Community members packed the room of the Y.O.U.TH. Center on Wednesday, May 15, for the second of three public hearings on Multnomah County’s proposed Fiscal Year 2024-25 budget.
In all, 56 people testified in person, and an additional 24 people submitted written testimony to the Board of County Commissioners. They advocated for priorities such as housing and homelessness services, support services for refugees and asylum seekers, community-centered support services for youth and families, and continued support for guaranteed income programs.
Other testimony touched on topics like investing in algae bloom prevention in the Willamette River, food pantry support in SUN Community Schools, and the County’s STI clinic. The range of topics spoke to the broad range of community concerns — coming at the same as the Board weighs spending constraints and priorities and deliberates in near-daily public work sessions.
The County’s final budget hearing will take place virtually on Wednesday, May 29. The Board is scheduled to adopt a final budget, including any amendments from the Chair and Commissioners, on Thursday, June 6.
Funding for refugee and asylum seekers social services
Among those testifying were immigrants and refugees who shared their need for emergency housing with the help of Spanish translators. Immigrants and refugees are eligible for all housing and human services offered by the County but often experience challenges navigating these systems through traditional channels when newly arriving to the area.
The County has worked with advocates, private partners, and other levels of government to support refugees in the short-term, including motel rooms. Chair Jessica Vega Pederson’s proposed budget investment complements the Newcomer Support Services Pilot state funding allocation during the 2024 Legislative short session and focuses on developing systems to house and coordinate basic needs and legal services for new arrivals.
“We don’t know what is going to happen to us when night time comes,” said Mayrene Chirinos, who said she arrived from Venezuela and is living in a recovery home with her family. “We have faith in you that you will be able to help us. We are trying to protect our youth.”
“I’m currently pregnant, high-risk, and I’m scared for my children and my pregnancy,” said Daimarys Suniaga Martinez, who said she arrived in the United States seeking a better life. Martinez and her family are living in a hotel that is currently paid day-to-day, she said.
“I know that many people like me who live there are immigrants and are going through the same situation, not sure what the next day will hold.”
“When I arrived here, I slept on the streets,” said Barbara Hernandez, a middle-school student who arrived in Multnomah County last December with her mother and siblings, ages 7 and 9. Hernandez said she attends school in Portland “It is very difficult to study and have to leave for another place because we need to change schools.”
Diana Albarran, who said she has a 4-year-old son with asthma, told the Board she arrived from Venezuela. “I ask you from my heart for help so I am not in the street,” she said. “Every day we have this anxiety that we will be evicted and that we won’t have a place to sleep.”
Rigler Elementary School Principal Chris Silvas spoke about the need to ensure emergency housing and continued support for the immigrant community. Rigler has seen a rise in enrollment, Silvas said, “in part because of students who have come here with the dream of being part of the American story.”
Fifth-grade teachers at Rigler have had students write about their immigration journeys, sharing the countries they’ve been to, places they’ve seen and their dreams. Silvas said the County can help tell the next chapter of those stories. “That part of their story is, ‘People who I didn’t know, people with the power to help me, helped me, and now I can call America my home.’”
Community Healing Initiative Early Intervention and Diversion Program
Several people spoke about the Community Healing Initiative Early Intervention and Diversion Program. The Community Healing Initiative is a community-centered partnership between the Department of Community Justice, Latino Network and Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center (POIC), designated to decrease youth violence and delinquency by providing culturally appropriate community support to youth and families. The Early Intervention Program is an upstream intervention that provides support and services for youth who have committed lower-level offenses.
Olegario Estrada advocated for full funding of the program in the County budget. Estrada, who said he has three children, has received support from the program.
“They helped me understand the process that my son was going through,” aside from attending workshops and participating in mentoring programs for parents.
Griselda Duarte said the program was crucial for her and her family. Duarte is a single mother and also serves as a care provider for seven children.
“I lost one of my children to getting involved in gangs,” she said.
The court system referred Duarte to the program, which provided full support, including funeral assistance and emotional support.
“I did not feel alone, even with the pain I was experiencing. I continue with the organization; they have not left me alone.” Duarte said the program has helped support her children and prevent them from being “surrounded by bad organizations and making bad decisions,” having mentors and counselors available to her children, and counseling for herself.
“Thanks for all of that support; my children are good, and I ask you from the bottom of my heart to continue to help the young adults who need your help and the parents who need your help,” she said.
“CHI impacted my life,” said Armondo Grant, who was introduced to the program when he was involved in the juvenile justice system. The program provided resources to him and his family.
“I carry with me the lessons and support that CHI has given me.”
High school senior Duke Mitchell also shared the program’s effect on his life, from school supplies to clothes to helping families with their bills. “My mentor has impacted me in so many ways on the man I want to become.”
The Chair’s proposed budget for FY 2025 would redirect general fund investments previously allocated to the Community Healing Initiative program toward secondary prevention programs that serve young people deeply involved in community justice, including programming for restorative practice, stabilization, and basic skills training services. The program will continue to leverage state funding through $233,000 in grants from the Oregon Youth Authority and over the coming year, the broader array of early intervention services will be reevaluated.
Multnomah Mother’s Trust Project
The County received testimony from community members urging the Board to continue to fund the Multnomah Mother’s Trust Project under the Department of County Human Services’ Multnomah Idea Lab (MIL). This project operates on a cohort cycle, with the current group’s term wrapping up at the end of June 2024 as scheduled.
The Multnomah Idea Lab focuses on piloting new policy approaches, with a specific focus on addressing poverty and racism. The proposed FY 2025 budget recommends no longer funding the program in the Human Services administration to meet constraints necessary to close a deficit between the County’s operating revenues and expenses. The goal is to preserve direct services to Department program participants.
The Multnomah Mother’s Trust Project serves approximately 100 Black mothers with children. Families receive an unconditional, basic income of about $500 per month, which began in May 2022. The program is in partnership with two community-based organizations: Black Parent Initiative and WomenFirst.
Participants advocated for the program to serve additional cohorts going forward and shared its impact, ranging from reducing debt to paying bills, providing for their children, and offering families the means to start savings accounts.
Community member Voycetta White said she joined the program after her release from prison. White was working at an internship, which meant she had limited funds. One of her daughters will be attending college this year, while her other daughter was able to afford to enroll in sports programs.
“This program has really helped me and my family,” she said. “I have credit now, I have a vehicle, and I was able to help my daughter pay for tuition and pay for a down payment on her housing.”
“The program gave my family a little bit of stability.”
Loyalty Hustler spoke about the opportunities the program has given her: “I was able to continue my education and become a nurse.”
Hustler said she has been able to study and spend time with her children, rather than having to take overtime shifts. Hustler plans on pursuing her master’s degree. “Taking [the program] away would be stripping that safety and that security.”
Kesha Canada shared her experience as a single mother with three children. “I had bills I was getting behind on,” she said, after leaving a domestic violence situation where she then had one income to care for her children.
“My bills were all over the place, and so was my mind,” she said. “If it hadn’t been for the Mother’s Trust Fund helping a domestic violence survivor, I don’t know where I would be.”
“The basic income helped me become financially secure and allowed me to focus on my mental health. It allowed me to become self-employed and it helped me get into parenting classes; it helped me work through trauma,” all while helping pay for bills.
Willamette River algae blooms
Some community members came forward to share their concern about recurring toxic algae blooms in the Willamette River that has kept people and their pets out of the water.
“It makes the Willamette unfishable, undrinkable,” said community member Kasper Murer.
Laura Jackson asked the Board to support a $150,000 budget amendment that would allow Oregon State University to address the blooms by designing a channel for the Ross Island Lagoon.
“This is a relatively small investment that will help,” said Jackson.
Kristin Leiber, executive director for the Lloyd EcoDistrict also advocated for a Ross Island Lagoon remediation project. “Each summer, my organization supports safe swimming,” Leiber said, noting the promise of bringing hundreds more people to the Willamette River.
“This is a man-made problem and it requires a man-made solution,” she said about the algae bloom.
Next steps on the budget
The third and final public hearing on the proposed budget will be on Wednesday, May 29. Members of the public can continue to submit written comments through the Budget Feedback form.
The board will vote to adopt a final FY 2025 budget on Thursday, June 6, at the regular meeting of the Board of County Commissioners. The public is welcome to attend, either in-person or virtually.