Portland mayor pushes for faster housing starts
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Portland Mayor Mark Dion outlined housing goals for 2026 in Monday's state of the city address.
Halfway through his four-year term as Portland mayor, Mark Dion gave himself a mixed report card and urged city officials to cut delays between housing project approvals and building starts.
"This is the moment where I’m supposed to say that the state of the city is 'strong,' but what does that really mean?” he told City Council members in Monday's state of the city address.
“The truth is we have been excellent in some moments, great despite the odds in others and lastly, we still have issues in the table that challenge all of us to seek smarter, more efficient practices to address the problems in front of us,” he added.
The former county sheriff also pledged to hold two listening sessions with owners of small businesses in 2026. He grew up in Lewiston and has served as mayor of Maine’s largest city since December 2023.
Housing is a priority for 2026 after city officials approved more than 1,300 new dwellings this year — the highest total in more than 15 years.
While the number is encouraging, Dion noted that potential is much different than actual buildouts, with only 65% of permits issued over the past decade and a half leading to the creation of an actual living space.
To reduce bottlenecks, Dion called on city leaders and builders to look at how to reduce the lag between permits being issued and shovels going in the ground.
'Making progress'
Pointing to gains in the city's housing supply, Dion cited six new development projects with committed financial assistance.
Those projects will add almost 350 new housing units to the Portland market. Out of the total, 240 will be affordable for households earning up to 60% of the area medium income and 90 will be affordable for those earning up to 100% of the area median income, he noted.
“Despite regulatory and financial hurdles, we are making progress to grow our housing stock,” he said.
Rental units
Noting that Portland is also a “city of tenants” with 19,670 long-term rental units, Dion said that city staff and council members will continue to work on improving lease data collection and enforcement practices to guarantee safety and rent stability for tenants.
“While the current rent control ordinance functions to address tenant rights. those rules are less attentive to providing needed support to landlords who must property taxes as well as other costs to preserve the viability of a rental property,” he said.
To tackle the issue, Dion called on Housing and Economic Development Committee members “to continue their efforts at striking a balance on this key housing policy question.”
Small business
Tipping his hat to small businesses and the challenges they face from parking to license fees, Dion promised two listening sessions next year with owners to hear how the city can better serve existing small business or help entrepreneurs launch new ventures.
"The business of Portland should be focused on sustaining a viable and job-producing business environment," he said.
Public safety
Aiming to improve public safety in 2026, the city will deploy "urban rangers" based out of a new community policing center at Congress and Elm streets to help law enforcement officers patrol downtown streets, Dion said.
The mayor also gave a shoutout to park rangers for managing and preserving public safety in city parks and to Cary Tyson and his team at Portland Downtown for starting the Downtown Ambassadors program.
Staff members "have focused on creating a safer and more welcoming Congress Street corridor in abating litter, food waste, biohazards, vandalism and other issues that impact quality of space along the streets of downtown," Dion said. "Their efforts this year are notable and appreciated."
Turning his attention to the city's newest pro sports franchise, Dion recognized Gabe Hoffman-Johnson for launching the Hears of Pine soccer team which just completed its first season.
"Gabe, thanks for taking us all into that dream and seeing how the Hearts of Pine could electricity this city," he said.
Hoffman-Johnson was honored on the Mainebiz 40 Under 40 list in 2024.
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