îlft ^înrtlanh (Pbsewer
Page 4
August 27, 2014
1
~~
-
. ...... —
. ...
i.
photo by T racey ’s U n -4-G ettable P hotography
Roy Jay o f the African American Chamber o f Commerce, m aster o f ceremonies for the 79th anniver­
sary o f the Portland Leisure Hour Golf Club, poses with the student club members who won scholar­
ships during the recent celebration, Briget Lang (from left), Silas Melson and Kenya Spears.
Diversity in Golf for 70 Years
His Legacy
W ill Live O n
Portland Leisure Hour Golf Club, A m erican Cham ber Com m erce,
a non-profit organization that has served as master o f ceremonies. He
brought diversity to the game of received warm thanks and a stand­
golf since the 1940s held their 70th ing ovation for helping raise $30,000
anniversary this month. It was a in donations for the organization.
special event not just for the cel­
Leisure Hour Golf Club Chairman
ebration but for all that attended.
Bob Williams presented three lucky
Roy Jay, president o f the African students o f the club $3,000 scholar-
Housing Options Open Up
continued
Charles H. Washington
P ublisher and E ditor - in -C hief
of the P ortland O bserver
Dec. 18 1951 - Dec. 8 2012
Summer in
ships to attend the college of their
choice. Jay then called the students
on stage and presented them addi­
tional gifts of $500each from him and
his wife. Wow! did those kids/ eyes
light up! Then everyone gave Jay
another standing ovation and he re­
ceived hugs from all three students.
from fro n t
action against their landlords.
Hendler said that the path to
opening up more housing options
for low-income residents is longer
than we might expect.
“People can still do credit checks
and discriminate against tenants,
but this law will prevent landlords
from simply denying Section 8
vouchers altogether,” she said.
“This is still am assive gain for com­
munities of color. Basically it’s say­
ing that you cannot discriminate
against someone just because they
have a Section 8 voucher. It’s a step
in the right direction and that’s the
important part.”
It remains unclear how many
apartment complexes and homes
have opened up to Section 8 renters
since the July 1 onset o f the new law.
While obviously it will take more
time to see what kind of long-term
results are created by its implemen-
J a m b a la y a F e s tiv e a l & B B Q
Saturday, Septem ber 6, noon to 6 p.m.
Dawson Park
F e atu ring live m u sic by:
R andy S tarr and the P layers, P a rlia m e n t
F u n ka d e lic T ribute Band, C ool B reeze
$15 each o r $45 fo r fa m ily o f fo u r
V isit: m e a lso n w h e e lsp e o p le .o rg
fo r tickets
tation, housing advocates predict
that at least some Section 8 recipi­
ents will move towards the city cen­
ter in reverse of past trends that saw
disadvantaged residents pushed
further out.
Hendler expressed concern that
it might be too late to reverse the
effects o f gentrification. “It is never
too late to diversify acommunity, but
it’s hard to say what kind o f results to
expect. We can plant the seeds of
change in these areas but it will take
time for our efforts to show. This isn’t
just about what people can afford but
about where they feel comfortable
and where they can find the resources
they need. It will be years before
things like black churches or Asian
grocery stores can move, and they
are the biggest indicators of where a
community grows,” she said.
Jill Smith, who works for the hous­
ing agency Home Forward and was
involved in the formation of the bill
said that she expects to see the
effects of this new legislation in
about six months. “Right now it’s
hard to tell,” she said.
Smith has helped provide land­
lord training on Section 8 housing,
training that will hopefully provide
new residents and landlords with
the tools they need to adjust to the
new anti-discrimination bill.