Dear Friend,
Yesterday, I was delighted to host U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in Oregon to show him critical transportation and infrastructure investments in our community.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) is committed to using transportation projects to rebuild communities and right past wrongs. There is no better example of this work than Albina Vision Trust.
Albina Vision Trust is a coalition of community leaders organizing to reconnect and revitalize Lower Albina, the historic heart of Portland’s Black community before the construction of I-5 demolished the neighborhood. I secured an $800,000 federal grant to plan for the renewal of the Albina neighborhood, and $1 million in federal funding to establish a land bank. This will help to increase affordable housing supply and expand homeownership opportunities in the historic neighborhood.
We must now build on this progress. Our conversation with Secretary Buttigieg and leaders of Albina Vision Trust conveyed how the federal government must invest to right the historic wrongs done to the Black community in Portland.
Later in the afternoon, I hosted Secretary Buttigieg for a bus tour of 82nd Avenue, seven miles of opportunity stretching from the Columbia River to the Clackamas Town Center. For far too long, 82nd Avenue has been underfunded and neglected by state and local governments, making it a particularly dangerous roadway in Portland.
Today’s visit demonstrated real momentum to turn this historically neglected area into a thriving corridor. We heard from local leaders and community partners about the growing need for affordable housing, transit and safety improvements, and community investment.
I went to Congress to make the federal government a better partner to help communities and make our families safe, healthy, and economically secure. Secretary Buttigieg and the Biden Administration share this vision. Now is the time to make real progress here in Oregon and across the country.
