Meghan Moyer

Commissioner Moyer holding a portrait of herself, with a nametag in the corner that says "Erika."

I recently visited Bienestar and Erika gifted me this amazing portrait of me. Erika painted this beautiful art piece in a Bienestar kids art class. I now proudly display it in my office. Thank you Erika! #MultCoD1

Multnomah County’s deflection program is fragmented. As a result, it is harder than needed to deflect someone from jail to gaining stability and housing. Streamlining and organizing our deflection program will save the County money and help more people off the streets. Here’s my plan to do that:

Build Direct Service Connections - Integrate care coordination and onsite assessments, so individuals are quickly connected to the services they need. - Assign every individual in deflection a care coordinator so they are supported and held accountable. - Eliminate “cracks” in the deflection program by providing warm handoffs between services.

Close Service Gaps - Ensure all individuals are checked into our homeless services trackers, so we can sync information, track success, and provide services tailored to need. - Make all shelters access points to services, so we can help those already connected with Multnomah County. - Build out service capacity from detox to recovery housing, so we can serve people every step of the way to stabilization and housing.

Streamlining and organizing deflection operations will enable our program to stabilize and house more individuals for less dollars. But a better deflection program also requires accountability. Stay tuned to learn my plan to upgrade deflection program requirements.

Stay tuned for my next post: my plan to upgrade deflection program requirements.

Reforming our Deflection System My plan to organize and streamline deflection operations.

To build an effective deflection system, we need to streamline and organize operations. Here's my plan to do that. #MultCoD1

Read my full plan for deflection reform here: mailchi.mp/multco.us/ou...

We’re building the best free preschool program in the nation. Tomorrow I will be leading conversations about 2 topics that will help the County continue to improve PFA. Here’s what we will be talking about:

Paying providers based on true operating costs: We will discuss the merits of basing PFA rates on the actual costs of providing preschool rather than using outdated, inaccurate market rates. Supports for providers serving high-needs children: We will hear from providers about the challenges of serving high- needs preschoolers without proper training, support, or information about children's needs.

We're building the best free preschool program in the nation. Tomorrow, January 27 at 10am, I will be leading discussions on how we can keep improving Preschool for All.

Tune in at www.youtube.com/MultCoBoard or watch in person at the Multnomah Building.
#MultCoD1 #PFA

"If you are not breaking a law we do not care in Oregon. That is what the [Oregon] Health Authority is telling us."

"And please make the connection that we cannot solve unsheltered homeless without a functional behavioral health system that is not solely focused on prosecuting people." #MultCoD1

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly." Martin Luther King, Jr.

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Whether in Minnesota or Multnomah County, we must stand up and work toward the justice we want to see. #MLKJr #MultCoD1

Today I'm hosting a town hall on #deflection!

Read about my plan to reform Multnomah County's deflection program here:
mailchi.mp/multco.us/ou...

When: Wednesday, January 14, 5:15-6:30pm
Where: 801 SW 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97205. Central Library, Community Room 1A.

I hope to see you there! #MultCoD1

Deflection Town Hall. Wednesday, January 14. 5:15 - 6:30pm. Central Library, Community Room 1A

Wednesday, January 14, I will be hosting a town hall on Multnomah County’s #Deflection program.

I will be:
Discussing my plan to reform Deflection and next steps,
Listening to your thoughts on Deflection,
Answering your questions about Deflection,
And discussing community ideas on Deflection.

⬇️⬇️

Yesterday I voted to extend an emergency declaration to mitigate harm caused by ICE activity. Only hours later, ICE agents shot 2 Portlanders. As of the last update I received, both Portlanders are alive. This is more than we can say about Renee Good, shot and killed by ICE only 1 day earlier in Minnesota. ICE is making our community more dangerous. ICE is bringing violence into our neighborhoods. I am proud to vote for Multnomah County’s emergency declaration and to strengthen our sanctuary county status. But there is more work to do. I will not stand by while ICE recklessly endangers Multnomah County residents. I stand with and encourage every Portlander to peacefully protest against the cruelty ICE brings to our community. ICE needs to get out of Multnomah County.

In its first year of operation, less than 2 people per day were referred to our deflection program. Deflection is underused and weshould change that. This is my plan to expand our deflection program so that we can help more people permanently exit homelessness.

Expand Deflection Eligibility - Allow all homeless services, outreach, and shelter providers to refer their clients to deflection. - Allow referrals from other social service agencies and health care providers. - Expand what charges are deflection eligible with charge-specific completion requirements. - Once we have proven results with the current deflection population, expand diversion in partnership with the DA.

Expand Service Capacity - Build emergency shelter beds for those waiting for their slot in detox or treatment to open up. - Change occupancy to allow over 23 hours of service and expand contracted emergency clean and sober shelter beds. - Fund and coordinate a team of assertive engagement outreach workers who can meet officers in the field and bring people to the deflection center for assessment.

Expanding deflection service eligibility and capacity will enable our deflection program to serve far more individuals. This is a crucial first step in building an effective deflection program. But there is more work to do. Stay tuned to learn my plan to organize and streamline deflection operations.

Stay tuned for my next post: my plan to organize and streamline deflection operations. #MultCoD1

Reforming our Deflection System. My plan to expand deflection eligibility and capacity

To build an effective deflection system, we need to expand deflection eligibility and capacity. Here's my plan to do that.
You can read my full deflection plan here: mailchi.mp/multco.us/ou... #MultCoD1

The Trump administration is threatening to freeze childcare funding. This is on top of state cuts to preschool programs! Multnomah County’s free Preschool for All is addressing affordability for families as our state and federal governments abandon children.

Preschool for All: - Investing in children, families and small businesses. - Increasing jobs, business productivity and school readiness. - Preschool for All is critical to affordability and prosperity in Multnomah County.

The economic benefits of Preschool for All are 3.1x higher than its costs. Taxpayers are expected to reap significant benefits via higher tax revenues and lower spending on education, health care, and the criminal justice system. A graph showing the costs of Preschool for All totaling $430m and Benefits totaling $1,338m.

Preschool for All fills gaps as Trump abandons kids. Multnomah County is addressing affordability with free preschool. #MultCoD1

Multnomah County began its deflection work with the best intentions: to deflect people away from jail and onto a pathway that ends with being sober, stable, and housed. But, a year in, it is clear that we need to significantly redesign our approach. Current deflection outcomes do not justify the level of money expended or meet our public safety needs.

This week I proposed a series of changes to improve our deflection system. My reforms focus on 3 topics: - Expand deflection eligibility and capacity. - Organize and streamlinedeflection operations. - Upgrade deflection requirementsand definition of success.

My reforms prioritize changes we can rapidly enact, providing near immediate improvements to our deflection program. After these initial improvements, we will work on longer-term projects that require permit and certification changes and a higher level of government coordination. In our upcoming budget cycle, I will bring forward recommendations that prioritize our most effective methods to stabilize and house individuals.

My next post will discuss how we should expand deflection eligibility and capacity. Stay tuned to learn how Multnomah County can expand our deflection program to serve more people.

This is the first in a series of posts explaining my plan to reform our deflection system.

Next post: How we should expand deflection eligibility and capacity.

It’s Time to Reform our Deflection System Here’s my plan to do it.

It's time to reform our deflection system. Linked is my plan that outlines how we can and should improve our deflection system, which I shared with MultCo Board members this week.

Read an overview of my plan below ⬇️ #MultCoD1

mailchi.mp/multco.us/ou...

Multnomah County Strengthens its SanctuaryStatus and Commitment. Today I voted to strengthenMultnomah County’s sanctuarystatus and commitment. Here’s what that means.

Today’s Sanctuary County resolution directs Multnomah County to: - Identify needed changes to County services to ensure everyone, regardless of immigration status, can access necessary services and programs. - Provide flexibility for County providers to navigate impacts from federal law enforcement. - Continue coordination among staff and service providers to track and share information to help maintain rapid responses to federal action. - Publicly report on actions the County is taking to protect and support employees affected by federal action. - Begin steps to codify more policies that strengthen Multnomah County’s sanctuary status and commitment.

The resolution also allocates $250,000 to support families most affected by these federal actions. - $175,000 will go to existing providers to provide client assistant resources and legal services to affected families. - $75,000 will go to community organizations not currently under contract in order to assist affected individuals that Multnomah County does not currently reach.

” I am just incredibly grateful that we are prioritizing making resources available because people cannot do this alone. The burden that this puts on families is more than they can bear. I’m sure we all wish that we had more resources and certainly I am hopeful that the State can also become part of this effort as they look at their budget this coming February. But I am happy to support this [resolution]. I look forward to engaging and making sure we are hearing from community and directing resources where it is most needed.

Today I voted with my fellow board members to unanimously approve policy that helps our friends and neighbors continue receiving needed services in the face of cruel federal action. #MultCoD1

Where: BOLD Coffee and Books
1755 SW Jefferson St, Portland, OR 97205

When: Friday, December 12, 1-3pm

A poster with a picture of Commissioner Moyer, the BOLD Coffee and Books logo, and a graphic of 3 people sitting around a table drinking coffee. "[BOLD Coffee and Books] Presents Coffee Talk with Commissioner Moyer Fri., Dec. 12, 1:00-3:00 p.m."

Join me at BOLD Coffee and Books to chat about how Preschool for All is expanding to universality by 2030, my proposed County Deflection Center reforms, and other issues facing Multnomah County. I represent BOLD Coffee and Books and surrounding neighbors in Goose Hollow. See you there!

"I wanted to send out a belated Thanksgiving message in response to the President’s unwanted, late-night Thanksgiving tweet. I want to express my unwavering support for the Somali community in my district. It is my great honor to represent a sizable Somali immigrant population. I wish to take this moment to counter the message of our President and express my joy that Somali immigrants have chosen Portland, Oregon as home. I’m thrilled my children go to school with your children. Thank you for your commitment to our community and our partnership in working to improve the lives of our children. I have had the great opportunity to get to know this community and I look forward to building our relationship deeper."

"To all other readers of this message, let it be known that I stand with our Somali community and I will work to defend the protected status of many Somali immigrants. Please join me in making it clear that Portland and Multnomah County oppose the hateful views of the President. We welcome our Somali neighbors, defend the rights of immigrants, and lead with love and moral clarity. I end this message with profound gratitude for this community. I feel hope when meeting with community members. I am inspired by others in our community. I am humbled by seeing others stepping up in great numbers to protect those under attack in our community. I love Portland, I love Multnomah County, and I love the great state of Oregon."

A belated #Thanksgiving message: My #Somali neighbors, you are welcome here. #MultCoD1

"At Joyful Noise, early childhood education is believed to nurture the whole child, socially, emotionally, and intellectually. ... Their curriculum is inspired by Emergent Curriculum, Constructivism, and the Reggio Emilia philosophy, which view children as active participants in their learning."

Families are eligible if you live in Multnomah County and have a child who was 3 or 4 years old on September 1, 2025.

"Joyful Noise CDC - Downtown 333 SW 1st Ave, Portland, OR 97204" A picture of children drawing on a table. The Multnomah County Preschool for All logo.

Preschool for All provider Joyful Noise is enrolling!

- Preschool classes begin January 5, 2026.
- Last day to apply for a 2025-2026 seat is January 26, 2026.

Learn more and apply at pfa.multco.us #PreschoolForAll #MultCoD1

Commissioner Moyer and members of Friends of Couch Park posing for a photo.

I had a great time meeting with Friends of Couch Park this past Friday! #MultCoD1

"Transgender Day of Remembrance. November 20, 2025. Honoring those we have lost." Background: The colors of the transgender flag as a gradient.

Today we honor and remember those who were murdered for existing as their true selves. Their memories remind us there is a safer world to build, and drive us to build that world as fast as we can. #TransDayofRemembrance #MultCoD1

Know Your Rights — Oregon Justice Resource Center

At the event and at www.ojrc.info/kyr

- Learn what's happening nationally and what it means for Oregon.
- Find out what it means that Oregon is a sanctuary state.
- Gain clear, practical info about rights, risks, and remedies.
- Ask questions, get answers, and get prepared.

A poster saying: Know Your Rights Training What to do in encounters with ICE or law enforcement. Sat, Nov 22 | 11am Clinton St Theater Free Admission | All are welcome RSVP Recommended Oregon Justice Resource Center | ojrc.info/kyr

Attorneys from the Oregon Justice Resource Center are presenting a free Know Your Rights training at the Clinton Street Theater on Saturday, November 22nd, from 11 am - 12:30 pm (doors open at 10:30 am).

RSVP and learn more at www.ojrc.info/kyr

#MultCoD1 #KnowYourRights

Sellwood-Moreland Library Reopens Today! The reopened library has an improved layout, new furniture, and upgraded technology.

Our reopened Sellwood-Moreland #library hosts new and improved amenities! These upgrades include:

- Larger and more roomy kids area
- Modern self checkout stations
- New reading room chairs
- More places for power and charging devices
- New meeting room tables and chairs

And more! #MultCoD1

Veterans' Services We provide benefits information, assistance, and advocacy to all who have served and their families.

Thank you veterans for your service. To learn about veterans’ services Multnomah County offers, visit multco.us/departments/...
#VeteransDay #MultCoD1

Oregonians will receive full November SNAP benefits today. You can check your EBT balance by: Logging into your EBT account Calling 888-997-4447 (toll free)

SNAP benefits should have never been taken away. I am thankful SNAP benefits have returned, but my work does not stop here. I will continue fighting the cruelty of the Trump administration. #SNAP #MultCoD1

"This is the first action of what I hope to be the County’s greater response in addressing the humanitarian crisis thrust upon our community by the Trump administration. Nobody should go hungry in the richest nation in the world. We must come together as a community to be there for each other. I’m committed to the County doing all it can to help as many people as possible."

Today I voted for Multnomah County to distribute $100,000
in emergency funds to assist families who have lost
#SNAP benefits.

These funds will go to local organizations working tirelessly to provide assistance to our community.

If you are in need of food assistance, visit multco.us/food