Annual Report 2025 – Kate Sykes for District Five

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Friday, March 27, 2026

A New Beginning for 1871 Forest Avenue

A long-vacant site on Forest Avenue, one many of us remember as the former Tortilla Flat restaurant, is now proposed for new housing. This project brings 33 new homes to District 5, with more potentially on the way.

What Happened

Avesta Housing has submitted plans to redevelop 1871 Forest Avenue with a 33-unit residential building. This proposal is part of their Home for Good program, which combines permanent housing with on-site supportive services.

After meeting with the development team today, I want to share a few key details:

This project will include 33 studio apartments designed for recently unhoused individuals
Preble Street will provide on-site services and support for residents
The model is similar to Logan Place, Houston Commons, and Florence House, all of which have strong track records in Portland
This is Phase 1 of a plan to develop additional family housing on another portion of the site in the future

The proposal also includes site improvements along Forest Avenue, including sidewalks, landscaping, and better integration with the street.

Why It Matters

This is a site that has been sitting vacant for years in a highly visible and important location in our district.

It is also an area where we are already seeing significant investment, including the ongoing redevelopment of Riverton Park by the Portland Housing Authority. Adding housing here, in a place with access to transit, services, and amenities aligns with our broader goals as a city.

As supportive housing, or “housing first,” this development is designed to provide stable, permanent homes for people who need additional support.

With the Homeless Services Center nearby, and reported encampments in the woods on and around this site, this neighborhood is already experiencing the impacts of people living outside. Residents and businesses in Riverton have raised concerns with me about panhandling, drug use, property crime, and pedestrian safety. These concerns are valid, and they reflect what people are experiencing day-to-day. One of the most effective ways to respond is to help people move out of the woods, out of the shelter system, and into stable housing. This development is intended to do exactly that.

With on-site services provided by Preble Street, this model is designed to support people who need help staying housed. We know that outcomes improve when people have a stable place to live. Mental health challenges are less publicly disruptive and easier to manage when someone is housed. Substance use and chronic disease is more treatable when someone is housed. Cycling people through encampments, emergency rooms, and the criminal justice system only amplifies those challenges.

I also want to acknowledge something I know some neighbors are feeling: a desire to see market-rate housing or different types of development on this site. That perspective is part of a broader concern about how this neighborhood has changed over time.

At the same time, this is a site where we already see the impacts of unmet housing needs. Choosing not to build housing here does not mean those challenges will go away. They simply remain unaddressed.

Developments like Logan Place, Houston Commons, and Florence House have shown that this model can work in Portland. They provide structure, support, and stability. They are a missing link in addressing homelessness in a long-term, sustainable way.

Today I asked the developer to think carefully about how this project fits into the broader neighborhood context. This area already includes a mix of housing, services, and public investments. It is important that we approach this thoughtfully, with an eye toward integration, safety, and community cohesion.

I also raised the importance of the Riverton Trolley Park. This is a real asset in the neighborhood, and one that has not been used to its full potential. I have asked Avesta to think intentionally about how residents of this development can be part of activating that space in a positive way, whether through organized activities, or programming that connects people to the outdoors and to each other. We should be thinking not just about housing people, but about how people become part of our community.

What Comes Next

A neighborhood meeting will take place on Wednesday, April 1st at 5:30 PM at the Friends Meeting House, right next door to the site. I encourage anyone interested to attend, ask questions, and learn more about the proposal.

This meeting is an important opportunity to hear directly from the developer, understand how the project will operate, and share feedback.

As this project moves through the Planning Board process, there will be additional opportunities for public input.

ksykes@portlandmaine.gov 207-558-5764

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Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Turning Point USA, the Expo, and the work of Public Trust

I’ve received many emails over the past few weeks about the May 15 event scheduled at the Portland Expo, and I want to take a moment to lay out the facts as clearly as I can, explain why many people are concerned, and share how I’m thinking about this.

What we know

Last fall, Calvary Chapel Greater Portland, a local church, entered into an agreement with the City to rent the Expo for what was described as a worship event. According to staff, the event was presented as a free gathering that would include music, prayer, and food.

The contract was signed in October 2025, and the event was booked at the City’s standard nonprofit “exhibit” rate. Later, the City was informed that Turning Point USA Faith would be a sponsor of the event and would send a speaker.

Turning Point USA is a conservative political organization closely aligned with the MAGA wing of the Republican Party, and its “TPUSA Faith” initiative works with churches and religious leaders to encourage political engagement and voter participation. The event is now being publicly promoted as part of a national tour.

Why people are upset

I have heard three main concerns from residents. First is whether the City was given a complete and accurate description of the event at the time it was booked. Second is whether it is appropriate for a large national organization to benefit from a nonprofit rate intended for local events. And third is whether this event could create safety concerns or harm members of our community, particularly immigrants and LGBTQ residents who have often been the targets of harsh rhetoric in our divisive national politics and the media’s often incendiary coverage of it.

I want to say clearly that these concerns are valid. They reflect a broader moment we are living in where many people feel vulnerable, divided, and uncertain about whether institutions will protect them.

What the City can and cannot do

When the City rents out a public facility like the Expo, we are bound by the First Amendment. That means we cannot deny access to a group based on its political or religious views. Even if many residents strongly disagree with those views. Even if I personally disagree with those views.

However, the city is still responsible for enforcing our contracts, ensuring rates are applied consistently, requiring appropriate insurance and security, and making sure events are conducted safely and within the rules.

What about the “bait and switch” concern?

Some residents have asked whether the contract should be cancelled because the event now involves a national organization.

The key legal question, as I understand it, is not whether outside groups are involved. That is pretty common in events like this. The question is whether the original renter has transferred the contract to another entity.

Courts generally look at three things: who signed the contract, who carries the insurance, and who is financially responsible to the City. If Calvary Chapel remains the tenant and is responsible for payment, insurance, and compliance, then the involvement of Turning Point USA Faith is typically considered to be a co-sponsorship, not a reassignment of the contract. If facts emerge that show the contract was misrepresented or improperly assigned, that would warrant further action. But those determinations must be made carefully and based on evidence.

The trust question

There’s another layer to this situation that I think is important. Some have asked why the event may not have been fully described at the outset. One possibility is that the organizers believed that, as a progressive city, Portland would not treat them fairly if they were fully transparent about their political associations.

If that’s true, then this moment is also a test of us. We can respond by confirming that fear, or we can respond by demonstrating that our commitment to fairness is real, even when we disagree.

Allowing this event to proceed is not an endorsement of its message. It’s a recognition that in a pluralistic society, the government does not get to decide which viewpoints are acceptable.

At the same time, we should not ignore harm or the fear people in our community who are targeted by certain rhetoric feel right now.

I think we can hold both truths at once. We can uphold constitutional protections, and we can stand firmly for the dignity and safety of every resident.

Where we go from here

City staff are continuing to evaluate security needs, insurance requirements, and logistical planning. Event organizers will be responsible for any additional costs required to ensure safety. I will continue to ask questions and expect clear answers about how this event was booked and how it will be managed. And I will continue to listen to your concerns.

One final thought

We are living in a time when deeper forces are pulling us toward conflict, when outrage is rewarded, institutions are tested, and people are tempted to believe that division is inevitable or even necessary.

We shouldn’t take that bait. Portland can be a city that is both principled and compassionate, one that protects free expression while standing firmly against exclusion and the kind of rhetoric that puts members of our community at risk.

And because so much of this moment is being framed in the language of faith, I’ll just say this plainly. Christ is invoked often in our public life by people across the political spectrum to justify power, to organize movements, to draw lines between who belongs and who doesn’t. But the life of Christ, as many understand it, as I understand it, does not point us toward domination, exclusion, or fear. It points us toward humility and understanding, toward care for the vulnerable, toward treating others with dignity, even those with whom we profoundly disagree.

That doesn’t mean we abandon our convictions or stay silent in the face of harm. But it does mean we resist the pull to become cruel, reactive, or self-righteous in the process.

I short, we shouldn’t become what we oppose in order to oppose it. We can do better than that. And we will.

ksykes@portlandmaine.gov 207-558-5764

Friday, March 13, 2026

2025 Annual Report to Constituents

Dear neighbors,

Over the past year we’ve worked together to tackle major challenges facing Portland, from housing and street safety to strengthening our local economy and public institutions.

When you elected me, I promised to fight for housing that Portlanders can afford, public safety rooted in care, living wages, and a local government accountable to the people it serves. With your help, we made meaningful progress on many of these goals in 2025.

Residents like you organized, canvassed, spoke out, and stepped up to serve on boards and commissions, helping move important policy changes forward. Together we delivered real wins for working families while also laying the groundwork for long-term solutions to our most challenging issues.

Meaningful policy change rarely happens in a single vote or a single year. It requires sustained effort in building coalitions, strengthening institutions, and putting the pieces in place for long-term change. This report highlights some of what we accomplished together this year and the work we’ve done to set Portland on a stronger path for the future.

As I share this update, I also want you to know that I will not be seeking re-election to the City Council when my current term concludes. I feel proud of the progress we’ve made together and confident about the direction we’ve set.

I still have eight months left in my term, and there is plenty more work to do. One of the most important efforts now underway is the Social Housing Task Force, which is halfway through its year-long charge to develop a plan for permanently affordable, publicly owned housing in Portland. This work has the potential to shape our city for generations, and it will be essential that the momentum we’ve built continues. That will be my primary focus for the remainder of my term.

Thank you for the trust you placed in me and for everything you have done to help move our city forward.

-Kate

2025 Annual Report Final Download