KOIN News: $189,964 is the yearly income needed to buy a home in Portland: twice our $94,573 median household income.

www.koin.com/news/portlan...

TriMet will reduce service, make layoffs to close $300 million budget gap Rising costs and declining ridership have pushed TriMet to a financial cliff, the agency’s general manager said.

www.oregonlive.com/business/202...

Editorial: Oregon must lob a dunk for the next Trail Blazers owner While conventional wisdom suggests that whoever buys the Portland Trail Blazers won't be permitted to move them, the city and state shouldn't pin the franchise's future on that hope, the editorial boa...

OregonLive: “The Trail Blazers have only a flimsy five-year agreement in place to continue playing at the 30-year-old Moda Center.”

www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Here’s how much was spent on homeless services in the Portland area last year A new report provides a detailed analysis of homeless services spending in the Portland area. That's information most regions lack, report authors say.

$724 million spent on direct homeless services in the tri-county Portland area in fiscal year 2024

www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Bill overhauling mandated mental health treatment, rules for mentally ill criminal defendants heads to Oregon governor The bill is a hodgepodge of several proposals to alter the rules around involuntary commitment.

New laws on “how Oregonians can be committed to involuntary mental health treatment.”

www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Opinion: A case for art in urgent times The erosion of support for the arts affects far more than our reputation for creativity, writes Literary Arts executive director Andrew Proctor. It leads to the unraveling of our collective identity a...

Andrew Proctor, OregonLive: “…Portland…has lost sight of who we actually are, and want to be, as a community.”

www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Editorial: A $1.9 million budget shift that Portland can’t afford The Portland City Council should restore a $1.9 million shift of funds from police in the coming budget year, the editorial board writes. Portland's revitalization depends on ensuring the safety and s...

OregonLive: “Portland has turned the corner, but there's a long way to go. Before passing the final budget, councilors should ensure there's another $1.9 million for police to keep the momentum going.” www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Study: Portland has worst housing crisis outlook in nation A new LendingTree report ranks Portland, Oregon as the metro with the worst housing crisis outlook in the U.S., citing low vacancy rates and rising unaffordability.

KPTV News: “The study shows Portland has a median home value of $526,500, while the median household income is $94,573.”

www.kptv.com/2025/05/28/s...

Opinion: Portland, the city that works for 28-year-olds Portland continues to attract post-college, young adults, a critical group for bringing fresh ideas and signaling to the rest of the country that Portland still has a future, writes economist John Tap...

John Tapogna, OregonLive: “But to truly thrive, we need to become a city where people don’t just launch their lives – they build them here.”

www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Census reports razor-thin growth in Portland after years of declines New census data showed the fastest-growing Oregon cities last year.

OregonLive: “The city grew by 0.2% to a population of 635,749 in 2024…”

www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...

Half of Oregonians can't afford cost of living, according to new report Over 737,000 Oregon households are just one car repair or medical bill away from being able to afford basic necessities, with the majority being single-parent households and communities of color, a…

KOIN News: “…more than 737,000 Oregon households are just one car repair or medical bill away from being unable to cover their most basic needs.”

www.koin.com/news/oregon/...

Portland mayor Keith Wilson’s $8.5B budget relies on these political sleights of hand “I’ve explored every avenue to blunt the impact of the coming budget reductions."

OregonLive; ““I’ve explored every avenue to blunt the impact of the coming budget reductions,” he told reporters during a press conference last week.”

www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Estate of Paul Allen announces plans to sell Trail Blazers The Blazers are owned by the Estate of Paul G. Allen, who passed away in 2018.

OregonLive: “In 2022, Nike co-founder Phil Knight reportedly offered to purchase the franchise for just north of $2 billion, which Jody Allen rejected.”

www.oregonlive.com/blazers/2025...

Portland leaders take ‘first step’ toward tackling city’s crumbling infrastructure Portland leaders Monday advanced a proposal they hope could eventually turn the tide on the city’s ongoing neglect of roads, parks, sewers and other municipal resources.

OregonLive: “…would require Portland’s new city administrator to draft a citywide asset management strategy by September 2026.”

www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Editorial: With greater clarity from PPS, a strong ‘yes’ for the school bond A resolution from the PPS board lays out how the board intends to prioritize spending for elementary and middle schools, the editorial board writes. While such detail should have come before the bond ...

DON’T FORGET TO VOTE!!!

www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025...

Multnomah County commissioners accept chair’s proposed $4B budget but plan to seek changes The budget includes deep cuts to student mental health and legal aid. Commissioners have the ability to revise the plan.

OregonLive: “The approval timeline, in my opinion, does not give the commission time to thoroughly review the chair’s proposed budget…” said Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards.

www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Willamette Valley voted top wine destination in the world in 2025 The website VinePair released its ranking of the top 10 wine destinations in the world. The Willamette Valley came in at number one.

KATU News: “Oregon's wine country is a winner! The website VinePair released its ranking of the top 10 wine destinations in the world. The Willamette Valley came in at number one.”

katu.com/news/local/w...

Portland mayor proposes fee hikes, layoffs in $8.5B budget that boosts some core city services "The task before us requires city government to rebuilding trust with the public and proving we can deliver purpose and impact with every dollar we spend."

OregonLive: “Under Wilson’s proposal, residents would see the cost of parking meters, neighborhood leaf removal and recreational activity fees all climb and positions within parks, water, permitting and city administration shrink, documents show.”

www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

This type of house is reshaping Portland's neighborhoods, creating affordable homeownership The city released a progress report on middle housing, and a program that allows building multiple smaller homes on lots that used to hold one larger house.

KGW News: “New zoning rules in Portland, OR led to an increase in duplexes, tri-plexes, and quad-plexes on lots previously designated for single family homes. The new units typically sell for $300,000 less than traditional houses…”

www.kgw.com/article/news...

In first State of the City speech, Mayor Wilson says budget prioritizes public safety The mayor said his budget his budget ensures every community center and park stays open and would increase funding for the Portland Police Bureau.

KATU News: “The mayor is still holding himself to his Dec. 1 deadline to have a shelter bed for everyone on Portland’s streets.”

katu.com/news/politic...

Portland gun violence sees 30% drop in early 2025 Portland reported a nearly 30% decrease in gun violence this year compared to last year.

KGW News: “Overall, gun violence in Portland is down nearly 30% through March, compared to last year, and down almost 59% from 2022, which saw 147 reported shootings, the highest monthly total in the last five years.”

www.kgw.com/article/news...

katu.com/news/local/p...

Portland should suspend development fees to spur homebuilding, mayor and governor say The incentive could remove a roadblock to building new homes and apartments in Portland but cost the city millions of dollars

OregonLive: “Portland would waive all housing development fees — known as system development charges — over the next three years or until 5,000 new units are in the pipeline under the proposal detailed by Gov. Tina Kotek and Mayor Keith Wilson.”

www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

‘If Detroit can do it, Portland can do it,’ visiting executive says of comeback The Kresge Foundation leader said the notion that Portland needs to recover “almost requires a suspension of disbelief.”

OregonLive: “Rapson, who leads the Troy, Michigan, based Kresge Foundation that invested heavily in urban renewal initiatives viewed as part of Detroit’s turnaround…”

www.oregonlive.com/business/202...

Complain all you want, but a new report calls this Oregon city the ‘cleanest metro’ in the country Great water and very few cockroaches!

OregonLive: “It’s Portland metro…Using seven factors – population density, rodent and cockroach prevalence, vandalism, litter, air quality, and tap water quality – each metro was assigned a letter grade.”

www.oregonlive.com/trending/202...

Union at crosshairs of Portland’s proposed budget cuts raises alarm over looming layoffs Facing sweeping budget cuts and a major city restructuring, the City of Portland Professional Workers Union warns of disproportionate layoffs as negotiations over layoff protections stall.

OBP News: “…this can be achieved by grouping some city programs under one roof, instead of having them scattered across over 20 city bureaus. For example, each bureau has its own public information officer, equity team and staff that oversee contracts and technology.”

www.opb.org/article/2025...

TriMet ridership remains down by a third from 2019, and the recovery is slowing Subsidies, mostly taxes, now cover $7.88 of each ride's cost. That's up from $1.77 in 2014.

OregonLive: “Declining ridership could be followed by steep declines in service, perhaps beginning as soon as 2027.”

www.oregonlive.com/business/202...

Oregon stamped with big red ‘F’ for housing affordability, homebuilding: real estate report card Despite Oregon lawmakers’ efforts to encourage homebuilding to address the state’s housing shortage, the state fell into a homebuilding slump last year.

OregonLive: “Oregon was one of only seven states to earn a failing grade on a new housing report card from Realtor.com.”www.oregonlive.com/business/202...ml

Multnomah County unveils $4 billion budget plan for 2026 amid $77 million shortfall Multnomah County unveiled the proposed $4 billion budget for 2026 on Friday, showing investments in community safety and health outcomes, but also staffing cuts and reduced funding for select homel…

www.koin.com/local/multno...

Portland watchdog sounds alarm on city’s ‘crushing infrastructure funding gap’ Portland Auditor Simone Rede on Wednesday warned that years of poorly maintained roads, parks and other public assets now pose a staggering financial liability for the city.

OregonLive: “In 2019, the city needed about $475 million a year to keep existing infrastructure in a state good repair. That figure ballooned to nearly $1.4 billion by 2023.”

www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...