July is, 2007______________________________________ __ rt la nò (©beeruer________________________________ Page as Condo Conversions Regulated continued from Front for people who want to convert, but doesn’t make it impossible,” he said. Feuerstein said the new law likely won’t slow down condo conversions, but it may have a temporarily negative impact on market conditions if developers rush to conversion between now and the end of the year, in order to avoid the new rules. Meanwhile, the city ordinance that was neverenforced also required $500 in mov­ ing assistance for low-income renters. Commissioner Randy Leonard’s office is working on a new ordinance that would update and enforce the law on a local level, plus require building owners to pay ten­ ants two months’ rent for relocation. Anna Di Benedetto, a representative with Leonard's office, said they hope to present a condo conversion ordinance to council by the end of the summer. The condo issue has personally af­ fected DiBenedetto; in March 2006 she and at least 150 other tenants were dis­ The fast track conversions were made possible because the city never enforced a 1980ordinance requiring 120-day notice to the renters impacted by the loss of their living spaces. Now tenants have more protections through a new state law clarifying that all tenants will get a 120-day notice to move, with penalties for landlords who clear out a building to avoid the waiting period or who excessively increase rent. According to Ian Slingerland of the Community Alliance of Tenants, owners frequently use a no-cause 30-day eviction to clear their buildings for developers and to avoid the longer notice. "Sometimes they simultaneously give an eviction and notice,” he said. "Tenants didn’t usually have resources to chal­ lenge this and it was never litigated.” The new law offers renters an option. “If tenants get eviction notices and they think it’s from conversion, they can stay and ch allen g e it,” Slingerland said, “or they can move and pay atten­ tion. If within a year it’s converted, they can sue for six months’ rent.” Tenants will also enjoy a less tum ultuous housing transition, since the new law limits when construction work can take place in apart­ ment common areas. It will also ensure tenants the op­ portunity to purchase their units during the 120-day period. The city’s old ordinance offered tenants a separate, 60-day opportunity to con­ sider buying their units, but Slingerland said tenants ei­ ther weren't being alerted Three high-rise buildings comprise the Harrison or were only notified of the condominiums in southwest Portland, displacing purchasing option after they residents o f the old Portland Center Apartments. were displaced. The condos sell for $200,000 to $500,000. Between 2005 and 2006 the n u m b er o f c o n d o m in iu m s in placed from theirbuilding at Portland Cen­ Multnomah County increased by 400 per­ ter Apartments in southwest Portland. cent. Many are in north and northeast The owner gave them 30 days’ notice to Portland where residents are already be­ make way for the existing Harrison Condo­ miniums, a set of three neighboring towers ing displaced by gentrification. State Reps. Tina Kotek and Chip that now fetch as much as a half a million Shields, representing north and northeast dollars per unit. DiBenedetto said she felt disenfran­ Portland in Salem, were major proponents chised because, although she was in a of the new condo conversion law. Rep Shields said his district saw the position to buy a condo, the owner ex­ most conversion filings last year - 17 pressed no interest in guiding that pro­ cess. compared to four in 2005. “I was working with a broker,” she said, Slingerland said the new law doesn’t “but when the time came for the 30-days address the problem of condo conver­ notice they were absolutely silent.” sions on existing residents, but mitigates When DiBenedetto's landlord charged the impact so folks can maintain stability tenants for damages after being told they for theirfamilies. The new law, which takes effect Jan. 1, would not, she challenged them with a was scaled down from when it was intro­ letter, pointing out that reconstruction duced. The alliance originally pushed for would cancel out any harm she may have a requirement that developers pay three done to the units. She was instantly refunded, but knew months’ rent, a big issue with realtor and that others, like her 100-year-old neigh­ homebuilding organizations. Portland real estate attorney Howard bor, were likely to just pay the unneces­ Feuerstein helped lead the opposition to sary bill. DiBenedetto now owns a home, but a more sweeping conversion law. He said the new restrictions aren't entirely fair but knowing that many others don’t have the money to bounce back from displacement believes developers can manage. “This creates obstacles and difficulties doesn't sit well with her. P hoto BY M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver Northeast Church Hosts Farm Stand Kao and Johnny Lor sell freshly cut flowers each Sunday at Redeemer Lutheran Church at Northeast 20th Avenue and Killingsworth Street. The father and son are part of the Northeast Neighborhood Farm Stand, an Ecumenical Ministries o f Oregon effort to support local refugee and immigrant farmers and to provide fresh, healthy food for the community. Film Documents Mumia Case for Justice Discussion to follow screening A film showing o f“Mumia: ACase for Reasonable Doubt?” will be hosted by the Freedom Socialist Party and Radical Women on Tuesday, July 24 at 7 p.m. at the Bread and Roses Center, 819 N. Killingsworth Ave. This 1997 documentary analyzes the frame-up and prosecution of Mumia Abu Jamal, a radical commentator and former Black Panther, for the death of a Philadel­ phia police officer. Considered a political prisoner for 25 years. Mumia’s case now stands at a crossroads as the U.S. Court of Appeals considers whether to set an ex­ ecution date, continue his sentence or grant him a new trial. The film will be followed by discussion and plans for immediate community action in response to the court ruling. Donation of $2 w ill be accepted at the door and refreshing snacks will be served for a sliding scale donation of $5 to $10. Proceeds will benefit Mumia’s Legal De­ fense Fund and the Freedom Socialist Newspaper Fund Drive. For information, cal1503-240-4462. Clinic Positioned to Help Underinsured continued from Front story. The clinic’s reduced costs for ser­ vices are threatened by financial diffi­ culties. Hicks recently sent out an e-mail fundraising plea revealing that the clinic had only about a month's worth of op­ erating revenue in its coffers. The financial bind forced Hicks to lay off one of the remaining two nurse prac- Parents are you trying to maximize your child's or young family member's potential? Then we have the place for you... It's called SEI Academy, a place where youth potential is realized! We are a m iddle school th a t guarantees... •Small class sizes w ith project-based hands on learning! •Qualified teachers & student coordinators w ho seek & expect high achievem ent from all students! •An exciting and challenging state benchm ark based core curriculum ! •Effective accelerated learning instruction. •Extended resources & an after school program th a t w ill enhance any student's educational experience! •50 % of our student body made "H onor Role!" 4^ this year by m aintaining a 3.0 grade p o in t average V* (GPA) or higher! •A safe & fun environm ent! Spread the w o rd .. .the place to be is SEI Academy. We still have open spots for incoming 6th graders! titioners and to reduce the number of hours that the clinic is open. “It’s still a dire situation," she says. The clinic now has about a two-month financial window, and Hicks thinks that a surge in donations will push the organiza­ tion through the tumultuous changes. With 60 to 75 percent of the clinic's revenue historically coming from large donations, Taylor sees the clinic's failure to hire a grant writer this year as crucial. "I wish them well," she says. “ 1 "but it’s too little too late." The clinic's non-profit board-of-directors chair ar­ gues that Taylor’s firing was a necessary evil. “O f the three m ajor changes in the last year, that was the h a rd e st," Bud ByIsma says, “but we had to do what we had to do.” Both sides agree that an im passe re su lte d from Taylor’s insistence on pro­ viding co m p re h e n siv e health care, not from the quality of health care provided. The Downtown Lion's “Pride of Portland" plaque given to T ay lor in 1999 remains displayed in the patient waiting room. Using Taylor's rich legacy, Hicks wants to ftnd new ways to make a greater variety of subsidized services financially viable. "Even for families with an insurance ben­ efit, adding your children is generally an additional cost, and for the working poor, that additional cost may be well beyond their reach," she says. Taylor puts it another way. She asks. “Until we get universal access to health care, where else are they going to go?" "Trust the people that are there," Tay­ lor adds. "They’re going to do the best they can.” Without any direct involvement with the clinic's controversial changes. Hicks deems herself well positioned to “move forward." "Right now w e're doing a lot ol housecleaning, as you can imagine," she says. "W e're looking forward to great­ ness.” Il,r JJortlanh (ftbscrucr Established 1970 USPS 959-680 ___________________________________ 4 7 4 7 NE Martin Luther King. Jr. Blvd., Portland. OR 97211 E ditor - in -C h i u . Pi iiiiMim: Charles H. Washington E iw o K .M ic h a e l L e ig h to n Disr kihi iio n M anaotr : M a rk W a s h in g to n CnKATivr. D ikuctok : P a u l N e u fe ld t Aovm i is ix ii : K a th y L in d e r O rnct M anai . i r : S h a ro n S p e rry R iriim ir : S a ra h B lo u n t Ripimrm: N ic o le R o n a l H o o p e r The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and w ill be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope A ll created design display ads become the Mile property of the newspaper and cannot be used in other publications or personal usage * ithout the wntten consent of the general manager, unless the client has purchased the composition of such ad » • I 1* * 1 THE P O R T LA N D OBSERVER A L L RIGHTS RESI RVF.D. R l PRODI C T IO N IN W H O ! I < >R IN PART W IT T IO l I PERMISSIO N IS P R O H IB ITE D The Portland Observer Oregon’ s Oldest M u lticu ltural Publication -is a member of the National Newspaper Association founded in IKX5 and The National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers. Inc . New York. 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