Newsletter: Keep Portland Housed, CEI Hub solidarity, and your budget priorities

Weekly Updates

Dear Neighbors,

It's been a busy week in District 4, and I'm writing to catch you up on some key events I've attended, meetings with constituents around the City's budget, safety risks with the CEI hub, housing, homelessness, and our work ahead at City Hall.

Also, I hope you will take 5 minutes to fill out our office's budget survey- open to all who live, work, play, pray, or study in District 4.

As always, thank you to everyone who showed up, spoke out, and stayed engaged this week.

In solidarity,

Councilor Mitch Green

Transgender Day of Visibility

My office kicked off the week by celebrating Trans Visibility Day on Tuesday, March 31^st, with the City's Queer Alliance Employee Resource Group. I want to reaffirm my commitment to those who struggle for liberation and for rights over their own bodies, healthcare and the freedom to exist as they are free from violence and discrimination. My office will always be in the fight with you for liberation, which is why I proudly supported recent legislation to expand protections for LBGTQ2SIA+ individuals and families at City Council. ️‍⚧️

Portlanders demand action on CEI Hub

Last Thursday, I had the opportunity to attend a press conference at Augustana Lutheran Church hosted by residents from across the city on the numerous health and safety risks posed by the Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub. There was overwhelming turnout of Portland neighborhood associations demanding the City Council take bold action to make sure we set ourselves on a path to remove the risks of disaster at the hub, not entrench those risks. Neighbors presented a clear list of demands to protect residents and our environment, a list of demands that I fully support. I have directed my staff to provide a formal response that outlines my commitments so that community members know where I stand very clearly ahead of any council actions by BPS.

I also made clear that I intend to push back on a set of recommendations coming from Portland's Planning Commission that clearly don't go far enough to protect our communities. As this new PBS documentary on the Cascadia earthquakemakes abundantly clear, we can't afford to wait on cleaning up the CEI Hub.

District 4 Budget Open House

On Saturday I joined Mayor Wilson, City Administrator Lee and my fellow District 4 councilors to meet with constituents about the budget. The event was bustling with neighbors, featured information on the City's budget process, and had stations to give input about big community topics like housing and homelessness, economic development, arts and culture, safe and inclusive communities, the environment, and effective, efficient and equitable government. I appreciate the many conversations I got to have with residents about shared priorities and also critical feedback on where you think our city's dollars should go. These conversations keep me grounded and focused, so thank you to everyone who was able to make it out. If you weren't able to make it, don't worry, there are still plenty of opportunities to engage in this year's budget process, including our office's budget survey.

Our budget survey is now live

Our budget surveylaunched on Friday and I'm grateful that 400 community members have already shared their input on their budget priorities. If you haven't already, I want to know what programs and services do you want me to fight to protect? Let me know your priorities as we prepare to dive into the Mayor's proposed budget this month. It should take less than five minutes, and every response helps me advocate more effectively for District 4.

take the budget survey

New role: Housing and Permitting Committee

As you may know, our new Council President Jamie Dunphy has streamlined our committee structure. I'm now serving as co-chair of the newly formed Housing and Permitting Committee alongside Chair Candace Avalos. The Housing and Permitting Committee meets the first and third Tuesday of each month from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m, so mark your calendars! The agenda is published below by 9:00 a.m. Friday before the meeting.

My priorities in this role are simple. I want to make permitting easier so we can accelerate housing production. I want to strengthen tenant protections so we can keep Portlanders housed. And, most importantly, I want to begin implementing social housing so we can finally address the long-term affordability crisis in our housing system.

View Housing and Permitting Committee

Keep Portland Housed Ordinance

On Tuesday, the first major policy that passed out of the Housing and Permitting committee is the Keep Portland Housed package, which I'm co-sponsoring with Councilors Avalos, Morillo, and Dunphy. On Wednesday, the package passed as an amendment to the Spring budget adjustment, with a notable amendment via Housing Committee that establishes a revolving loan fund for social housing. This package also includes vital interventions aimed at preventing displacement before it occurs and building permanent public housing assets for Portlanders. It proposes major investments in tools like rent assistance and eviction protections that keep people housed now, as well as cost-effective long-term programs like rent buy-downs and property acquisitions that will move us towards a social housing model that can provide high-quality, permanently affordable housing for all.

Next Wednesday, April 15, will be the second reading of the Spring budget adjustment where council can pass the entire budget adjustment, including the Keep Portland Housed Ordinance.

Council and Committee Meetings with Councilor Green

City Council Meeting

City Council holds regular meetings at 9:30 a.m. on the first, second, fourth and fifth Wednesday and 6:00 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month. If there is sufficient business, additional meetings are held the following Thursday at 2:00 p.m.

New Committee Meetings

Starting in April 2026, City Council will have five committees:

1. Community and Public Safety,
2. City Life,
3. Housing and Permitting,
4. Public Works, and
5. Committee of the Whole

Councilor Green's committees are: Public Works, Housing, and Committee of the Whole. We hope to see you there.

Upcoming Meetings

Community Events

Dear Portland, by Humans for Housing: February 7 - April 9

Portland Saturday Market: Every Saturday, Through December 5

Connect with Mitch

Instagram @councilormitchgreen

Bluesky @councilorgreen.bsky.social

YouTube @CouncilorGreenComms

Website portland.gov

Email [email protected]