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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (March 25, 2016)
News Street Roots • March 25-31,2016 JOYCE, fro m p ag e 4 extensions for staying in the Joyce until mid April, while another said there was a 72-hour eviction notice for one tenant behind on payments. The relationship between PPM and DZ Real Estate has been on rocky ground for several years. Tacke said that PPM and DZ Real Estate had been negotiating to secure a long-term lease for more than 2J/2 years, only to find out that DZ was also working to sell the building and evict PPM and all the tenants. In June 2015, PPM filed a legal complaint against DZ for an implied lease fraud and bad faith, among other claims, for stringing them along while pursuing the sale. That case was settled earlier this month. According to Tacke, DZ agreed to pay PPM a significant monetary sum for damages and costs. PPM agreed to delay collection of the settlement to allow for a sale or transfer of ownership. That settlement also stated that PPM would vacate the premises by April 30 of this year and work to transition the operations to CCC and sell the building to the Portland Housing Bureau. On Monday, March 21, Zilka terminated negotiations for the sale. The Joyce was PPM’s only current operation in Portland. The company does own and operate multiple housing units in Longview, Wash. All of those facilities are at 100 percent capacity with a waiting list, Tacke said. Tacke said had they been able to secure a long-term lease, they had intended to do improvements to the hotel, including installing an elevator, adding common kitchenettes to each floor, and various room upgrades. The four story building currently has no elevator. “We knew it would never be the Hilton,” Tacke said, “but we wanted it to be nice.” Creager said the city did cost assessments for repairs and estimated it could take up to $12 million to get the building into proper condition, which could be drawn from the tax increment financing revenue from the South Blocks Urban Renewal Area. Rooms at the Joyce started at $19 for a hostel bed, and went up to $40 for a single room and $214 to rent for the week. Despite its being a hotel, some residents have lived there for many years as their primary dwelling. Social service agencies, hospitals and the police have also relied on the Joyce when they Page 5 needed an immediate, safe and temporary housing option for someone experiencing homelessness. It was one of the few places that didn’t flinch at a criminal record. The hotel’s staff had years of experience working with people who had experienced homelessness, mental health issues and other complications to housing. When the Joyce’s likely closure was made public in January, it drew alarm from housing officials because of the loss in weekly, low-cost housing rates, often referred to as single-resident occupancy hotels, or SROs. While the future of thé building isn’t known at this time, it is unlikely to remain low-cost housing. As such, the city takes another hit on its “no net loss” policy, which has been losing ground since it was enacted in 2001. That policy aimed to preserve the city’s dwindling supply of housing for people making 60 percent of the median family income or below. At the time the policy was put into writing, the city counted 8,286 units in it’s inventory for lower income residents. Last year, a report showed that number had dropped to less than 7,000. Hubert called the situation one of two tragedies - the immediate housing loss for the residents and the larger loss to the community. “This is a community resource that has been around for decades,” Hubert said. “It’s another setback on the no-net-loss policy and it’s unfortunate.” The housing bureau’s Creager said the door remains open if the seller, DZ Real Estate, reconsiders its decision to abandon negotiations. Since the eviction notice was posted at the start of the year, many residents have left, said the hotel’s front desk manager, Debby. Debby declined to give her last name and has since left PPM. “It bothers me that people have moved out because of it, have worried because of it,” she said. “We had people check out over the weekend who were long-term residents. Maybe they can come back. I don’t know.” Creager said there might be some assistance available to residents who left the hotel after the notice and before CCC’s visits this week. They are encouraged to contact the Portland Housing Bureau at 503-823-2375. John in St Johns By Simon How or why I’m not too sure but me and John got to talking about what are saints and who that day on that wet street might qualify a man with more that gives a little or a man with little that still can give and though we came to no conclusion near St Johns bridge we built another for words to cross and meet each other Thanks John a n d Street Roots Keep up the good work. Living on the Edge By Sophia Xavier When I’m down-n-out living for the moment wondering where to stay. My Lord will keep me free this I pray. Knowing my heart will be better with a warm bed and a safe place at night. Learning to stay out of the dark shadows of the day’s early light. I went from a lonely soul to a healthy h e a rt Only to learn of a day’s heavy chore, I must do my part. I try to conceive in my mind that I can’t keep abusing my thoughts of hopelessness. But to overpower the thoughts is the freshness of the day’s early rays of the sun. So when in doubt, try not to be mad at yourself and give yourself that early sta rt Before living on the edge. joanne@ streetroots.org PHC N orthw est SISTERS OF THE ROAD.org ffeyond Limitations™ Dine © Barter Share ng & jobs for People with Disabilities www.phonw.com 563-261 -1266 33 NW Sixth 503.222.5694
