vulnerable households in Portland. When voters approved the Portland Clean Energy Fund in 2018, we created an unprecedented opportunity to correct these historic injustices for communities on the frontlines of climate change. As a vocal environmental justice leader I have helped steer these critical dollars into our communities, and will bring that advocacy on behalf of East Portland directly to City Hall.
- Healthy environments lead to healthy communities.
Energy efficiency is the new frontier in the fight against climate change.
Submit an Idea [TBD]
The best policy ideas don't just come from think tanks or bureaucrats - they come from the community itself. My office is in the process of formalizing how we gather and evaluate your ideas, with the goal of having a open, transparent path for concepts to become real policy. We'll have more to share later, but what this might look like in practice is people filling out a form with questions intended to get a better sense of how refined a policy idea is. Our office could then review submissions using a set rubric to determine if the policy idea can move forward in the process, if it needs more work, or if it should be redirected to a different office or jurisdiction.
Keep your eyes out for when this form goes live!
