FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mayor Wheeler Introduces Four Notable Items in City Council Today
This week’s agenda includes grant agreements to create job opportunities and an action to increase housing options.
Portland, OR– Four notable items are coming to City Council today, as introduced by Mayor Wheeler’s Office. A brief description of each is below.
SummerWorks and Black Male Achievement Programs – Item 885
This ordinance will approve a half-million-dollar grant agreement to fund the SummerWorks youth employment program and Black Male Achievement program for summer 2018. The SummerWorks program is a summer work experience for youth ages 16-24 with barriers to employment. The City of Portland has joined ten other cities across the country in the Black Male Achievement Initiative through the National League of Cities to enhance opportunities for black men and youth in the areas of education, family life, employment, and the criminal justice system. Reserving places in the summer internship program is fundamental to the overall success for the Black Male Achievement Initiative as it will grant employment opportunities for Black men and youth that give access to career opportunities.
Green Hop Cannabis Workforce Incubator – Item 886
This ordinance will approve a grant with the dispensary Green Hope, for an amount not to exceed $95,155 for their Green Hop Cannabis Workforce Incubator. The pilot is an intentional effort to make the cannabis industry more diverse. The program will connect historically underserved communities, with an emphasis on communities of color, with the knowledge of how to enter the cannabis industry.
Construction Pre-Apprenticeship Program -- Item 887
This ordinance will approve a grant for Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center in an amount not to exceed $100,000 for the expansion of their construction pre-apprenticeship program for communities of color and low-income young adults. Funding from the cannabis tax allocation program will also support POIC in focusing program outreach and recruitment efforts to individuals disproportionately impacted by former cannabis laws.
Manufactured Dwelling Parks – Item 901
This ordinance will amend City plans and maps to create the Residential Manufactured Dwelling Park designation and base zone. “Manufactured dwelling” includes residential trailers, a mobile homes and manufactured homes. Portland has 57 manufactured dwelling park citywide, providing affordable homes for nearly 3,000 Portland households. This action increases the diversity of housing options available.
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