As Portland continues grappling with rising housing costs, homelessness, and budget pressures, city leaders have appointed Quisha Light to serve as interim director of the Portland Housing Bureau during a critical leadership transition.
Deputy City Administrator for Community and Economic Development Donnie Oliveira announced Tuesday that Light will take over the bureau May 18, the same day current Interim Director Michael Buonocore departs to lead Home Forward, the region’s public housing authority.
“I am grateful to Quisha for her willingness to step up and lead this bureau and ensure there is no lapse in leadership as the City makes challenging budget decisions to address the ongoing housing and budgetary crises,” Oliveira said. “She brings a customer-focused lens to the work, and when we are talking about providing housing to Portlanders, that service can be life-saving.”
Light currently serves as manager of the city’s Public Works Customer Service Division, where she oversees citywide customer service strategy, affordability programs, service delivery systems, and modernization efforts aimed at improving accessibility and equity in public services.
She also previously served as interim director of the Portland Water Bureau, overseeing nearly 600 employees during a period of operational and organizational transition.
Light joined the City of Portland in 2022 as the Water Bureau’s director of customer service, where she led technology modernization initiatives and efforts to improve customer operations. Before entering public service, she spent more than a decade at Portland General Electric working in legal affairs, strategy, integrated resource planning, and product development, including work on clean energy and demand response programs. Prior to joining PGE, she practiced law in Tennessee.
City leaders said Light’s background in managing large public systems, overseeing customer service modernization, and navigating organizational transitions positioned her to lead the bureau during a period of financial uncertainty and growing demand for housing services.
The Portland Housing Bureau plays a central role in the city’s efforts to address housing affordability, homelessness prevention, rental assistance, and development of affordable housing throughout Portland.
Oliveira also thanked Buonocore for his leadership during his time overseeing the bureau.
“Thank you, Michael, for your partnership and for leading this team with expertise, passion, and empathy,” Oliveira said. “As your colleague and friend, I am grateful that I had the opportunity to work with you again and trust our collaboration will continue in the future.”
Buonocore will transition to Home Forward, where he will oversee housing programs and services for thousands of residents across Multnomah County.
