My time in Portland started at birth, but my roots go back to the 1850s, to relatives who witnessed our city and world change dramatically.
I want to share some of my own experiences regarding change in Portland, not for shock value, but to give you a different perspective on the reality of our current crisis.
kAmx’G6 366? :?G@=G65 :? D>2== 52:=J 4=62?FA @7 =:EE6C 2C@F?5 >J 72>:=J’D 4@>>6C4:2= 3F:=5:?8 7@C J62CD] (9:=6 2H2:E:?8 E96 EC2:? E@ 4=62C @77 s:G:D:@? x’G6 7:==65 6?E:C6 328D @7 EC2D9 7C@> 232?5@?65 42>AD] %96? @?6 8:2?E 4=62?FA 2E s6=E2 !2C<[ H96C6 2 =2C86 8C@FA @7 G@=F?E66CD 56D46?565 @? 2 42>A E@ BF:4<=J 7:== EH@ c_\J2C5 4@?E2:?6CD @7 EC2D9] %96 9@FD6=6DD A6@A=6 2?5 255:4ED :? E96 2C62 96=A65 FD =@25[ 6286C E@ 36 >2<:?8 E96:C 52:=J >:D6CJ 2 3:E >@C6 E@=6C23=6]k^Am
kAmx’== ?6G6C 7@C86E E96 D:89E @7 2 H@>2? DE2?5:?8 32C67@@E :? E96 EC2D9 A:=6[ C:76 H:E9 7646D 2?5 ?665=6D[ A:4<:?8 E9@F89 ECJ:?8 E@ D2G6 E9:?8D] pD 2? 6I42G2E@C AF==65 FA 2 =2C86 A:646 @7 42CA6E[ 5@K6?D @7 C2ED D4FCC:65 :? 6G6CJ 5:C64E:@?]k^Am
kAm(6 =67E E9:?8D 36EE6C E92? H6 7@F?5 E96> E92E 52J[ 3FE E9@D6 A6@A=6 ?66565 D@ >F49 >@C6 E92? H6 4@F=5 @776C]k^Am
kAmx H:== D2J E92E E9:D :D E96 4:EJ E92E WD@>6E:>6DX H@C<D] p7E6C 7:==:?8 2 76H EC2D9 328D H2:E:?8 7@C E96 EC2:?[ x 42==65 E96 r6?EC2= r:EJ r@?46C? 2?5 :? E96 E:>6 E96 EC2:? 96=5 FA EC277:4[ E96J 5:DA2E4965 2 ECF4< E@ >J =@42E:@? 2?5 x H2D 23=6 E@ E9C@H 2== E96 328D :?E@ E96:C ECF4< 365] %96 H@C<6C 5@4F>6?E65 2 5:D42C565 >2EEC6DD 2?5 @E96C =2C86 82C3286 2?5 E@=5 >6 E96J H@F=5 36 324< E96 ?6IE >@C?:?8 E@ 86E E96 C6DE] (6 ?665 >@C6 @7 E9:D]k^Am
kAmp EC6>6?5@FD ?F>36C @7 !@CE=2?5 4:E:K6?D 2C6 6286C E@ 96=A] (6 ?665 E@ 6?23=6 E96> H:E9 E@@=D 2?5 FD6 E96> 2D 2 7@C46 >F=E:A=:6C] u@C 6I2>A=6[ 6?4@FC286 E96 p5@AE ~?6 q=@4< AC@8C2>[ 2?5 AF3=:4:K6 ?F>36CD E@ 42== E@ 92G6 82C3286 A:4<65 FA]k^Am
kAm~E96CD 42? 96=A 3J DE@AA:?8 E96:C @H? 4@F?E6CAC@5F4E:G6 3692G:@C] $E@A 5F>A:?8 C@EE:?8 42CA6ED 2?5 4@F496D @? E96 DEC66E 4@C?6CD H:E9 “7C66” D:8?D] s@?’E 6I246C32E6 2? 255:4E’D >:D6CJ 3J A:=:?8 >@C6 C67FD6 @? E96:C 42>AD :? E96 ?2>6 @7 8:G:?8 E96> :E6>D J@F 5@?’E H2?E]k^Am
kAm(6 5@ 92G6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^A5IC6A@CE6C]@C8^R{@8:?Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmA5IC6A@CE6C]@C8k^2m 7@C C6A@CE:?8 :DDF6D H:E9:? E96 4:EJ]k^Am
kAm(92E 5@6D C6A@CE:?8 2 42>A 5@n xE AC6G6?ED 42>AD 7C@> 364@>:?8 DA:C2=:?8 5CF8 56?D] xE AC6G6?ED 82C3286 7C@> A:=:?8 FA[ 3=@4<:?8 7:C6 9J5C2?ED 2?5 6>6C86?4J 6I:ED] (9:=6 !@CE=2?5 AFED E@86E96C C6923 @AE:@?D 2?5 365D 7@C E9@D6 @? E96 DEC66E[ E96C6 2C6 DA64:7:4 42>AD 2?5 3692G:@CD E92E >FDE?’E 36 E@=6C2E65]k^Am
kAmx C6A@CE65 2 42>A 7@C D:I >@?E9D DEC2:89E[ @?=J E@ D66 :E 86E 7=28865 2?5 E96? >@G6 b_ 766E @G6C E@ E96 4@C?6C @7 vC2?5 2?5 $2=>@?] x H2E4965 2D C6D:56?ED AF==65 92?57F=D @7 ?665=6D @FE @7 E96:C E6?E 2?5 5F>A65 E96> :?E@ 2 D92CAD 4@?E2:?6C @? E96 D:56H2=<] p DE24< @7 E@C?\2A2CE 3:<6D D2E ?6IE E@ E96 E6?E[ EC277:4 CFD9:?8 3J 3=@H:?8 5:D42C565 7@:= HC2AA6CD WFD65 7@C D>@<:?8 76?E2?J=X 24C@DD vC2?5 pG6?F6]k^Am
kAmp =:EE=6 49:=5[ >2J36 b 766E E2==[ C2? 5@H? E96 D:56H2=< H:E9 E96:C A2C6?E ?@E E@@ 72C 369:?5] pE E92E 286 <:5D D66> E@ E@F49 6G6CJE9:?8[ 3C24:?8 E96:C 92?5D @? E96 4FC3 E@ 9@A FA 2?5 ;@8 5@H? 2 =:EE=6 3C:4< D64E:@? @? E96:C H2J E@ D@446C 2C@F?5 E96 4@C?6C] xE H2D 2 DEC2?86 ;FIE2A@D:E:@?[ E96 :??@46?46 @7 J@FE9 2?5 E96 8C:EEJ C62=:EJ @7 255:4E:@? DEC2:?:?8 D@>6@?6 =2E6C :? =:76]k^Am
kAmpE H92E A@:?E 5@6D E92E :??@46?E 49:=5’D =:76 6BF2= E96 C:89ED @7 E96 5CF8 23FD6CD E@ @A6?=J FD6[ 3692G:@C 6?4@FC2865 3J @FC 4@>>F?:EJ[ H9:49 :? 2? 677@CE E@ 36 6>A2E96E:4 92D 364@>6 2? 6?23=6Cnk^Am
kAm(9@ H:== 36 E96 D24C:7:4:2= =2>3n pE H92E A@:?E H:== @?6 @7 E9@D6 <:5D 364@>6 2 ?2>6 @7 D@>6 =2H :? E96:C 9@?@Cnk^Am
kAmq69:?5 E96 =6256CD9:A @7 r=2C6 qC:8=:@ 2?5 E96 r6?EC2= t2DED:56 x?5FDEC:2= r@F?4:=[ E96 4:EJ 92D :?:E:2E65 2 h_\52J C6D6E :? E96 r6?EC2= t2DED:56] %96C6 2C6 24E:@?23=6 DE6AD[ 4@?4:D6 8@2=D 2?5 2 =@E @7 @AE:>:D> 369:?5 E96 A=2?] x’G6 DA@<6? H:E9 3FD:?6DD @H?6CD H9@ 92G6 ?@ :?E6?E:@? @7 =62G:?8[ 2?5 6G6CJ :?E6?E:@? @7 5:88:?8 :? E@ >2<6 E9:?8D 36EE6C] xE’D E9C@F89 E92E :?DA:C2E:@? E92E x A=2? @? 5:88:?8 :?[ E@@]k^Am
kAm%96 DBF62<J H966= 86ED E96 8C62D6] %9:D 4:EJ :D :? 56DA6C2E6 ?665 @7 2 8C62D6 8F?]k^Am