œi’f ^Jorthxnò (©bseruer A p ril 5. 2006 H ousing ê Buy a bucket Buy a bin Save a bundle Stand Up For Your Rights Renters group a The alliance is on a mission offers resources to educate and empower low- by S arah B lount T he P ortland O bserver As I sat down last spring to sign a lease for a home with a property management company, 1 realized the company had many rules, regulations and rights. Shortly after I moved, my two housemates and I discov ered that our backyard was a disaster zone of buried glass, rusted machinery parts, utensils and even some old clothing and bones. When it became appar ent that the foreign material would continue to rise to the surface no matter how hard we tried to remove it, we called the management company and ex plained our situation. An em ployee responded the next day, but he told us their client, the house’s owner, was already aware of the backyard mess and had no intention of remov ing it. We began to wonder, what are our rights as renters? I checked out a library book on Oregon landlord and tenant law, which taught me that a landlord is to maintain premises in a habitable condition. I knew that anyone walking barefoot in my hazardous backyard would need a tetanus shot, so I checked out another book on tenant rights and learned how to write a de mand letter for the services we needed. I got the result I wanted, straight from the com pany’s owner. She personally inspected my yard and we came up with some solutions. I learned a little about my rights as a renter, but it turns out I could have received even more education and support at the Community Alliance ofTenants. The alliance is on a mission to educate and empower low-in come and minority renters to demand affordable, stable and safe rental homes. As an organization for ten ants by tenants, the grassroots alliance also promotes the cre ation of more affordable hous ing. “There’s a lack in both pri vate housing and subsidized markets,” said Elisa Aguilera, the alliance’s lead organizer. She said federal cuts have reduced low-income housing availability, and private market rent is going up as property value skyrockets. “We see a lot of a families doubling up,” she said. “Folks are settl ing for substandard hous ing because they can’t afford to shop around for better options." The group's website has re sources to give renters a stron ger voice and empower them to advocate for themselves. It isn’t Connect the Dots to Rent or Buy continued from A5 paredness class that helps people repair their credit, establish a bud get and understand the rental ap plication process. M atheson said with more people buying homes there are fewer rental vacancies, and rent pricesare on the rise. With so many homebuyers, more rental properties are available. “What I understand from land lords is that’s starting to turn, and there will be vacancies," she said. Page A 7 income and minority renters to demand affordable, stable and safe rental homes. a substitute for the advice of an attorney, but has general infor mation, advice and tips, as well as links to legal aid and Oregon laws. Tenants with additional questions can leave voice mes sages with the Renters’ Rights Hotline at 503-288-0130. The alliance has two pro grams, run mostly by volun teers and members: the Hous ing Justice Program focuses on affordable housing issues and the term ination of 30-day no cause evictions. The Safe Housing Project organizes for imm ediate repairs in apart ment complexes and promotes law s a g a in s t su b s ta n d a rd housing. Volunteers with the R enter S tability E ducation Program run the hotline and workshops on renters’ rights. Since forming in 1996, they've counseled nearly 20,000 ten ants through their hotline, and worked with other groups to win passage for the city of Portland’s “no net loss policy”, w hich provides affordable housing in gentrified central- city neighborhoods. The Community Alliance of Tenants is currently asking City Council to commit $30 million for affordable housing and are lobbying for the Portland De velopment Commissions to com mit 30 percent of urban renewal funds to affordable housing. If you are interested in joining or supporting the Community A lliance o f T enants, visit www.oregoncat.org and click the “getting involved" or “join CAT" links. 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