Portland’s newly elected leaders took office on bold promises to tackle the city’s homelessness crisis.
Now, with both the city and county facing budget cuts, what can local leaders realistically deliver?
The City of Portland estimates a $93 million shortfall in its general fund, which covers everything from parks and community programs to homeless shelters.
“It’s a bigger deficit than we’ve seen in a long time,” says Alex Zielinski, City Hall reporter with OPB. “We’ve had boom years for a while because of pandemic-era funding filling a lot of revenue losses. Now, with that safety net being pulled back, the reality is harsh.”
Even so, early indications suggest that the new administration is reluctant to propose cuts to homeless services. A recent budget draft shows city officials want to keep an existing RV park and eight city shelters open while maintaining the current level of camp removal and trash clean-up services.
“Right now, city officials are being really bullish that they are going to find that money,” says Lillian Mongeau Hughes, who covers homelessness for The Oregonian.
Mayor Wilson’s Laser Focus—Strength or Weakness?
Mayor Keith Wilson also wants to add just over a thousand overnight shelter beds as part of his promise to end unsheltered homelessness within his first year in office.
“It’s his top priority,” Zielinski says. “This is what he ran on and he knows this is what he has to deliver.”
Zielinski says Wilson’s focus on fulfilling that promise has spurred criticism that he may be neglecting other aspects of the city budget, such as public safety and transportation. At the same time, she notes, homelessness consistently ranks as the top issue for both Portlanders and Multnomah County residents. According to Mongeau Hughes, many homeless service providers are encouraged by Wilson’s plan but question whether it’s built on accurate assumptions. For starters, new estimates from Multnomah County suggest that the number of unsheltered individuals may be higher than Wilson initially expected.
“Mayor Wilson’s laser focus is perhaps one of his greatest strengths and also potentially a weakness,” Mongeau Hughes observes.
Moving the Needle
How will voters react if Wilson can’t meet his goal of providing an overnight bed for every person living on the street by the end of the year?
They are likely to give him grace, predicts Zielinski. She notes that political experts believe that as long as Wilson can make a dent in the problem during his first four years in office, Portlanders will consider it a success.
“If he’s moving the needle in any way, it will still rally support around him, because we have not seen that needle move for a while in Portland,” she says.
Wilson will present his budget in early May, with a council vote scheduled for June.
What Should City Leaders Prioritize?
Care to weigh in on the city budget? Information about how to share your thoughts with elected leaders can be found here.
Stump Talk is edited and produced by Jon Garcia of Lake Productions.
