Editor’s note: This is the third story in an occasional series about how East Portland neighborhoods are experiencing district representation in the city’s new government. Read the first story here, and the second story here.

Since April, Portland City Councilor Candace Avalos has spent her Friday afternoons knocking on strangers’ doors. It’s a familiar activity for any politician on the campaign trail, seeking votes and donations. But Avalos isn’t running for office.

“I’m not registered, sorry,” said a man who opened his apartment door to Avalos on a recent August afternoon in the Lents neighborhood.

“That’s OK, I’m not asking for your vote,” Avalos replied, with a laugh. “I’m your current city councilor. I’m just coming to introduce myself and get to know my neighbors. It’s nice to meet you.”

The man’s body appeared to relax as he listened and opened the door more widely.

“Nice to meet you too,” he said.

This simple interaction defies more than a century of history in Portland.

Avalos was elected in November to represent Portland’s brand-new District 1, which includes sections of Lents and 14 other neighborhoods east of Interstate 205. It’s a part of town that isn’t used to being represented in City Hall, since citywide elections have historically favored candidates living in more central, wealthier and whiter neighborhoods.

But a 2022 voter-approved plan to divide Portland into four districts has changed this trend. With three councilors now living in East Portland’s District 1, tens of thousands of people who’ve felt ignored in City Hall may finally have a chance to be heard by city leaders.

It’s a novel idea for many in the district.

“The residents of East Portland aren’t buddies with developers or lobbyists, they don’t know how to work the system,” said Ann McMullen, a member of the Hazelwood Neighborhood Association. “It’s going to be different out here.”

District 1 stands out from the rest of the city’s districts. It’s the most racially diverse, it’s where the most Portlanders speak a language other than English at home, and it’s home to the most children. The district’s nearly 160,000 residents also earn less than those living in other districts. The district’s median income is $61,000. In contrast, the median income for those living in District 4 in Portland’s west side is $94,000.

Just two Portland City Council members had lived east of I-205 in the city’s history (Randy Leonard and Jo Ann Hardesty). Unlike now, those politicians were elected citywide, not by neighbors living in their district.

That means three new councilors elected to District 1 are blazing their own trail. Seven months into their first term, they’re still exploring different ways to reach and represent their constituents.

“As we’re implementing this new form of government, we’re showing East Portlanders that they’re going to be represented,” said Avalos. “You can’t do that through traditional methods.”

Loretta Smith

For District 1 Councilor Loretta Smith, that means not expecting her constituents to travel downtown to share their concerns.

“What we’re doing is meeting people where they’re at,” said Smith, sitting at a conference table in her new district office.

Smith was the first of her fellow councilors to open an office outside of City Hall. The office is on the first floor of the Nick Fish building on Northeast 106th Avenue and Halsey Street, a space built with public dollars in 2021. The mixed-use building, home to low-income apartments and business offices, is about eight miles east of City Hall.

“Now people have a place to go if they need help with city services without having to take a long bus ride downtown and maybe take a day off of work,” said Smith. “This office tells them that they’re important. That they matter.”

Smith and her staff have been spending time in the office meeting with constituents since May. But on Aug. 15, Smith held a party at an adjacent park to celebrate its opening with neighbors. A DJ played soul music as people ate food from local restaurants and danced.

Passersby stopped to listen to Smith address the crowd.

“I was just on the bus and got off to see what was going on,” said a man named Lawrence, who lives in the Centennial neighborhood. “And now, I’m eating a burger.” Lawrence said he didn’t know he lived in District 1 – or that the area had its own councilors – until he talked to someone at the event.

Smith is familiar with the needs of Portland neighborhoods from her eight years as a Multnomah County Commissioner. But she said it’s different to spend much of her working hours among her constituents.

“I’m seeing a lot of these issues people talk about firsthand,” she said. “Like there are places just around the corner from here that don’t have sidewalks.”

Smith’s first big policy proposal on council was a plan to spur sidewalk construction and maintenance in her district. She partnered with Councilor Mitch Green, who represents the city’s westside in District 4 – another area of town with a sidewalk deficit. While the city has yet to identify funding to pay for the more than $200 million in projects identified in that proposal, Smith said it’s a sign that she’s responsive to her constituents.

“It’s not just a public safety issue,” she said. “The value of the houses go up as well when you put sidewalks on them, so that’s helping to increase equity for residents, for businesses.”

Smith spends most Fridays in her district office, taking meetings and chatting with people who stop by. She hopes the space can also be a community gathering place, where people can hold neighborhood meetings and events. Smith said she feels welcome.

“I have yet to hear from someone who says, ‘We don’t want you here,’” she said. “Everything that I’ve heard is very positive. It’s very encouraging and it gives me the energy to fight.”

Jamie Dunphy

For District 1 Councilor Jamie Dunphy, representing East Portland means getting outside.

On a Sunday afternoon in June, Dunphy met with neighbors to guide a hike up Rocky Butte. The 21-acre park in Northeast Portland is an extinct cinder cone covered in giant maple trees and basalt outcroppings, great for rock climbing.

The land is partially overseen by the city, but it also includes state and private lands. That’s made it hard to know who is responsible for what – like trash removal and trail maintenance.

Since moving to the nearby Parkrose neighborhood in 2021, Dunphy has spent his free time volunteering to clear paths, tear out invasive plants, and clean up garbage. Along the way, he met other similarly-minded neighbors. The group of volunteers eventually formed the “Rocky Butte Preservation Society,” which focuses on preserving the park and educating people on its history.

Now a city councilor, Dunphy sees an opportunity to advocate for the park – one of the few large forested green spaces in East Portland.

Most of Rocky Butte lies in District 3, which is directly to the west of District 1. But, Dunphy said, since the park is next door to many District 1 neighborhoods, he considers it an amenity for all of East Portland.

“Everyone knows that East Portland suffers from a lack of everything, but one big thing we hear about a lot is access to green space and canopy cover,” Dunphy said, sitting on a log at the base of Rocky Butte after the Sunday hike.

According to city data, 22% of District 1 is under tree canopy. In comparison, 46% of District 4 on the west side is covered by canopy, not including Forest Park. Because of this canopy shortage, East Portland is also the most vulnerable to extreme hot weather events.

“We know that there are fewer beautiful big trees in District 1 than there are elsewhere and we know that leads distinctly to quality of life issues,” he said. “The experience of standing among trees – it could cost millions to make that happen. And we happen to have an established forest right here. It’s just been neglected for years.”

Dunphy wants to see the city sit down with Rocky Butte’s other landowners to negotiate a better oversight plan. Ideally, he said, the city could take the lead in managing the property.

“Any opportunity to bring new parks and new green spaces and new opportunities to East Portland neighbors, I think that’s huge,” Dunphy said.

Dunphy knows what it takes to fight for green spaces in East Portland. Dunphy previously worked for the late Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish, whose two stints as Parks Commissioner centered on expanding parks in East Portland and continuing to make park amenities free for low-income families amid city budget cuts.

Graham Houser founded the Rocky Butte Preservation Society, and met Dunphy while bushwhacking Rocky Butte trails a few years ago. Houser said he’s thrilled to have someone like Dunphy representing the district.

“He gets why spaces like this are important for East Portland,” said Houser. “It’s precious in a way that other parts of town might not understand.”

Back when he was just a volunteer on Rocky Butte – not an elected official – Dunphy made a small wooden plaque resembling a National Forest sign reading “Jamie Dunphy Wilderness,” and nailed it to a tree on the west side of Rocky Butte.

“Since no one really owns Rocky Butte, I decided to claim it for myself and see what happens,” Dunphy explained to the group of neighbors who joined him on the hike. “I look forward to the day that this sign comes down and we can name it something real. That should be a priority.”

Door knocking

Since starting her Friday door-knocking routine in April, Avalos has met hundreds of people. Some are waking up from a night shift, some are teens babysitting their siblings while their parents are away, some are working from home, others are retired and have lived in the neighborhood for decades.

“Most times when they open the door, people are grumpy – they’re like ‘Who the hell are you?’” Avalos said. “But within 30 seconds, their faces start to change. You can see the inquisitiveness.”

At an East Portland apartment complex earlier this month, Avalos met a man who had just arrived in the U.S. from Mexico. His face lit up when she began speaking Spanish, explaining that her office can be a resource for him to navigate his new home.

Avalos understands that many of these neighbors might not feel comfortable bringing their concerns to City Hall.

“At city council, I hear from lobbyists,” she said. “It’s the people who have a lot of time and energy to be able to tell me their stories. For some people out here, that’s not an option. The government is just not accessible to them. It’s been really cool to experience a different kind of voice – but you have to look for it.”

Avalos asked each neighbor who opened the door what she could do to help.

At one apartment, a man who had previously been homeless told Avalos why he doesn’t think Mayor Keith Wilson’s shelter plan is the right solution. He pitched a plan to open different kinds of shelters on public lands, and hire more social workers to help people with drug addictions or mental illnesses get into housing.

“I don’t think the mayor would be open-minded to this,” he said.

“Well, I am,” said Avalos, “and I actually chair the city’s housing and homelessness committee, so this is great to know. This is why I’m here today, to hear from you.”

During her weekly door-knocking rounds, Avalos said she’s heard all kinds of requests and ideas: Everything from fixing a bathroom mold problem to solving the city’s homeless crisis to addressing federal funding issues. Through her visits, she’s helped educate people on local politics and what her office can do to help. She hears a lot of anxiety about national politics.

“There’s so much distrust in the federal government,” Avalos said. “But I think when people can see someone that’s in local government, working on local solutions, I think it brings them hope.”

Avalos has a lot of hope in the city’s new form of government. She has a unique perspective: Avalos was one of the 20 Portlanders appointed to the city’s charter commission in 2020. That volunteer board spent two years coming up with proposed tweaks to the charter, like creating districts, expanding the size of council, and adopting ranked-choice voting. City Council referred those proposals to the ballot in 2022.

Avalos’ investment in the success of the changes she fought for was one reason she wanted to run for office. Now she has an up-close look at what district representation looks like on the ground. Avalos said that most residents she meets haven’t met a politician before.

At the Lents apartment complex, Avalos spoke with a tenant named Arthur.

“What’s your first name again?” Arthur asked after Avalos introduced herself.

“Candace,” she replied.

“Listen to this, Candace, you’re the first city councilor to knock on my door, so that’s going to make a huge difference in my opinion of you,” Arthur said. “Thank you for being here.”

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/08/27/east-portland-new-councilors-reach-out-constituents/