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Volume XLIV
‘City 0/Roses’
Number 34
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Wedne;
Wednesday • August 27, 2014
43
Breakout Fight
Portland boxer
hopes to punch
ticket to the pros
Established in 1970
ip s iT r ®
Humboldt Gardens in the Humboldt Neighborhood of north Portland is a diverse housing community operated by Home Forward. The housing agency has always ac
cepted Section 8 participants.
Housing Options
Open Up
Section 8 reform bill
goes into effect
O livia O livia
T he P ortland O bserver
by
Hopes are high for a Section 8 reform bill that went into
effect this summer that might help reverse the effects of
gentrification and curb discrimination. In 2013, the Oregon
of
Committed to Cultural Diversity ^cmmmmitv service
Legislature took an important step forward in expanding
affordable housing options for low-income residents by
preventing landlords from categorically refusing to rent to
Section 8 voucher recipients.
House Speaker Tina Kotek put forward House Bill 2639
that passed both chambers and was signed into law by Gov.
John Kitzhaber. The law protects low-income Oregonians
and welcomes landlords to rent to a wider variety of resi
dents. It also establishes a fund for landlords to be reim
bursed for any damages incurred by housing residents who
qualify for the federal Section 8 rent subsidies.
The bill went into effect in July, but its impact may take
some time to have any measurable effect, according to
attorney Lin J. Hendler who follows housing cases closely
and has represented Section 8 recipients who have taken
continued
on page 4