Affordable, livable communities prevent homelessness. The Mayor’s proposed budget makes cuts to the health, safety, and quality of life for Portlanders. You can support budget amendments proposed by City Councilors to change that. Click the button below to email City Councilors. The more emails they receive, the more likely they are to act. Take two minutes to send your email!
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1. Housing Focused Shelters – A shelter bed is not a home, but when shelter is provided with the right supports, it can be a step toward housing stability. The City of Portland can no longer invest in organizations and programs that do not report positive housing outcomes or safety and well-being while in shelter. Portland can’t afford to delay a course correction any longer. We are endorsing Councilor Green’s plan to address harms in our homeless response system, such as the repeated complaints filed against Urban Alchemy
2. Increases in On-the-Ground Services – Sweeps are both traumatizing for people living without housing and a drain on public resources. Support makes our city more livable, not sweeps. We are in dire need of greater investments in workforce development, basic hygiene, public bathrooms, and medical response teams. We are endorsing Councilor Green’s amendment to direct $1 million in funding away from sweeps toward essential services.
3. Long-term Housing Investments – Housing instability does not always result in homelessness. Even if households manage to keep their housing, the ever-rising rent causes real harm for households teetering on the edge. These impacts are disproportionately experienced by people of color, specifically Black Portlanders. We are endorsing Councilor Kanal’s amendment to fund homeownership opportunities for Black Portlanders.
Additionally, we are endorsing Green’s budget amendment, which redirects $3 million to increase the number of self-governed micro villages. These models deliver better housing outcomes, higher resident satisfaction, better relationships with surrounding neighborhoods, and cost far less than the city’s current shelter model.
4. Investment in Services to Create Housing Stability – With the rising affordability crisis, we need our City to invest in programming that addresses the cost-of-living. We are endorsing Councilor Avalos and Morillo’s amendments to fund community grants for immigrant organizations and restore the city’s free lunch program.
You can ensure that this year’s budget results in a more affordable, livable community for all. Follow the button to send emails to the City Council to ask them to vote ‘Yes’ to six budget amendments: Avalos 2, Green 1, Green 2, Green 3, Kanal 1, Morillo 1 (See Full Amendments Here). Use the link below to take action today!