Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (June 19, 2015)
Street Roots • June 19-25, 2015 News Page 11 Eviction education, in a comic book form About the book “ Know Your Rights: Don’t Get evicted!” The comic book was funded with a $10,000 grant from paper company Sappi, $4,600 from the Regional Arts and Culture Council and additional funds from Community Alliance of Tenants (CAT), In all, the project cost roughly $18,000. A total of 2,500 English copies have been printed, and it’s currently being translated for an additional 1,000 Spanish-Janguage copies. Since the book came out in March, more than 1,000 copies have been distributed . CAT plans to place copies in BY JARED PABEN when they receive a no-cause, since there is almost no ability to fight it. If they move out before the end of the 30- or 60-day notice n the comic, the renters’ attorney asks period, it doesn’t go to court, so there is no in court whether the landlord has any public record.’! documentation proving the tenants are No-cause evictions, in contrast to for- bad and should be fbrced to move out. “They’re terrible tenants; they just ARE!” cause or nonpayment of rent evictions, are “the primary way for a landlord or developer the landlord replies.1 to empty the unit to remodel, flip or The renter responds, holding up demolish and redevelop the property,” Buri documentation: “Your honor, we asked for said. .. repairs, and received an eviction notice “In this process, not only is the current three days later. This is clearly retaliation.” tenant displaced, but we lost overall The scene is included in a new comic affordability,” he said, “sincethe rent will be book created by the Portland-based much higher with the redevelopment” organizations Community Alliance of Overall, average apartment rents in the Tenants (CAT) and Know Your City. The Portland metro area are continuing to comic book, called “Know Your Rights: increase at an annual rate of 11 percent, Don’t Get Evicted,” aims to deliver according to: a fall 2014 report by important renters’ rights information in a Multifamily NW, a rental-housing fun and accessible format association. “Many tenants .may learn about their Redevelopment and gentrification is . rights through the comic book that would “undoubtedly” causing an increase in not have learned about them from more no-cause evictions, but data is limited, Buri traditional forms of information like said. Very few renters who receive no-cause pamphlets and information sheets,” said termination notices take the dispute to . Julia Olsen, director of the Portland court. A CAT survey showed only about 1 in Regional Office of Legal Aid Services of 10 hotline callers who received a no-cause Oregon. Her office provides legal assistance eviction notice also received an order from a to low-income residents of Multnomah, judge removing them from their home. And, Clackamas; Wasco, Hood River and Sherman out of 2,166 evictions tracked over a four- counties. month period, 4.7 percent filed in “Getting theword out to tenants about Multnomah County courts were no-cause their rights in as many formats arid exactions, according to an September 2013 1 languages as possible is more important policy brief from the Multnomah County thatf ever right now because of the Health Department. historically tight rental market;” she said. In contrast, renters facing eviction for The comic book comes at a time of nonpayment of rent generally lack money for increasing redevelopment and gentrification another rental, so they stay and keep a roof in Portland neighborhoods, leading to the over their heads until a judge orders them displacement of residents. Portland received out, Buri said. 254 applications to demolish single-family CAT is currently working with a research houses in 2013, a number that hadn’t been partner to collect and analyze more data on no-cause evictions, Buri said. In addition to seen since before the Great Recession, surveying, that process will include using according to the Portland Bureau of focus groups with tenants. Other cities, such Planning and Sustainability. Between 2010 to 2014, the city has allowed more than 900 ( as Seattle and San Francisco, have used the information to map trends in gentrification; demolitions of single-family residences. Each quarter, CAT provides counseling But the prevalence of no-cause evictions, for 120 to 170 evictions-related callers, Buri a category of eviction often used to remove said. That estimate, however, is largely a residents in anticipation of redevelopment, ' reflection of CAT’s staff and volunteer is difficult to quantify. capacity to respond to calls, not the demand “There is no recording mechanism for that’s out there. Demandis increasing, he no-causfe terminations, so we don’t even said, and CAT doesn’t have the resources to have estimates,” said Justin Buri, executive | respond to every caller. director of CAT. “Most tenants move out C O N TR IB U TIN G W RITER = I public libraries and upload a digital copy to the CAT website. Donations are welcome, although renters who need a copy can get one for no charge. A R T W O R K BY BECKY H A W K IN S The hope is the comic book helps educate renters on their rights before trîèÿ run into trouble. The medium was also chosen to put legai information in a story format to accommodate people with different learning styles. The comic book is the brainchild of Buri, who realized renters weren’t seeking out information on their légal rights Until they were already neck-deep in eviction proceedings. Some people contacted CAT for help when they had a court proceeding scheduled for the folloxving day, he said. “Oftentimes, tenants didn’t proactively arm themselves xvith information until it was too late,” Buri said. The book includes three scenarios: a woman facing eviction for nonpayment of rent, à wheelchair-bound man facing a for- cause eviction over clutter near his front door and a family facing a no-cause eviction after asking their landlord for repairs. Portland artist Becky Hawkins was selected through a competitive process to illustrate the book. “I hope that it presents an accessible face to something that’s usually riot,” she said. The book reflects reality, both in the stories presented and the art. *1 actually went to evictions court one morning partly to see what the evictions process looks like and partly to make sketches,” Hawkins said. Working on a social-justice-oriented project was gratifying, she said, although she was so involved in the nuts -and bolts of creating it the significance didn’t immediately hit her. The subject matter was, at times, difficult, Hawkins said. She heard a story of a family forced to retrieve their pet from the Humane Society because the landlord had called for it to be picked up while the family was out getting a moving truck. “Ideally, also, some landlord js going to read that and find out their responsibilities,” she said of the book, “or have some more understanding of how their actions xxdll impact their renters.” Visit Community Alliance o f Tenants at OregonCAT.org or call the C AT Renters’ Rights Hotline at 503-288-0130 (hours are Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 1-5 p.m., Tuesday 6-8 p.m.). llfÉ Street Roots is a 501(c)3, nonprofit organization. Your donation may be tax deductible.
