Ahlam Osman for City Council
Elect Ahlam Osman for City Council! Representing District 3 (SE Portland)

Hi, I am Ahlam!

Who I Am!

I'm running for City Council because I envision a more equitable and sustainable future for Portland. Our neighborhoods and their diverse communities deserve livable built environments that are healthy, safe, and thriving. As a daughter of Somali refugees and native Portlander, I've witnessed the profound effects of underrepresentation in civic leadership and local decision-making. Together, let's reimagine a brighter, healthier, and safer future for Portland.

Ahlam’s Key Issues

Environmental and Climate Advocacy:
My goal is to advocate for climate justice by prioritizing climate resiliency for frontline communities, recognizing the interrelation of the climate crisis with urban infrastructure, housing, and health disparities. I aim to promote equal environmental protection for all, irrespective of race, color, or national origin, within an intersectional environmentalism framework.

People-First, Human-Centered, and Inclusive Approach to Local Decision Making:
People and communities must be viewed as assets and as key actors in the issues that impact them the most. This includes youth, immigrants, refugees, and historically left out voices. A community-driven process increases the flow of critical data from communities and community leaders to policy-makers.

Economic Justice, Support for Small Businesses and Entrepreneurship:
My goal is to promote economic justice by advocating for fair and equitable economic systems that address income inequality, wealth gaps, poverty, and systemic barriers to financial opportunity for all individuals and communities.

Values

Environmental Justice and Economic Empowerment

Equitable and Inclusive Civic Engagement

Social Justice and Racial Equity

About Me

Ahlam Osman is a young Somali American who explores the intersectionalities of race and climate issues and believes in the importance of empowering communities through policy advocacy and building political power. Osman served on The Multnomah Youth Commission, the official youth policy body for both Multnomah County and the City of Portland, from her first year of high school to her first year of university.

From 2018 to 2020, Osman interned at Metro's Waste Prevention and Environmental Services department, gaining insights into regional waste management and the influence of unique regional bodies like Metro. Her experiences with MYC, Metro, and volunteering at grassroots organizations underscored the importance of community awareness of local government systems and the need for policymakers to actively engage with communities.

Ahlam is a Portland State student studying community development with a focus on creating platforms that tackle environmental disparities in frontline communities, including Black, brown, and immigrant groups. Passionate about environmental justice and equitable, sustainable development, she uses her skills in problem-solving, community engagement, and creative thinking to infuse equity into her work.

Beyond her environmental efforts, Ahlam is a small business owner; and co-founder of a new coffee shop in town, Above GRND Coffee. As an urbanist and multidisciplinary professional, this passion project shows her commitment to what she calls community-economic development through place-making in Portland’s local business landscape.

Family History

In the early 1990s, my parents fled their home in Mogadishu, with my 6 siblings, during the country’s bloody civil war. My family spent four years in a refugee camp in Kenya, where conditions were cramped and necessities scarce. Our family survived, thanks to financial support from my father’s uncle who lived in Los Angeles.

My uncle helped bring my family to California, but they moved to Portland five years later after my mother developed asthma. Portland, they thought, offered cleaner air – though we later realized it was far from pristine, especially during fire season. Portland has one of the worst air quality rates, and living and growing up in SE Portland which has higher levels of pollution and less tree canopy, doesn’t help.

I am my parents' youngest daughter, and I have 10 siblings. I come from a lineage of survivors, hard-workers, and changemakers, and I plan to honor this legacy by continuing this line of work.

Leadership

Momentum Alliance Board Member

Verde Action 501c4 Board Member

82nd Ave Business Association Board Member

Experience

Small Business Owner / Entrepreneur:
Co-founder and Co-owner of Above GRND Coffee

Community Development Student at Portland State University

Completed the 2023 Black Excellence Leadership Table (BELT) with Unite Oregon

Multnomah Youth Commissioner (Voting Member and Youth Against Violence Committee Co-Chair) 2016-2020

Metro Waste Prevention and Environmental Services (WPES) Metro Internship Cohort

Faithfully Sustainable Volunteer Organizer

Accomplishments

Somali Empowerment Circle (SEC):
Directed webinars on affordable housing, led behavioral health focus groups, connected stakeholders to policy-makers throughout Multnomah and Washington County, connected community members to housing, and maternal health resources. Housing justice work in partnership with Housing Connector and Housing Multnomah Now. This year, I have been working on building an environmental justice and advocacy program with a specific focus and strategy on collecting data and conducting research with the Black and African populations in East / SE Portland, and working on environmental programming with Portland Harbor Community Coalition (PHCC) to engage youth of color and families impacted by the Portland Harbor EPA SuperFund Site.

AYCO Youth Environmental & Workforce Development Coordinator:
Collaborated with local organizations and groups to develop community-driven plans for youth and families, implemented workforce development programming for high school and college youth, and monitored progress toward environmental and economic development goals. Knowledge-building sessions on local political systems and on the importance of political power in steering change. Engaged in partnerships with groups organizing the redevelopment of 82nd avenue, such as Verde and Better 82nd Coalition. Started partnership with Portland Harbor Community Coalition.

CLEAResult- Energy Efficiency Program Intern:
Managed data, engaged customers, represented programs at events, and supported community engagement and DEI initiatives in ClearResult's and Energy Trust's energy efficiency program. Learned about the Energy (efficiency) industry and the marginalized communities facing the most energy burdens.

Endorsements

Media

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*Paid for by Friends Of Ahlam Osman [PAC ID: #2368]