PORTLAND

The City of Portland is considering a plan to create a new office that would help integrate immigrants into the community and provide more economic opportunities for people facing employment challenges.

On Tuesday, the proposal to create the Office of Economic Opportunity was forwarded to the City Council with a unanimous recommendation from the city’s Economic Development Committee.

The budget for the office would be $260,000 and it would be staffed by a director and two program managers. One of the program managers would focus on immigrants and the other on people of color and young people.

The council is expected to take up the proposal Dec. 19. The Economic Development Committee had been working on the plan for eight months.

“What we’re trying to do is show we are a welcoming community and that we want to be a convener and collaborator in the community,” City Councilor David Brenerman, who leads the economic committee, told the Portland Press Herald.

“(The city is) not going to help somebody find a job specifically, but we may link you to a service provider in the community who can help you find a job.”

The office would try to improve coordination, communication and collaboration with existing community service providers. It would also collect data, connect immigrant workers with employers, increase internship opportunities and find ways to address challenges immigrants face, such as improving English proficiency for people trying to find jobs.