Mayor Mark Dion. in his State of the City address Monday, highlighted public safety and homelessness as two of the biggest issues facing Portland, and said state help is needed to address them.

"We are running out of space; our staff is stretched too thin, and we cannot expect our taxpayers to continue to shoulder the financial burden involved in providing these services where half of the unhoused come from outside the city," said Dion.

Dion said that in 2024 the city provided shelter beds to 2,000 people with an average of 600 beds filled every night across the city's three shelters: the family shelter, the homeless services center and the shelter for asylum seekers.

He implored Portland's state delegation to "press its influence in Augusta" to secure more funding for the city's homeless services.

Dion also said Portland's police force is underfunded and needs more resources as crime increases in the city.

"(Incidents) of gun involved crimes are escalating and becoming almost routine," said Dion.

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He said he believes the city would be safer with more police officers.

Dion asked the Portland delegation to support legislation this session that will authorize city police to conduct their own training academy rather than having to send officers through the state police academy. Dion said this would "accelerate the timeline from hiring a new officer to having them available for field duty."

The mayor also highlighted accomplishments from the past year, including the planting of 150 new trees in Bayside, the completion of the ReCode process -- which updated Portland's zoning laws -- and approval for more housing.

"Successful cities recognize that the time and effort spent on green space preserves the human scale of a community," said Dion.

Dion said 4,500 new building permits were issued in 2024 and that nearly $400,000 was allocated for new development initiatives creating 300 more units, 260 of which will be reserved for households earning at or below the area's median income. In addition to the units the city financially supported, the council also approved the development of an additional 439 housing units, said Dion.

The mayor urged the City Council to reassess the Green New Deal's inclusionary zoning ordinance, which requires that for every housing development with more than 10 units, 25% of those units must be set aside for affordable housing or the developer must pay a fee of around $178,000 per unit.

He asked that his colleagues on the council consider the impact this fee has had on the development of new housing units.

Climate mitigation measures -- specifically for rising sea levels -- and expanding affordable childcare were other priorities Dion highlighted for the coming year.

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filed under: city of portland, homelessness, Housing crisis, Portland City Council, public safety

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