By Don MacGillivray There are many causes of homelessness, but the lack of affordable housing is fundamental. It took years to create Portland’s housing crisis and now much of the …
Addressing Homelessness with Built for Zero Read More
By Lauren Everett Amanda starts her workday by checking her phone to see if there have been any crises overnight. She sometimes ends the day with a late-night phone call …
Do Good Multnomah’s Mobile Support Services Read More
By Jack Rubinger Foxtail is a grass-like weed that’s popping up everywhere in parking strips and yards. The weed is out there in abundance in all our parks and trail …
Dogs and Foxtails: A Dangerous Duo Read More
By Don MacGillivray Portlanders are having difficulty just finding housing and they often must take what is available instead of what they need or want. As Portland works to create …
Think Out Loud’s Future of Cities Read More
By Daniel Perez-Crouse City Council has unanimously approved the second round of the Portland Clean Energy Benefits Fund (PCEF) recommendations on grantees, totaling around $120 million. As a reminder, the …
Council Approves Millions of Clean Energy Grant Funds Read More
By David Krogh On June 14 the 20-member Portland City Charter Commission voted to send Phase 1 of its review with proposed changes to the city’s charter to voters. This …
Charter Commission Action and Next Steps Read More
By Don MacGillivray Finding daycare and preschool for young children in Portland has always been difficult. This is especially true for families where affordability is an issue. And over the …
Increasing Access to Preschool Read More
By Nancy Tannler City Council voted unanimously to adopt the Residential Infill Project – Part 2 (RIP2) zoning code amendments, going into effect on June 30, 2022. RIP2 addresses several …
RIP2: A Commitment to Middle Housing Read More
By Jack Rubinger On June 2, REACH sponsored their first bike fair for residents living in REACH’s SE Portland affordable apartment communities, hosted at 72Foster (5005 SE 72nd Ave). 40 …
REACH Hosts Bike Fair Read More
By Nancy Tannler Residents of Portland have the good fortune to live in a city where the founders set aside a substantial amount of land for public use. They took …
Preserving the Reservoirs’ Integrity Read More
By Don MacGillivray It is well known that Portland has a housing problem, which is the primary cause of increased homelessness. The only satisfactory answer to the problem is to …
Building Villages to Address Homelessness Read More
By Daniel Perez-Crouse The month of May saw much activity over the proposed Portland Public Schools (PPS) 2022-2023 budget of $1.87 billion, involving its introduction, work sessions and input from …
PPS Budget Edging Closer to Approval Read More
By Amy Bader, PCC Oregon healthcare providers and partners successfully vaccinated more than 80 percent of the state’s total population in less than a year, a milestone that has proven …
PCC and Partners Battle COVID-19, Bridge Equity Gaps Read More
By David Krogh Portland’s trend for large numbers of candidates on a ballot for a single City Council position is continuing with the Thursday, May 17 primary, even after the …
City Council Position 3 Candidate Round Up Read More
By Kris McDowell City Council Position 2, a role currently held by Dan Ryan, is one of the races on the May 17 ballot. Ryan faces eight other individuals looking …
Nine Candidates Seek City Council Position 2 Read More
By Nancy Tannler The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) held their annual public hearing in April focusing on the impact of high and rising health care costs to Oregonians. The meeting …
Reigning in Health Care Costs Read More
By Don MacGillivray Lone Fir Cemetery is the oldest and most diverse cemetery in Portland. It began with the burial of Emmor Stephens in 1846, only two years after the …
Cultural Heritage Garden Plans Progress at Lone Fir Cemetery Read More
By Don MacGillivray The Portland Police Union (PPU) contract is now complete and final after a lengthy, contentious process. The previous contract was expected to expire June 2020 and be …
Portland Police Union Contract Finalized Read More
By Nancy Tannler What has become known as a “childcare desert” has Oregon parents scrambling to find affordable, reliable places for their children while they are at work. The problem …
Building a Better Childcare System Read More
By Oscar Ponteri, Franklin High School’s The Franklin Post Following a projected drop in enrollment, Portland Public Schools (PPS) has outlined a budget plan to cut roughly 107 teachers from …
PPS Budget Planning Deepens Divide Between Teachers, District Read More
By State Representative Rob Nosse In March I wrote this column before the legislative session ended. I tried to avoid making too many predictions, not knowing how all the chips would …
Representatively Speaking Read More
By Don MacGillivray In recent years, Portland has undergone significant challenges including COVID-19 health issues, racial concerns, forest fires and climate change. While everyone has been stressed by these conditions, …
By Daniel Perez-Crouse The final stages of the Residential Infill Project Part 2 (RIP2) approached as the Planning and Sustainability Commission moved to adopt amendments at its February 8 meeting. …
RIP2 Moves Forward After Amendment Discussions Read More
By Nancy Tannler As you are reading this article, somewhere in the Cascadia Subduction Zone a small tremor will take place. In the past month, there have been 67 quakes …
How to Prepare for a Disaster Read More
By Isabella Smejtek, Franklin High School’s The Franklin Post During the 2018-2019 school year, there were numerous incidents within the Franklin High School community concerning shooting threats and physical violence on or …
Safety Within Portland Public Schools Read More
By Maya Bryant, Franklin High School’s The Franklin Post For the first time in its history, Franklin High School ran its Franklin Talks program; an hour-long discussion surrounding racial equity …
Franklin Talks: Normalizing Talking About Race Read More
By Jack Rubinger It’s midday on a weekday on Hawthorne Blvd. and Uri Kushner, owner of Dairy Hill Ice Cream, is mad as hell. There’s a guy passed out, sprawled …
HBBA Starts Weekly and Monthly Clean Ups Read More
By Don MacGillivray In many of Portland’s neighborhoods the homeless crisis is increasingly observable. The lack of progress in addressing this crisis is due, in part, to the pandemic, but …
Update: Homelessness 2022 Read More
By Gabe Frayne Angela Dorsey-Kockler is giving me the quick tour of her short-term rental (STR) in the Richmond neighborhood. Her husband Nick and two young sons follow her up …
Short-Term Rentals Find Their Place Read More
By Daniel Perez-Crouse The infamous train blockages in SE near Division St. are the bane of anyone caught on 8th, 12th and especially 11th Aves. There was even a website …
Train Blockages Frustrate SE Read More
By Jack Rubinger The Portland Street Response (PSR) team operates within the 911 system for non-emergencies and consists of a multi-disciplinary, culturally diverse team. It includes peer support, and will …
Portland Street Response: Expansion and Effectiveness Read More
By Nancy Tannler Over a year ago, leaders of Portland Public Schools (PPS) decided to change the system’s education inequities with The Enrollment and Program Balancing proposal. The Southeast Guiding …
Parents Push Back on PPS Proposals Read More
By Miranda Phinney, Franklin High School’s The Franklin Post During a year in which the Portland Association of Teachers reported half of all surveyed educators are considering early retirement, a …
Substitute Teacher Shortage Contributes to High Stress Levels for Educators Read More
By Don MacGillivray Lloyd Center has been one of the largest urban shopping centers in the Pacific Northwest for many years. It is built on a 50-acre site located one …
Lloyd Center’s Evolution Read More
By Don MacGillivray Portland’s transportation system today is inequitable, contributes to climate change and presents safety risks due to the traffic on our crowded streets. There is a significant need …
Pricing Options for Equitable Mobility Read More
By Nancy Tannler On November 3, City Council listened to six hours of public testimony regarding code amendments purposed by the Historic Resource Code Project (HRCP). The intent of the …
Historic Resource Code Revision Read More
By Gabe Frayne The winding down of testimony and negotiations in connection with Portland’s Historical Resource Code Project (HRCP) has brought the contentious issue of historical preservation back to center …
Does Architecture Matter? Read More
By Daniel Perez-Crouse The much-lamented problems plaguing Portland in recent years were heavily discussed over the course of two City Council sessions involving the “unprecedented” budget surplus of $62 million …
City Council Approves Budget Read More
By Don MacGillivray The glowing tributes for Oregon are flawed by a few egregious realities. One is Oregon’s lack of care for the mentally ill. According to a recent study …
Oregon’s Struggle to Address Mental Illness Read More
By Jack Rubinger By Jack Rubinger Kids haven’t had it easy for the past two years with COVID-19 impacting fun, free time and school resources. Way too much time is …
Roller Derby Rolls Into Park Rose Middle School Read More
By David Krogh Not many people are aware that Portland belongs to the AARP’s Livable Community Network of Age-Friendly Communities and States or what that means. Currently 573 communities nationwide …
AARP Livable Communities Read More
By Nancy Tannler A permanent increase to the food stamp program was issued by the Biden administration to help low income households buy more groceries. The new plan will ensure …
SNAP Increases Begin in October Read More
By Daniel Perez-Crouse Continuing discussion over the Oregon Health Authority’s (OHA) drafting of a Medicaid waiver application for 2022-2027, a forum hosted by the OHA focused on how issues of …
Medicare Waiver Update: Inequities and Behavioral Health Read More
By Don MacGillivray Portland’s housing crisis is now seven years old and the nation is waking up to the same reality. Even before the 2008 recession, the US saw a …
National Housing Crisis Read More
By Jack Rubinger For first-time home buyers, getting into the housing market has gotten tougher and tougher. Today’s economic crisis has only exacerbated this situation. Recovering from the pandemic requires …
Keys to Enter the Housing Market Read More
By Kris McDowell It won’t come as a surprise to many that most Oregon jobs don’t pay enough to support a family. The Oregon Center for Public Policy (OCPP) took …
OCPP Issues Job Market Report Read More
By Jack Rubinger From teens to toddlers, the transition to in-person back to school is happening all over town. It’s an anxious time for parents, administrators and teachers, but most …
Back to In-Person School Read More
By Don MacGillivray The modernization of the I-5 Columbia River freeway bridge between Portland and Vancouver is a critical objective for the next decade. The I-5 Bridge, previously known as …
CRC Bridge Replacement Project Read More
By Daniel Perez-Crouse “If you’re looking for something good to do, you will literally save someone’s life,” said VP for Blood Services at Bloodworks Northwest, Vicki Finson. She is referring …
Calls for Blood Donations Amidst Pacific Northwest Shortage Read More
By David Krogh Over the last year, Portland Charter Review Commission has been busy learning the charter process and taking initial testimony from both the public and city officials. The …
Charter Review Commission Update Read More
By Don MacGillivray It might be said that Portland’s Office of Community and Civic Life (OCCL) is a Utopian experiment that potentially could save us from a Dystopian present. Portland …
OCCL Continues to Change to Address Problems Read More
By Jack Rubinger Lines for Life is casting a wide net to reach Oregonians in need of community resources and assistance. The program is driven by the devastating impact of …
By Nancy Tannler Dental 3 (D3) was formed in 2014 as a partnership with Medicaid Dental Plans, Coordinated Care Organizations and Community Partners in the Portland metropolitan community. They serve …
Free Dental Care for Portland Kids Read More
By David Mayne The new Kellogg Middle School at 3330 SE 69th Ave. is complete and awaiting its Grand Opening on Saturday, August 28, 10 am. The ribbon cutting ceremony …
New Kellogg Middle School Opens Read More
By Ellen Spitaleri The City Repair Project is a nonprofit with a mission to educate and inspire communities and individuals to creatively transform the places where they live and gather. …
City Repair Project Brings Art to the Streets Read More
By Don MacGillivray Policing in Portland is in torment over racism, human rights, mental health, violence and public safety issues. This is not new. Studies and reports have circulated nationwide …
LWV Police Study: Opportunities for Change Read More
By Gabe Frayne Among the inconveniences wrought by the Coronavirus pandemic, one that is ever more bothersome to residents of the North Tabor neighborhood is the increase in freeway noise …
North Tabor Freeway Noise Read More
By Nancy Tannler In the state of Oregon, there are approximately 440,000 adults over the age of 65. This number is expected to increase by 300,000 in the next 15 …
Liveability and Affordability: The Future of Senior Housing in Oregon Read More
By Daniel Perez-Crouse Unity Center for Behavioral Health, founded in 2017, is a 24-hour mental health services center and a joint effort by Legacy Health, OHSU, Kaiser Permanente and Adventist …
Nursing Struggles at Unity Center for Behavioral Health Read More
By Nancy Tannler June is Brain Awareness month and Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) has been offering a series of lectures on this complicated organ. The lecture Psychedelic Therapy: The …
Magic in the Mushrooms: Psilocybin as a Healer Read More
By Daniel Perez-Crouse A public hearing on the Design Overlay Zone Amendments (DOZA) proposals was held May 12. There were dozens of testimonies with varying points of agreement and opposition …
New Proposal Seeks to Improve Building Procedures Read More
By Don MacGillivray A recent article in Forbes magazine has suggested that Portland is dying. The article’s author stated that Portland’s ranking among major US cities has dropped from 11 …
21st Century Doughnut Economics Read More
By Gabe Frayne It was a fitting denouement to the year 2020: The Rocking Frog café at the corner of Belmont St. and SE 25th Ave., a mainstay of SE …
Post-Pandemic Portland: Will SE Ever Be the Same? Read More
By Don MacGillivray Homelessness in Portland was generally unseen until the 1980s when it was exposed by various economic and social changes. These included a lack of growth in real …
History of Homelessness Read More
By Nancy Tannler As all Americans begin to queue up to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, medical ethicists want to be sure to prioritize racial minorities. In Oregon, our first allocations went …
Ethics of Vaccine Allocation Read More
By Daniel Perez-Crouse Oregon’s 1115 Medical Waiver is up for renewal in 2022 and a focus addressing Governor Kate Brown’s directives on healthcare quality/inequities and cost savings for the state …
Oregon’s New Medicaid Waiver Implications Read More
By David Krogh Inner Southeast Action (ISA) held a panel discussion as part of their monthly meeting March 2 to discuss the Residential Infill Project (RIP) and related programs adopted …
Inner SE Action Panel Meets Read More
By Nancy Tannler In the March edition of The Southeast Examiner the article, “S2HC Offers Remedies for the Houseless” stated, “There will be no camping in natural areas, environmental zones …
Shelter to Housing (S2HC) Clarification Read More
Op-Ed By Don MacGillivray Currently the City of Portland and the police union are in the middle of difficult contract negotiations. There is a high degree of polarization going on …
Police Union Faces Funding, Staffing and Public Relations Difficulties Read More
By Nancy Tannler The Portland Street Response (PSR) program launched their first four-person team on February 16 in the Lents neighborhood. PSR is an alternative to sending the police to …
Portland Street Response Launches Read More
By Don MacGillivray Over the summer, Portland’s impassioned demonstrations and accompanying riots have received national attention. Law enforcement in Portland has been seriously scrutinized, but the other half of the …
Multnomah County Justice System Read More
By David Krogh Ever since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last May, there has been an increase in awareness of the Black Lives Matter movement and groups calling …
Webinars Focus on Racial and Housing Equity Read More
By Ellen Spitaleri It has been a long time coming, but construction has finally begun on improvements to Laurelwood Park, a third-of-an-acre green space at the intersection of SE Foster …
Laurelwood Park Construction Underway Read More
By Nancy Tannler The Shelter to Housing Continuum (S2HC) will file an ordinance to adopt the new codes for City Council’s approval this month. This joint effort of the Bureau …
S2HC Offers Remedies for the Houseless Read More
By Jack Rubinger The vandalism, graffiti and other destructive activities that took place in the early morning hours of Thanksgiving on Hawthorne Blvd. had messages about issues facing indigenous peoples. …
Thanksgiving Vandalism on Hawthorne Sparks Awareness Read More
By Don MacGillivray Portland is known for its lack of racial diversity and its lack of African Americans. With the Black population at six percent and Latinos at 10 percent …
Portland’s Struggle with Diversity Read More
By Nancy Tannler In November, 58 percent of Oregon voters approved ballot Measure 110. This yes vote is intended to provide the state with more addiction recovery services, partially financed …
Measure 101 Promises Addiction Recovery Tools Read More
By David Krogh As one of the by-products of Portland’s Commission form of government, City Council members (each of whom are referred to as “Commissioner”) are assigned to oversee city …
Commissioner Bureau Assignments for 2021 Read More
By David Krogh Mayor Ted Wheeler has made the Commissioner bureau assignments for 2021 and will have oversight of the Police Bureau under his umbrella. In response, City Council Commissioners …
City Commissioners Raise Safety Concerns Read More
By Ellen Spitaleri Everyone is hoping for better times in 2021, but Jacobsen Valentine has specific items on his wish list for the new year. As the founder and executive …
Feed the Mass Feeds the Community Read More
By Don MacGillivray Since early spring, the Laurelhurst Park homeless camp along SE Oak St. grew until it was finally removed a week before Thanksgiving. A few tents appeared along …
The Beginning and End of Laurelhurst Camping Read More
By David Krogh Portland City Council formally appointed 20 community members to the 2021 Charter Commission on December 3. The Commission will meet throughout a two-year period to identify issues …
Charter Commission Chosen Read More
By Nancy Tannler As cases of COVID-19 continue to rise, we have all become aware of the important duty front line workers are taking on in this crisis. It has …
Nurses Propel Healthcare Reform Read More
By Jack Rubinger While many of us drive up and down 82nd Ave., the sights and sounds are familiar – car dealerships, fast food restaurants and the occasional dispensary. Certainly …
Avenue of the Roses 15th Anniversary Read More
By Don MacGillivray No one ever dreamed that peace loving, but weird, Portland, OR would become a center of attention for nightly rioting and citizen demands for law and order …
By Nancy Tannler When Mark Bartlett first requested access to legal opinions and documents from the City Attorney back in 2015, he never imagined it would take five years, four …
Bartlett vs. The City Read More
By Daniel Perez-Crouse A new study commissioned by Multnomah County (and neighboring cities) assessed the feasibility of a publicly owned fiber-to-the-premises network. The study provides data and information relevant to …
By Nancy Tannler Beginning last month, business owners could apply for free permits to winterize their existing street space or to create one. PBOT, Portland Bureau of Transportation, started the …
Winter Healthy Businesses Program Read More
By Gabe Frayne Picture, if you will, your last visit to Chicago, New York or any other noisy megalopolis. While visual images may come to mind, sounds are equally evocative. …
Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers Read More
By Don MacGillivray A plea for police accountability has been the root cause of the nightly unrest in the streets of Portland. Demonstrators want police reform so that people of …
Police Oversight Measure on Ballot Read More
By Nancy Tannler Voters in Multnomah County will decide on Preschool for All, Ballot Measure 26-214 in November. Multnomah County Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson, District 3, championed this cause along …
Equalizing the Future: Measure 26-214 Read More
By Midge Pierce The November ballot will include two City Council positions with run-offs against Portland’s Mayor Wheeler and Commissioner Eudaly. As violence, crime and houselessness rise and confidence in …
Mayoral, City Commissioner Races Read More
By Jack Rubinger Oregonians will vote on whether to legalize psilocybin in November. Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound produced by more than 200 species of mushrooms. Oregon Measure …
Legalizing Psilocybin Read More
By Midge Pierce Multnomah County Library officials are forging ahead with a measure on the November ballot during a time when household finances have already been impacted by the pandemic. …
Library Seeks Levy for New Building and Expansions Read More
By Kris McDowell In early September, on the heels of public input and technical analysis, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) released an alternatives evaluation for the Hawthorne Pave and …
PBOT Releases Alternatives Evaluation for Hawthorne Pave and Paint Read More
By Ellen Spitaleri A normal summer for Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) features crowded swimming pools, alert lifeguards and plenty of outdoor activities for families and seniors. However, the summer …
Measure 26-213: PP&R Operating Levy Read More
By Nancy Tannler The Green Loop was approved in 2012 by City Council as part of the Central City 2035 Plan. It is a six-mile, linear park and active transportation …
Southeast in the Loop Read More
By Nancy Tannler The people of Portland are not ones to crumble in the face of adversity. Small business has been hit hard during this global pandemic, but they are …
Safe Streets | Healthy Businesses Read More
By Gabe Frayne In 1955 the New York state legislature, facing rising urban poverty, enacted the Mitchell-Lama housing program, which allowed private developers to build affordable rental housing in exchange …
Housing Affordability for the Long-Term Read More
Editor’s Note: The Southeast Examiner went to press before Portland Public Schools announced earlier this week that it would not reopen classrooms in September and only distance learning would be …
PPS Stresses Safety in Fall Reopening Plans Read More
