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F ebruary 2 8 , 1 9 9 6 • T he P ortland O bserver
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Tenants’
Rights
Portland Residents Unveil Action Plan
North Portland residents are
working with Housing Our Fami­
lies to transform their community
On Monday, February 26, they w ill
hold a neighborhood forum to un­
veil an Action Plan for 1996. The
A ctio n Plan includes over 14
projects to be implemented over
the course o f 1996 by neighbor­
hood residents and community or­
ganizations.
Since 1994, Housing Our Fami­
lies has been working with residents
o f North Portland's Boise Neighbor­
hood on a series o f projects to im ­
prove the livability o f the communi­
program, and a neighborhood Fes
tival. Projects are coordinated by
community members, and include
volunteers from all over the T ri-
County area.
At this meeting, as neighborhood
residents discuss the 1996 Action
Plan, meeting participants w ill state
how they w ill contribute to another
successful year.
ty
These projects have included a
neighborhood Foot Patrol, a series o f
neighborhood clean-ups, a tutoring
Carbon Monoxide Detectors Can Save Lives
With the end o f the home heating
season still two months away, carbon
monoxide poisoning remains a threat
; in Oregon. Unfortunately, it is a
threat some Oregonians may not ap­
preciate until it’s too late.
An industry resource group esti­
mates that carbon monoxide poison­
ing k ill 1,500 people a year, repre­
senting fully half o f the fatal poison­
ing in the United States. But only 19
percent o f Americans believe that in
th eir otherw ise n o rm a l-lo o k in g
homes, an invisible k ille r could be
present.
Just last week, Portland General
Electric’s Joann Woods fielded a
customer service call from a Beaver­
ton woman whose carbon monoxide
detector was going off. Woods said
she instructed the woman to open
windows and doors to let in fresh air.
After follow ing Woods’ instructions,
the alarm shut off.
“ She thought som ething was
wrong with the detector. What she
forgot about was that she had let her
car warm up in the garage earlier.
She didn’t realize that carbon mon­
oxide from the garage was seeping
into her house,” Woods said.
A colorless, odorless gas, carbon
monoxide can accumulate to toxic
levels without occupants even know­
ing it. Early symptoms o f carbon
monoxide poisoning resemble tlu,
causing headaches, fatigue, nausea
and dizziness. Prolonged exposure
can render victims unconscious and
eventually can lead to death.
In December’s w ind storm, a
H illsboro fam ily nearly died o f car­
bon monoxide poisoning from burn­
ing a charcoal barbecue g rill in their
house for heat after they lost power.
The 9-1-1 dispatcher who took the
emergency call instructed the family
to open all windows and get to an
open doorway.
When paramedics arrived, they
found the fam ily lying unconscious
on the livin g room floor near the
front door.
The main source o f carbon mon­
oxide in homes is faulty or improper­
ly installed appliances that operate
on combustible fuel, like propane,
gas, o il, coal or wood. Industry ex­
perts estimate that 63 percent o f
American homes are equipped with
fireplaces.
“ Carbon monoxide is a particular
threat here in Oregon, since so many
people use wood-burning stoves and
fireplaces for heat,” said Nancy M ill­
er, PGE’s home safety product man­
ager.
Oregon ’ s stringent bui Iding codes
also can contribute to carbon monox­
ide problems, M ille r said. W hile the
extra insulation and sealing required
by state codes m inimize drafts, these
“ tight” homes also can trap carbon
monoxide. Chicago already man­
dates carbon monoxide detectors in
homes. Several states, including
Washington, are considering sim ilar
legislation.
*
“ In time, carbon monoxide detec­
tors w ill take their place beside smoke
detectors in every home,” M iIler said.
Learn your rights as a renter at
Oregon Housing N O W !’s tenant fo­
rum. The forum w ill include a legal
overview o f the Landlord/Tenant
Law in Oregon and a discussion on
how tenants can collectively act to
strengthen their rights as renters. Th is
is a rare opportunity to learn valuable
legal information.
This event w ill be held Thursday
March 7th, 7:00 pm, at the Inner City
Lutheran Ministries, 4219 NE ML.K
Jr. Bv (Bus #6). This event is free,
wheelchairaccessible, and childcare
w ill be available at no cost.
^3
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Metro CDC has four homes for sale to qualified low-moderate income
families or individuals. We plan to offer 15-20 homes a year under our
Home Ownership Program. A ll interested in our program must complete a
Home Buyers Club program and training being sponsored by Portland
Housing Center and CDC.
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2/15/96
at 6:30PM
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2545 E. Burnside, OFFC.
All interested are invited
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