Ben Hufford — Candidate for City Council, District 4

Campaign site

Endorsed: CEI Hub Platform

Candidate statement:

My priority to help Portland move forward is Housing. Portland has had a Housing Emergency Declaration every year since 2015. But our actions do not reflect this urgency. This is our most pressing and existential threat as a city.

Portland should accelerate permitting time to 120 days, down from an average over 500. To do this, Portland needs to consolidate permit reviews into 4 client contact points. We are currently 6,400 units behind a functioning market, and by the end of 2025 we are projected to be 15,000 units behind. Portland needs to treat Housing as the policy priority that the Emergency tells us it is and extend incentives to a greater range of housing development.
ALL housing production is important, and Portland can only effectively have affordable housing if we have enough housing.

I am an architect committed to environmental policies in building. I am a LEED accredited professional and have participated in LEED green building projects throughout Oregon, Washington and California. I am new to politics, but I am old in being committed to the environment and making ethical decisions for future generations.

The whole “think Global, act local” philosophy could not ring more true than my decision to live and practice in Portland. Our decisions are local, whether it is through lifestyle choices (I am a committed lifelong vegetarian), transportation choices (bike rider and advocate), and professional choices (transit oriented – multi-family housing policies). The City is crucial in helping people make environmental choices by making those choices available. City Policies, including transit choices with Tri-Met, housing choices through the building code, energy code and zoning code, and the City’s own policies of leading by example are necessary to ease individuals choice to make more environmentally conscious decisions.
How Portland solves its problems, whether affordability, homelessness or public safety, should reflect its values of fighting climate change, promoting environmental justice and promoting a sustainable City.

Pro: Bicycles, Climate resilience, Electrification, energy transition, Emissions reduction, Environmental justice, Pedestrians (safety, walkability), Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF), Public health, Shade equity, Sustainability, Transit

Anti: Climate change, Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub, Freeways, Oil by rail, Zenith Energy

Will you ensure the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) remains climate-focused in line with what voters intended?

Yes