City Administrator Addresses Federal Compliance and Equity Funding Impacts

Statement from City Administrator Michael Jordan:

"Like local governments across the United States, Portland is facing challenging decisions about how to respond to the Trump Administration's demands that cities eliminate some policies and programs designed to help Portlanders who are people of color, women, and other oppressed groups overcome hundreds of years of systemic discrimination.

Executive orders signed by President Donald J. Trump have reshaped the legal landscape for cities that operate programs focused on diversity, equity and inclusion. In particular, the federal government could withhold grants from cities whose DEI initiatives are out of compliance with the executive orders.

As the City enters a new fiscal year and the federal grant cycle moves forward, we are now looking to accept several new grants that require certification before they become final - in other words, the City has to affirm that it will follow all terms and conditions tied to the funding. For example, the City was recently awarded $2 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to support housing for low-income people living with HIV/AIDS and their families. But the City can't access these federal dollars unless city officials agree to certify compliance.

The City currently manages 126 active federal grants totaling $387 million - more than 90% of it invested in housing and transportation. Last year alone, Portland was awarded $98 million in federal grants.

Federal grants play a vital role in our communities, supporting safer streets, affordable housing, public safety, gun violence reduction, and other things that make Portland a better place to live. Federal grants also help the State of Oregon and local counties pay for schools, freeways, safety net programs, emergency responders and other vital services. Losing these grants would be a major blow to the Portlanders who depend on them.

In the coming weeks, Mayor Keith Wilson and the Portland City Council will explore possible paths forward, including legal avenues and policy options, with care and resolve.

We do not know what choices will be made, nor the full extent of how any of them may ripple through our workplace or our communities. What we do know is this:

We will remain transparent. We will continue to share information as it becomes available and do our best to help Portlanders understand the tradeoffs.

We will honor our progress. The equity work we have done together is meaningful and has changed lives. We will continue serving our community.

We will stay resilient. We will face the coming months with steadiness and clarity, drawing strength from one another."

For additional information about how Portland is navigating federal changes in immigration policy; diversity, equity and inclusion; rights and protections for transgender people; project funding and more, please visit:

Federal Policy Impacts in Portland