Mayor Tom Potter

Questions and answers about the protest at City Hall

- May 6, 2008

For the past two weeks, a group of individuals have been protesting outside Portland City Hall. The following are answers to questions the Mayor's Office has received from many in the community about the protest, and what the City is doing in response:

Why are people protesting outside City Hall?

Most of the protesters are homeless individuals who are asking the City to provide more affordable housing, designate areas where people can camp and suspend the anti-camping and sidewalk obstruction ordinances. The protestors argue they have nowhere to sleep at night, and are forced to move by police who “sweep” their camping sites. They also feel that Portland does not have enough year-round shelter beds to meet the demand and that the beds that are available do not accommodate people with disabilities, couples and people with pets.

What is the City doing to respond to the protestors?

The City is working with Salvation Army to open additional and immediate shelter space for May and June. As of May 1, 12 additional “beds” for women each night are being provided by the Salvation Army SAFES emergency housing program. By mid-May, 70-90 additional “beds” for homeless adults will be provided at the Salvation Army Harbor Light facility. The Bureau of Housing and Community Development and the Mayor’s Office are simultaneously working on a plan to effectively address some of the current gaps in the homeless emergency system. [more]

[Read all of the questions and answers about the protest]

Mayor meets with delegation from Portland sister city Guadalajara - May 2, 2008

Mayor Potter on Thursday (5/1) met with a delegation from Portland’s sister city of Guadalajara, Mexico. [more]

Mayor greets arts students from Reynolds High School - May 2, 2008

Mayor Potter greeted senior art students and art teacher Bonnie Rulli from Reynolds High School Thursday (5/1) during City Hall's First Thursday event. The art display in the lobby of the Mayor's Office currently features work form the Reynolds students. [more]

Protests at City Hall - May 1, 2008

The following is a statement from Mayor Potter on the protests occurring outside Portland City Hall: "If you have come downtown in the last week, you may have noticed that a group of homeless individuals have been protesting outside City Hall since the weekend. Here is why they are here and what the City is doing to address their concerns. [more]

Mayor Potter statement on Council hearing on NW Flanders Bridge - April 30, 2008

The following statement was made by Mayor Potter on the Council hearing on the NW Flanders Bridge on Wednesday, April 30th: "My concerns walking into City Council this morning over our priorities, as well as our sense of equity and fairness, have only been heightened by the testimony I have heard today over the proposed bridge at NW Flanders..." [more]

Mayor appoints new Office of Human Relations director - April 30, 2008

Mayor Tom Potter has named a long-time leader in providing greater economic and educational opportunities for Portland’s low-income and diverse communities as the new director of the City’s Office of Human Relations. [more]

Oregonian: In My Opinion - It's not about bridges -- it's about fairness - April 30, 2008

The following opinion piece by Mayor Potter was printed in the Oregonian on Tuesday, April 29: "Proponents of taking the old Sauvie Island Bridge and putting it across Interstate 405 see the issue as one that validates Portland's core values: the sustainability of reusing an old bridge, the history we would preserve, the wisdom of making our city even more accessible to bicyclists and pedestrians..." [more] [list of Portland's most dangerous intersections]

Portland named a Platinum Bicycle Friendly Community - April 29, 2008

The League of American Bicyclists on Tuesday (4/29) named Portland a Platinum-level “Bicycle Friendly Community.” Portland is the first large U.S. city to gain the designation and joins Davis, California, as the only other Platinum city in the country. [more]

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