Commissioner Ryan's leadership is a beacon of innovation and collaboration, addressing Portland's multifaceted challenges and steering the community toward a brighter, more inclusive future. Commissioner Ryan spearheads transformative initiatives that touch every corner of the city through his strategic oversight of pivotal areas, including the Portland Children's Levy, Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation, and the City Arts Program.
Re-Elected to Portland City Council in May of 2022 and sworn into a first full-term on December 21st, Commissioner Ryan oversees the Portland Housing Bureau, the Joint Office of Homeless Services, the Bureau of Development Services, and the Portland Children's Levy. In partnership with Portlanders, Commissioner Ryan is building bridges and developing innovative solutions to the complex issues that face our community.
In early 2021, Commissioner Ryan pushed Portland City Council to identify and agree to shared priorities—this led to Council elevating three priorities to guide the City's budget and policy decisions: compassionately address houselessness, develop a trustworthy new model for community safety, and stimulate economic recovery. Commissioner Ryan has continued to advance these priorities throughout 2022 while overseeing his bureaus, co-chairing the Permit Improvement Task Force, and building Safe Rest Villages.
Natural Resources
Commissioner Ryan's stewardship in Urban Forestry is enhancing Portland's green infrastructure, one tree at a time. The division's comprehensive Tree Inventory Project is critical for sustaining urban greenery, enabling data-driven decisions shaping Portland's ecological future. Through initiatives like emergency storm response, Commissioner Ryan is safeguarding our urban canopy, reinforcing Portland's reputation as a city in harmony with nature.
Parks and Recreation
Under Commissioner Ryan's guidance, the Parks and Recreation Bureau transforms Portland's parks into thriving community centers. By expanding and improving parks and recreational facilities, Commissioner Ryan is enhancing the quality of life for all Portlanders, ensuring that the city's spaces offer opportunities for health, happiness, and connection.
Office of Arts & Culture
The City Arts Program thrives under Commissioner Ryan's leadership, illuminating the rich tapestry of Portland's artistic and cultural landscape. From restoring beloved landmarks to fostering spaces for cultural expression and innovation, Commissioner Ryan's efforts underscore the essential role of the arts in building a vibrant, dynamic community. His support for artists and cultural organizations deepens Portland's cultural roots and encourages a flourishing arts scene.
International Relations
Commissioner Dan Ryan's work across these critical domains lays the groundwork for a Portland that values equity, embraces sustainability, and cherishes its community bonds. Through visionary leadership and relentless dedication to public service, Commissioner Ryan is responding to today's challenges and paving the way for a future where every Portlander can thrive.
Safe Rest Villages
Commissioner Ryan secured $16.02M in federal funds to build six Safe Rest Villages across Portland for neighbors experiencing houselessness, negotiated an unprecedented $38M joint City/County investment in houselessness, and manages the City's relationship with the Joint Office of Homeless Services.
Learn more about Commissioner Ryan's work on Safe Rest Villiages.
Economic Recovery
Commissioner Ryan formed the Permit Improvement Task Force with the stated goal of reducing timelines, improving customer experience, building digestible public data to improve performance management.
Learn about the significant progress in all four of these areas in 2023.
Liaison to Multnomah County
Commissioner Ryan persistently advocates for improvement of the Metro regions housing services system, and he is taking bold action to meet the demands of the current crisis—pivoting from the status quo of business as usual—while planning for the needs of the future.
Learn more about Commissioner Ryan's work as City Liaison to Multnomah County.
Portland Housing Bureau
Commissioner Ryan's priorities as Portland's Housing Commissioner are responding to the housing and COVID-19 crises by stabilizing renters and preventing displacement, facilitating safe and sustainable affordable housing development, and creating new pathways to first-time homeownership in our City. Commissioner Ryan believes that housing is a human right and that the pathway from streets to stability is a continuum—we need to meet people where they are, from Safe Rest Villages to Permanent Supportive Housing to homeownership.
Learn more about Commissioner Ryan's Portland Housing Bureau work.
Bureau of Development Services
Commissioner Ryan secured funding to institutionalize digital tools and best practices for City employees, championed a challenge to Zenith Energy's fossil fuel expansion in Portland, and focuses BDS' work on facilitating economic recovery. Commissioner Ryan is leading BDS into a nimble, technologically-friendly future that will better serve Portlanders' needs.
Learn more about Commissioner Ryan's Bureau of Development Services work.
Community Safety
Commissioner Ryan championed investment 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 advocates for comprehensive statewide mental and behavioral healthcare.
Learn more about Commissioner Ryan's work on community safety.
Culture & Community
Commissioner Ryan 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. Commissioner Ryan works to expand arts access, empower culturally-specific organizations, and lift up queer voices.
Learn more about Commissioner Ryan's culture & community work.
Children's Levy
Commissioner Ryan oversees the Portland Children's Levy. The Portland Children’s Levy is a taxpayer-funded citywide initiative that strives to remove gaps in education by supporting community-based programs that help prepare children for school, support them to be successful in and out of school, and eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in educational outcomes.
Learn more about Commissioner Ryan's work with the Portland Children's Levy.
Communications & Constituent Relations
Commissioner Ryan's office prioritizes public communication and constituent relations; we release monthly newsletters, regularly update the Safe Rest Villages website, communicate via social media, serve on the City's Unified Communications Steering Committee, help Portlanders navigate bureaucracy, and track and respond to constituent concerns. We do our best to share information with and respond to everyone who lives, works, worships, or plays in Portland.
Learn more about Commissioner Ryan's communications & constituent relations work.