When you hear the word “recession,” most people are reminded of the previous times when food, gas and water were rationed. The Portland Metro area is rumored to be going into a recession, but that leaves many Portlanders to wonder whether this is an issue specific to the Rose City or something affecting the rest of the United States as well. Portland has been having a housing crisis since 2015 and continues to face major challenges. There is not only an abundance of unhoused people living on the streets, but property prices are rapidly increasing, often becoming too expensive to rent or buy. Is this new, though? High property rates are not unusual for Portland. Are people making false claims because they don’t understand the City of Roses?
Additionally, Tax Day is often dreaded in households across the U.S., as families prepare to pay a significant portion of their income to the government. On Jan. 1, 2021, “Preschool for All” was passed, stating that if you are a Multnomah County resident (the majority of Portland) and you make $150,000, or $200,000 jointly with a spouse, you must pay an additional 1% income tax to fund preschool for all Multnomah county children. This means children that are ages 3 to 4 have the option to attend preschool for free. This program grows every year and significantly helps families.“Supporting Housing Services,” passed in November. 2020, also has the same income tax requirement as Preschool for All. It requires an additional 1% tax to address Portland’s homelessness crisis.This money goes towards homeless shelters and provides resources to people experiencing homelessness in a variety of ways.
A very controversial issue coming into Portland is Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). On Sept. 27, 2025, President Donald Trump stated he planned to send ICE to Portland. In early October, ICE agents arrived in Portland, similar to the ICE presence in Minnesota and Los Angeles. However, Portlanders protested and held large-scale, peaceful protests across the city.
Throughout 2025 there were many peaceful protests, there was a large-scale outbreak of protests for “No Kings” showing their displeasure to Donald Trump, these protests led into the Summer.
Furthermore, Portland has always had a reputation for high crime rate and is overall very dangerous. However, in 2025, the crime rate was reported at 17%, lower than in other cities of similar size. In fact the homicidal rate went down by 51% compared to 2024 in the first half of 2025
Ken Muraoka, a CTE business and finance teacher at Ida B. Wells High School, has lived in Portland for 20 years and knows the city very well. He believes people often make excuses to dislike Portland. “Seven years ago, people were coming in droves, and now they’re leaving,” he said. This may cause some to question whether living in the city was the right fit. Muraoka also said, “People are leaving Portland for superficial reasons, like ICE coming in and housing prices going up.”
Despite these issues, Portland is a vibrant city full of hundreds of murals promoting peace and equality, access to nature, a strong food scene and more. Although every city has its flaws, it is equally important to see the good qualities of a city, and be sure to craft an opinion for yourself instead of listening to external opinions.
