Dear Portlanders,
Another busy month, let’s dive right into it!
Candace in Community
Community Board for Police Accountability (CBPA) recruitment closes on 4/14
The CBPA can make recommendations about Portland Police Bureau practices, policies and directives, with a focus on community concerns. The CBPA will:
- Work with the Office of Community Police Accountability to investigate reported misconduct of Portland Police officers and their supervisors
- Review cases promptly, fairly and impartially
- Impose appropriate discipline Make recommendations to Police Bureau regarding police practices, policies and directives
Candace Call to Action: Apply here by April 14.
Constituent Days
Starting last week and forward, I will be spending Fridays in District 1, meeting with constituents, hosting office hours at the Midland Library, and walking through each neighborhood one at a time! I’m carving this time to connect directly with YOU, whether it’s meetings with constituents, local businesses, community groups, or simply knocking on your door to hear what’s on your mind. I am holding office hours Fridays from 11am – 1pm on the following constituent days at the Midland Library. You can reserve time or drop in.
Candace Call to Action: Request a meeting with me here.
District 1 Townhall
You're invited to an engaging virtual town hall with all three City of Portland District 1 Councilors—myself, Councilor Smith, and Councilor Dunphy this coming Saturday, April 12 from 10-12pm.
This is your opportunity to hear directly from your councilors, ask questions, and share your thoughts on the key issues impacting our community. All District 1 residents are encouraged to attend and be part of this important conversation!
Candace Call to Action: Click here for more information and Zoom link.
Connect with Candace Town Hall Recap
On Saturday, March 22 I hosted Connect with Candace, a District 1 town hall to meet my constituents, share my policy priorities, and hear feedback on what is most important to District 1. We had robust conversations and interactive activities. For those unable to attend in person, an online survey mirrored the in-person conversation, allowing broader community participation and input. We heard from over 90 people! There were many priorities identified that will help me further refine policy concepts to share back with all of you.
Candace Call to Action: Be on the lookout for a full report that goes into details, coming soon.
Candace at Work
I'm Hiring!
I'm thrilled to announce that I am hiring a full-time Communications Manager to join my team to provide strategic communications that help advance and promote my policy priorities and constituent engagement. The ideal candidate must understand strategy and be able to react quickly in a fast-paced political environment. Of critical importance is the ability to plan, develop, and execute high quality videos in a timely manner. Applications should be submitted by April 14 at 11:59pm but they will be reviewed as they are received so the deadline will be extended if needed. Learn more and apply here.
Candace Call to Action: Apply here by April 14!
Social Housing Lets Goooooo
At the latest City Council Meeting on April 2, I was the Chief co-sponsor of a resolution to explore social housing as a potential solution to our city’s ongoing housing affordability crisis. The resolution received a lot of positive public comment and was passed unanimously by all council members. What a win! The resolution will direct the City Administrator to study alternative social housing models— including new financing and ownership structures—and deliver a comprehensive report by May 2026. Importantly, the resolution has no fiscal impact.
Social housing refers to housing owned and managed by public or non-profit entities, with a strong emphasis on long-term affordability and community benefit. It’s clear that the current approach to housing is not working—we need bold, innovative thinking. It’s time to try something new.
Ban on Rental Price-Fixing
City Council heard an ordinance that I support, sponsored by Councilor Morillo, that will prohibit the sale and use of algorithmic devices that use private data to set rental prices. This was discussed at the April 2 and April 3 City Council meetings and the ordinance will have a second reading on April 16. Thank you to everyone who came out to testify in support of these important protections against practices that cheat renters out of paying fair rents.
Statement on Recent Expansion of Portland Street Response
Last week, alongside Councilors Green, Kanal, and Morillo, I released a joint statement welcoming the recent changes to Portland Street Response (PSR) as a major step forward in supporting Portlanders experiencing mental or behavioral health crises. These changes—which allow PSR to respond inside public buildings and transport individuals to services—reflect years of community advocacy.
While these are positive steps forward, I remain committed to PSR’s original mission and will continue advocating for long-term investment in its future. That is why I am a Chief co-sponsor, along with Councilors Kanal and Morillo, on a resolution to fund PSR as a 24/7 co-equal branch of our emergency response system. Be on the lookout for this resolution to be on the Community and Public Safety agenda on April 22.
Candace in City Hall
Homelessness and Housing Committee
This week’s committee meeting will include a discussion with city staff about the City of Portland’s Housing Production Strategy. This is an important conversation to help committee members understand our goals and commitments to building more housing but also learn about the challenges and risks to reaching those goals. This is also an important foundation to my vision to create a unified housing plan. Please tune in to learn more about this vision and our long-term housing goals! In addition, we are holding 20 minutes at the beginning of the meeting for people to testify on any housing issues they want the committee to be aware of.
Candace Call to Action: Please sign up to testify here and learn more about the agenda here.
Climate, Resilience, and Land Use Committee
At our latest committee meeting, we heard presentations about the City’s long-term plans and goals on our grid decarbonization, building electrification and transportation electrification. We also received an update on the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund, which included an overview of the Climate Investment Plan, their funding commitments through June 2029 and their FY2025-2026 budget. At this week’s April 10 committee meeting we will recommend appointments to the Urban Forestry Commission, discuss additional revenue, and have a presentation on C40 Cities Climate Leadership efforts.
Finance Committee
At this week’s committee meeting we met to review and adopt rates, charges, and fee schedules for a series of charges related to water, sewer, and stormwater. In addition, we also discussed the Transportation Fee Schedule, and the Portland Permitting & Development fee schedules.
Budget Update & Next Steps
Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve attended all four district budget listening sessions. Thank you to everyone who showed up and sent testimony. I’ve had the opportunity to hear directly from you and hear what’s important to you. You can still send testimony using this form and take this priority survey. On April 16, we will begin a series of work sessions on draft budget recommendations. See a full timeline on the budget and get more information here.
Candace Call to Action: Please submit public testimony on your budget priorities.
Upcoming Meetings
Here you can find all the upcoming City Council and committee meetings. The City Council meets the first and third week of the month. Committee meetings meet on the second and fourth week of the month. All meetings are held virtually via Zoom and in-person at City Hall.
In solidarity,
Councilor Candace Avalos