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Portland is a Sanctuary City

Councilor Dan Ryan's Accomplishments

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Portland Commissioner Dan Ryan at City Hall

In early 2021, Councilor Ryan pushed his colleagues on Portland City Council to identify and commit to acting on shared priorities—this led to Council elevating three priorities to guide the City's budget and policy decisions: compassionately address homelessness, develop a trustworthy new model for community safety, and stimulate economic recovery. Councilor Ryan has continued to address homelessness, build community safety, and strengthen Portland's economy while improving livability and building a municipal customer service culture throughout the City of Roses. Councilor Ryan invests in what makes Portland, Portland. 

Councilor Ryan launched the City's Safe Rest Villages initiative—now part of City Shelter Services—which currently serves as the regional model for outdoor shelter with wraparound services in the Pacific Northwest. 

In his time serving his hometown, Councilor Ryan has overseen the Portland Housing Bureau, the Bureau of Development Services (now Portland Permitting & Development), the Office of Equity & Human Rights, Portland Parks & Recreation, the Portland Children's Levy, the Office of Community & Civic Life, the Joint Office of Homeless Services, and the City Arts Program.

Homelessness

aerial view of Reedway SRV

Councilor Ryan builds and maintains bridges with his colleagues on Portland City Council, Multnomah County, state & federal delegations, and partners across all sectors to implement a regional approach toward homelessness that will get Portlanders the services they deserve. "Housing first" or "shelter first" is a false binary: Councilor Ryan believes we need to build permanent supportive housing, invest in shelters, provide wraparound mental and behavioral health services, innovate with alternative outdoor models, and keep the right-of-way safe for everyone in our City.

Learn more about Councilor Ryan's work addressing homelessness.

Community Safety

Commissioner Ryan at a Portland Fire & Rescue Ceremony speaking with two Portland Police Bureau officers in front of a Fire van and a bike lane.

Councilor Ryan championed formalizing Portland Park Rangers' role in the first responder network, invested in impacted community organizations to combat gun violence, supported the targeted increase of the Portland Police Bureau's Focused Intervention Team and unarmed officer program, voted to expand Portland Street Response, and advocated for comprehensive statewide mental and behavioral healthcare. 

Learn more about Councilor Ryan's community safety deliverables.  

Economic Recovery

Commissioner Dan Ryan addressing a crowd of Portlanders at the Keller Fountain with the Keller Auditorium in the background

Councilor Ryan knows the more quickly we can get small businesses, affordable housing units, residential improvements and modifications, new investments, and large-scale housing developments flowing, the more quickly we can rebuild our economy. That's why he led the Permit Improvement Task Force that created the Portland Permitting & Development initiative that will finally develop a high-functioning permitting process. He also knows that arts, parks, and families are what make Portland, Portland—Vibrant Communities drive Portland's economy. 

Learn more about Councilor Ryan's economic priorities.  

Livability

Commissioner Ryan and civic leaders shoveling a rainbow colored pile of dirt for the Darcelle Plaza groundbreaking.

Councilor Ryan oversaw Portland Parks & Recreation, the Children's Levy, established the City's Vibrant Communities Service Area, formed the City's Office of Arts & Culture, established the City's first World AIDS Day Proclamation, voted to expand abortion rights, and proudly serves as Portland's first openly HIV-positive elected official. Councilor Ryan works to expand arts access, empower culturally-specific organizations, and lift queer voices. 

Learn more about Councilor Ryan's livability work. 

Customer Service

A graphic with the headline Portland Permitting & Development illustrates the goals of the new bureau. On the left, a man holds his hands in the air looking confused, surrounded by four doors. Text beneath his image says "One project, so many permits. Where should I begin?" On the right, a professional woman welcomes customers from a wide-open door. Beneath her, text says "Welcome to the City. How can we help?"

Councilor Ryan is passionate about applying customer service principles to City government: Portlanders deserve responsiveness, accountability, efficiency, transparency, and dedication from their City government, and Councilor Ryan advances policies that improve operations while reimagining City culture. Councilor Ryan built Portland Permitting & Development on a customer service foundation, developed constituent relations protocols, expanded constituent relations philosophies, requested the first-ever accounting of all Service Area spending on unsheltered homelessness to create a financial baseline for this crisis, passed the first-ever Citywide Outgoing Grants Administration Policy, and much more. Councilor Ryan centers a "taxpayer as customer" mentality while advancing data-driven governance with proven outcomes. 

Learn more about Councilor Ryan's commitment to customer service.

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