The governor’s prescription for downtown

Governor’s Rx for Downtown

Gov. Tina Kotek wants more police for Downtown Portland and will declare a 90-day statewide fentanyl emergency to focus resources on addressing addiction and its impacts. As part of her task force to address downtown’s woes, she also wants to create more shelter space, to make it illegal to publicly use drugs (even if they’re decriminalized), and to study tax breaks for downtown businesses. [OPB]

Home Prices to Decline

The price of the median U.S. home will drop 1.9% next year, according to projections from the website Realtor.com. At the same time, the median home price in the larger Portland metro area is projected to decline 7.4%. Those price drops will come even as mortgage interest rates are expected to decline. [KOIN]

• Related: Portland is expensive, but housing is still a deal compared with other West Coast cities. That may help the city recover from the pandemic, like it did after the Great Recession. [Oregonian]

Portland Public Schools Superintendent Resigns

Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero announced his resignation yesterday, saying he wanted to stick around to resolve the Portland Public Schools’ teachers contract. He’s leaving in February after a six-year tenure that leaves the schools in a better place than when his predecessor, Carole Smith. But a weak point, particularly after the pandemic, is the achievement gap, with students of color continuing to lag on reading and math. [Oregonian]

Rep. Blumenauer’s Hopes for Portland

U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) shares his thoughts on the state of Portland and his hopes for what’s ahead for our city. [City Cast Portland 🎧]

US Rep. Blumenauer’s Hopes for Portland

U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Portland, recently announced he’s not running for reelection next year after a quarter-century in Congress. He reflects on his long political career, shares his thoughts on the state of his beloved city, and maybe even tells the story behind his iconic bowtie.