PORTLAND, Ore. — The City of Portland has agreed to pay the former head of the city's housing bureau roughly six months' salary in return for her resignation. Shannon Callahan will receive a little more than $87,000, according to a severance agreement obtained by KGW through a public records request.
The agreement was signed July 18, the same day the city announced Callahan’s departure.
"Director Callahan has worked on behalf of the Portland Housing Bureau and the people of Portland, and we are grateful for her service," Commissioner Dan Ryan in a statement.
Callahan’s last day at the housing bureau will be August 1.
"It has been an absolute privilege to work with the dedicated, passionate and exceptional team of public servants at the bureau," Callahan said in a farewell message posted online. "The time has come, though, for me to move on to new challenges and opportunities. Quite simply, I have accomplished what I set out to in my time at the bureau."
Callahan joined the bureau as director in 2017 after the abrupt resignation of her predecessor, Kurt Creager. Creager reportedly received a similar severance package worth $96,714 in exchange for his resignation.
It is not uncommon for bureau directors to be offered money in exchange for a quiet exit.
Callahan led the bureau during a housing emergency, and oversaw the city’s ten-year goal to create 2,000 new units of supportive housing for the homeless.
City officials said a national search is underway to find a replacement for Callahan.
