Lillian Mongeau Hughes

Portland mayor set an ‘unrealistic goal’ for shelter beds – and is poised to hit it. Will it end unsheltered homelessness? Nearly 7,500 people are living outside or in their vehicle in Multnomah County, the vast majority of them in Portland.

ICYMI - Here's how the mayor is doing on homelessness: www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Portland police arrest 40, send 39 to shelters, in 1st week since city resumed enforcement of camping ban Beginning Nov. 1, Portland police began more strictly enforcing the city’s camping ban at the direction of Mayor Keith Wilson.

ICYMI: Portland is arresting people who are violating the city's camping ban AND have a warrant. www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Where are people who are homeless in Portland originally from? New data offers insights The answer to the question about where people are from is not as simple as it sounds.

This is one of the top five questions I am asked about homelessness in Portland. (Spoiler alert: They are mostly form here.)

Grateful to academic survey work by Portland State University and Welcome Home Coalition to help me provide an answer: www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Journalism tip: If someone says drop the story, that’s a sign to keep reporting.

Back reporters who won’t flinch. Support our independent journalism ➜ propub.li/43MugoG

In a Portland under presidential provocation, civic pride makes a comeback With national headlines celebrating the city's exportable brand of 'tactical whimsy,' Portland is shaking off its post-pandemic doldrums.

Well worth a read for anyone who loves Portland, warts and all. Here's a gift link - happy Friday! via @jrlsilverman.bsky.social www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...

911 calls triple after overnight only shelter opens in North Portland; neighbors despair The vast majority – 90% – of the additional calls came from somebody at the shelter itself.

Portland announced 280 more "recovery-oriented" overnight-only beds today. And also this: www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Oklahoma Head Start centers face ‘dire’ funding loss from government shutdown OKLAHOMA CITY — A “catastrophic” loss of funding is little over a week away for Head Start centers serving 2,500 children across Oklahoma.

A “catastrophic” loss of funding is little over a week away for Head Start centers serving 2,500 children across Oklahoma.

via @oklahomavoice.com

Appeals court, in 2 to 1 split, clears path for Trump to deploy Oregon National Guard in Portland
www.oregonlive.com/crime/2025/1...

Appeals court, in 2 to 1 split, clears path for Trump to deploy Oregon National Guard in Portland Lawyers for the state swiftly filed a motion to have 11 federal appeal court judges review the decision.

Vi @maxbernstein.bsky.social www.oregonlive.com/crime/2025/1...

Reporters leave Pentagon en masse after refusing to sign on to new rules After turning in their press credentials, journalists covering the Defense Department walked out of the Pentagon rather than comply with its restrictive policies.

This move tracks with what I’m seeing right here in Portland with how this administration treats the press. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Trump administration doling out access to select right-wing media personalities equates to propaganda, experts say “That is a hallmark of authoritarianism," said professor who has studied the effects of propaganda.

In case you were wondering if what Trump is doing regarding media can be considered propaganda: nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com?url=https%3A...

WaPo joins NYT, CNN, The Atlantic, Guardian and others, according to @ScottNover, in announcing it won't sign the Pentagon's controversial new press policy.

Chicago not letting Portland have all the fun 🐧

‘Hell hole’? ‘Burning’? ‘War-torn’? 11 Portlanders on what the city is really like What's life really like here, according to Portlanders?

What's life really like here, according to Portlanders?

How secondhand home goods could help restore dignity for a Portlander in need For more than two decades, this Northeast Portland nonprofit has been collecting donated items to help people furnish their homes.

“A lot of people just keep their eyes closed and keep walking” when they see a homeless person, she said. To see a huge space full of items donated for someone like her to get a fresh start, she said, “gives you hope.”
www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Streets are still closed off in front of the Portland ICE facility at 8:30pm. Protesters have gathered on a side street. Dance party in progress.

How ICE protests have unfolded in Portland, from June until now Here's what Portlanders need to know as President Donald Trump weighs whether to send the National Guard.

Sept. 12: www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...

Portland residents are caught in crossfire as ICE protests intensify Noise, trash, vandalism and noxious gases accompany the clashes between protesters and federal agents. Residents bear some of the consequences.

June 23: www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Other media orgs: If you have tried to get access to the ICE building, I'd love to hear your experience. Contact deets in profile. And I'm on Signal.

Feds grant ICE building access to conservative media, influencers, ignore local Portland press Not all news organizations have been granted the same access to the ICE facility and the people who work there.

The question of who gets to tell the story is a critically important one right now. www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

“It appears the federal government is engaging in prohibited viewpoint discrimination by targeting demonstrators based on the content of their speech, while favoring those with whom the federal government agrees,” he wrote.

24 hours outside Portland’s ICE facility: Is this what ‘lawless mayhem’ looks like? President Trump said conditions continue to deteriorate. Here’s what the newsroom saw.

THere's been a lot of news since Thursday, but ICYMI: www.oregonlive.com/crime/2025/1...

Trump policy change could put formerly homeless Portlanders ‘back out on the street,’ officials warn The potential policy change would slash the federal housing assistance that can be used for permanent housing.

Right, so I know there's a lot going on out there, but if you can look away from the "mayhem" for a moment, Portland, you'll want to read this one: www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Blood, bugs at 1 of Portland mayor’s new homeless shelters reveal ‘appalling’ training gaps Until July, The Salvation Army didn’t require most workers at a new shelter to receive training about exposure to bodily fluids.

And yes, it's piggybacking, but here's some additional context on these shelters from my own reporting. And since my requests to go inside have NOT been granted (yet), I'd like to reiterate my call for tips and information from people who stay and work in shelters. www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Behind the doors of Portland’s plan to end unsheltered homelessness Before Wilson’s tenure, publicly-funded, nighttime-only shelters were rare in Portland – only occasionally used during weather emergencies. Now a cornerstone of the city’s homelessness plan, it’s wort...

Props to @alexzee.bsky.social for capturing an inside view of one of the mayor's Salvation Army-run overnight-only shelters. This is a carefully and sensitively written story placed firmly in the context of Mayor Wilson's overarching homelessness policy. Read to the end. www.opb.org/article/2025...

Took a little drive today past the ICE building to get a sense of where we Portlanders are on the war-ravaged spectrum, and there was just one guy blowing bubbles and some journalists.

For clarity: The move is sharply cutting funding for permanent housing and rapid rehousing. Federal funding made up a significant chunk (about 20%) of Multnomah County's homelessness services budget in 2024.

Trump admin looks at deep cuts to homeless housing program A new policy change will significantly cut funding used to place people experiencing homelessness in permanent housing.

Well, this move by the Trump administration would likely make homelessness worse in Portland (and the rest of Oregon). Will be paying attention to how it trickles down in the tri-county area...
www.politico.com/news/2025/09...

President Trump likens what’s happening in Portland to World War II, calling city ‘a nightmare’ “The Radical Left’s reign of terror in Portland ends now," the White House announced.

White House: “The Radical Left’s reign of terror in Portland ends now, with President Donald J. Trump mobilizing federal resources to stop Antifa-led hellfire in its tracks.”
www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...

At least 166 Oregon National Guard members have volunteered for Trump deployment Lt. Col. Stephen Bomar, director of public affairs for the Oregon Military Department, said Thursday is the absolute earliest the guard could arrive in Portland – but he wouldn’t bet on that.

The Oregon National Guard said it has begun the process of mobilizing guard members with law enforcement experience to comply with President Donald Trump’s deployment order for 200 troops in Portland, but it could be next week before there are actual boots on the ground.