Mayor Ted Wheeler joined Old Town Community Association Chair Jessie Burke, Portland Police Bureau Chief Chuck Lovell, and Kamelah Adams, founder of local business Mimi’s Fresh Tees, at a press conference at the Lan Su Chinese Garden on Monday. Representatives from the City of Portland’s Street Services Coordination Center and Impact Reduction Team were also available to answer questions.
The Old Town Community Association invited Mayor Wheeler to provide an update in response to a 90 Day Reset Plan the association released earlier this year which called for, “Measurable goals to repair, rebuild, and reopen the Old Town corridor” through increased action toward safety, cleanliness, and accessibility.
Mayor Wheeler shared recent progress in city-driven efforts in the Old Town neighborhood to get improved coordinated services out to where Portlanders experiencing homelessness are currently living.
“Through the Street Services Coordination Center partnership, we’re constantly working to improve our services to Portlanders experiencing homelessness,” said Mayor Wheeler. “We’re seeing early positive results of those efforts. Reports show that more people are accepting shelter referrals and moving off the streets.”
Jessie Burke praised Wheeler for the ongoing efforts.
“The Mayor’s Office showed up for us. They are navigating this process together with us and have gone to great lengths to try and make meaningful change using creative methods to help our community," she said.