Get ICE out of our neighborhoods. Multnomah County stands with the people of Minnesota. We stand with our immigrant and refugee communities.

Thanks in part to advocacy by the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners, Pacific Power, Portland General Electric (PGE), and NW Natural have extended disconnection protections for certain at-risk customers through March 1, 2026. Learn more: multco.us/news/board-c...

Please join me in welcoming Danisa McLean as the new Director of Preschool for All! I'm excited for her leadership, which brings over two decades of experience to PFA as we close in on universal coverage – extending average savings of $18,600 per child to thousands of additional families.

I am heartbroken to learn that former journalist, longtime champion for the underserved, and current Lincoln County Commissioner Claire Hall passed away this weekend. She lived a life of service and courage that will have a lasting impact in Lincoln County and beyond.

Happy New Year! 2025 brought hardship and adversity to many. As a County, we have a mandate to respond to those in need and provide services in increasingly difficult and unpredictable circumstances. Despite the challenges, what we’ve managed to accomplish fills me with hope. Here's a recap 🧵⤵️

A testament to the dedication of @multcohealth.bsky.social and our partners. Achieving major public health milestones like our flavored tobacco restrictions takes years of engagement and collaboration. From clean air to expanding preschool, we are prioritizing the wellness of our community.

Today Multnomah County released the Domicile Unknown Report of deaths among people experiencing homelessness in 2024. While unacceptably high, an 18% decrease provides some hope our investments to grow a continuum of homelessness & behavioral health services are making a difference & saving lives.

Powerful stories of families choosing to stay in Portland thanks to Preschool for All. "Another parent...shared a similar experience. His 4-year-old daughter Elden also attends Preschool For All. He said the cost savings alone made the difference between staying in Portland and leaving the region."

As families are being torn apart by masked agents across our County and state, as parents, grandparents, sons and daughters are being harassed and kidnapped on their way to work, to school or to seek care — based on the color of their skin and regardless of their citizenship status — we must act.

It's crucial to be ready for potential flooding as our area experiences heavy rain. Monitor local weather updates and be aware of fast-rising creeks or streams in your area. For more info on what to do during a flood, forecasts, local sandbag distribution sites and more, visit multco.us/flood

With both Multnomah County and Portland approving an updated Homelessness Response Action Plan, we will keep moving full steam ahead in partnership to address the persistent crisis of homelessness. Everyone deserves safety and respite from the streets, and everyone deserves a stable home.

Join @multco-hsd.bsky.social and community partners on the longest night of the year to honor friends, family, and community members whose lives were cut short in 2025 by the injustice of homelessness.

Tuesday, December 16th, is our LAST COMMUNITY FORUM! Our final Climate Justice Plan goal is that every community member has safe, healthy, and affordable housing. Don't miss your last chance to make your voice heard and share your input! Learn more and register: multco.us/info/climate...

This evening, please join @shannonsingleton.bsky.social and I for a virtual town hall to talk about Multnomah County’s effort to update its sanctuary policies and status. RSVP here: bit.ly/Multnomah_Sanctuary

Each Preschool for All seat provides economic relief to families, saving up to $18,600 a year per child. When all 7,400+ recently allocated seats fill, families enrolled could collectively save $138 million annually. That’s money back into families pockets they can reinvest into our local economy.

Multnomah County is committed to using every tool at our disposal to support our immigrant and refugee neighbors. This declaration strengthens our response to the cruel actions that are terrorizing families throughout the county.

Preschool for All is growing. Today Multnomah County announced that Preschool for All has allocated 7,460 tuition-free preschool seats for the next school year, nearly doubling the programs current enrollment of over 3,800.

Multnomah County expects its universal preschool program to see a significant boost in enrollment, starting next fall. On Thursday morning, the county announced plans to offer more than 7,400 Preschool for All seats to early education providers for the 2026-27 school year.

Multnomah County announced today that it has offered 7,460 tuition-free Preschool for All seats to providers for the 2026-27 school year. This initial allocation has the potential to nearly double the current enrollment capacity of 3,844 seats. www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...

The County needs to support our immigrant & refugee community members. Join me & Chair @jvegapederson.bsky.social for a virtual townhall to talk about Multnomah County’s effort to update our sanctuary policies. bit.ly/Multnomah_Sa.... We will limit comments to 3 mins & provide interpreters.

A recent "Oregon Business Plan Report" noted child care shortages are hurting our statewide economy. Preschool for All helps parents re-enter the workforce while educating our future workforce - making PFA among the best ways we can make Multnomah County a destination of choice for young families.

⚠️ LOCATION CHANGE ⚠️ The Genocide Victims Remembrance Day Bridge Lighting & Candlelight Vigil has been moved to a new indoor location due to expected heavy rain. Havurah Shalom 825 NW 18th Ave, Portland, OR 97209 4:30pm - 6:30pm Hope to see you there.

MultCo is proud to support the recently opened Julia West House, an affordable housing complex in downtown Portland focused on serving BIPOC seniors exiting homelessness. These 90 apartments include built-in support such as mental health or addiction treatment that can help people stay housed.

Today, I brought forth a proclamation to honor all the lives lost, and pay tribute to all those who have suffered, as a result of genocide, including the present-day genocides against the Palestinian, Rohingya, and Sudanese people.

Our Homelessness Response System is improving and outcomes from our current SHS investments are strong — ending and preventing homelessness for more than 17,000 of our neighbors. For SHS to have the impact voters intended, we have to look at how dollars are connected to the needs in our region.

Get excited for your new Northwest Library! This new library is over twice the size of the prior space and opening January 10, 2026. We hope to see you there! 🗓️ January 10-11, 2026 📍Northwest Library 2030 NW Pettygrove St. Portland, OR https://multcolib.org/building-libraries-together/northwest

The continued cruelty of federal policy choices like this will increase hardship for people who are priced out of our local housing market. This is moving in the wrong direction when MultCo’s work to keep people housed has made significant progress - with a 2 year retention rate of over 84%.

Congratulations to Mayor Wilson for meeting his goal. Giving people more places to find warmth and safety before the cold wet winter months is something to celebrate. I’m now looking forward to working with the Mayor and City Council through our Homelessness Response System on what comes next.

In a year which has seen adversity fall upon so many of our most vulnerable neighbors, I want to express my gratitude to the people of Multnomah County, for your generosity of spirit, your compassion for those in need, and for your steadfast resistance against intolerance and injustice everywhere.

🧡 Even during the best of times, the holidays can be tough. If you or a loved one need help this season, the local resources below are ready to help. Please share them with anyone who may need them. 2-1-1 helps people identify, navigate, and connect with local resources, including food resources.

Earlier this week, the @multco.bsky.social board sent a letter to the Oregon Public Utility Commission supporting an emergency winter moratorium on utility disconnections through at least April 1, 2026, ensuring households don’t lose their heat or power this winter.

A new policy banning concealed guns in our public buildings took effect today. Introduced by @shannonsingleton.bsky.social & @juliabrim-edwards.bsky.social, unanimously approved by @multco.bsky.social board, & made possible by recent state law. Grateful to all involved in making these safer spaces.

🏳️‍⚧️November 20 is Transgender Day of Remembrance, honoring the memory of transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. This list focuses on non-fiction titles for adults and older teens. #TDOR #Booksky multcolib.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/114633184/2198080019

🚫 ICYMI: A gun safety ordinance relating to MultCo facilities was updated. An old exception that allowed people to carry a concealed weapon if they are licensed to do so into certain County buildings has been removed. Visit multco.us/concealed-firearms-ordinance for list of relevant buildings

Today we remember and honor the lives of transgender individuals who we have lost in targeted violence because of who they are. Multnomah County is committed to supporting our transgender community, providing and funding services that treat each community member with dignity.

Childcare is yet another rising cost for young families along with rising rents, utilities, groceries, and more. Through Preschool for All we are providing some relief, with more than 3,800 tuition-free seats helping families across Multnomah County save thousands of dollars each year.

BREAKING NEWS: We’ve secured a $7 million settlement holding the largest U.S. landlord accountable for a price fixing scheme – and putting a check on the rising cost of rentals. #consumerprotection #orpol

I support a City of Portland ordinance prohibiting raising rents through algorithm-driven price fixing services. Protecting tenants from rent increases that do not take into account local, individual needs is a policy we need to decrease evictions, safeguard tenants, and promote fair competition.

Preschool for All has added 240 mid-year seats! That’s brings the total number of tuition-free seats PFA is providing for families throughout MultCo to over 3,800 seats across more than 220 locations — exceeding this year’s goal by 27%. We remain on track to reach universal coverage by 2030.

This Friday is Sellwood-Moreland Library's big day! We can't wait to see you at the reopening of our beloved library 💚 Visit our website to learn about the Refresh project and the exciting updates to Sellwood-Moreland Library! https://multcolib.org/building-libraries-together/refresh-projects

Multnomah County is committed to providing the highest level of service to help address the particular needs of veterans experiencing homelessness. This is a place for recovery that represents safety, stability, sobriety and hope for the participants it will serve.

The creation of housing is key to solving our homeless crisis and making life more affordable for everyone. Multnomah County provides a continuum of services to move people from homelessness to a home of their own. We don't build housing, an area where partnership with Portland is so important.

This morning, the president ordered states to not distribute full SNAP benefits for November, and demanded that states “undo” any benefits payments that have already been sent to working families for food. Read our statement in response.

President Donald Trump was formally blocked from sending the National Guard to Portland by U.S. District Court Judge Karin Immergut, who delivered her final order in the case Friday.

As a result of a federal judge’s order, today Oregonians who receive SNAP food assistance have had 100% of their November benefits restored. These benefits never should have been suspended. The Trump administration is appealing the order, and MultCo is joining the legal opposition to this appeal.

While we cannot possibly pick up the slack for the federal government, what we can do is convene, partner, and drive collective action to support our community — and we can make targeted, strategic investments in areas where our community needs it most.

Tomorrow I am introducing a budget ask for our board to allocate $100k in emergency contingency funding to support food security resources across Multnomah County. With the Trump administration providing mixed messaging and the restoration of benefits remaining in limbo – we need to act now.

TODAY IS ELECTION DAY! There are still a few hours left to participate in your local democracy. We surveyed some of team JVP to make sure they voted. You can return your ballot at an official ballot drop site by 8pm today: Tue, Nov. 4 Find the nearest drop site at: multco.us/dropsites

SHARE: Today, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, is the last day to vote in the Special Election. Multnomah County Elections recommends voters return their ballot to an Official Ballot Drop Site by 8 p.m. today, to ensure it’s received by an election office in time to count: multco.us/dropsites

📣 As community members feel the impacts of the federal shutdown and reduced funding for SNAP food benefits, you might be wondering how you can help. Monetary donations to food banks, pantries and community-based organizations are recommended and go a long way: multco.us/food