Page 5
December IO. 2014
Housing Crisis
can American property owners, rent
ers, and businesses. To many in the
aside to support affordable hous community, the proposed develop
ing after last year’s failed attempt to ment in the heart of a historically
build a Trader Joe’s in northeast black neighborhood was perceived
as an attack.
Portland.
Thursday night was a chance for
The development at Northeast
Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard community leaders to hear the re
and Alberta Street was backed by sults from past efforts to bring af
the Portland Development Commis fordable housing to the city and to
sion, but ran into opposition by a speak on the desires of the African-
public with memories of a long and American community.
Common themes were the high
often painful history of displace
ment that has followed many of price of housing, closing costs, a
Portland’s past urban renewal ef lack of appropriately sized homes at
forts, the impacts of which have affordable prices, tight lending prac
been felt most deeply among Afri- tices, high interest rates and anti-
c o n t i n u e d f r o m page 3
PHOTO by
O livia O livia / T he P ortland O bserver
Bishop Steven Holt o f International Fellowship Family leads a
discussion during a Thursday forum with the African-American
faith community on affordable housing needs.
Writer Wins Prestigious Award
c o n t i n u e d f r o m page 3
from Portland State University, was
just named the winner of the Baton
Rouge Area Foundation's annual
Gaines Award for Literary Excel
lence for his novel, “The Residue
Years”.
The ceremony will be held on Jan.
22 at the Manship Theatre in down
town Baton Rouge. The Gaines
Award is a nationally acclaimed
annual prize offering $ 10,000 to Af
rican American fiction writers. This
year's ceremony will be free and
open to the public but seats must be
reserved in advance.
The Residue Years is a semi-au
tobiographical novel based on
Jackson's experiences growing up
in Portland and watching his mother
deal with the fall out of neighbor
hood violence and her personal bout
with drug addiction.
Jackson's novel has been se
lected by the Multnomah County
Library to be the 2015 Everybody
Reads selection - meaning that extra
copies of his books will be available
to local readers, and that Literary
Arts will be hosting a reading with
Jackson at the Arlene Schnitzer
Concert Hall in March.
The Multnomah County Library
will also be releasing a host of cul
tural programming to encourage
local readers to check out Jackson's
book and share their feelings on his
story.
S u b s c r ib e 5O3-288-°°33
Attn: Subscriptions, The
$45.00for 3 months«$80.00for6 mo. • $ 125.00 Portland Observer, PO Box
for 1 year (please include check with fo rm )
3 j 37, portland OR 97208.
N ame : _______________________________
T elephone : __________________________
A ddress : _____________________________
or email subscriptions@portlandobserver.com
"Your Budget is our mission"
BUDGET INSURANCE
E N T E R P R IS E S . L L C
AUTO
HOME
Advertise with diversity
" ■ '4 ■ ■" '.ce w
in
n ie P< )rt land Observer
Call 503-288-0033
DURAN BEASLEY
DANNY CHAN
At Budget we work with many insurance
companies to find the best fit for your
needs and to fit your Budget.
Call today for a free quote!
LIFE
BUSINESS
HEALTH
503 515 4377
ads@
portlandobscrver.<om
black discrimination in lending in
general.
Many faith leaders expressed that
their congregation members were
losing homes because they could
not afford to repair them, along with
the rising costs of owning property
due to property taxes. The cry o f the
night was that it was nearly impos
sible for black families to pass on
wealth and property to the next gen
eration, because it was so difficult
to keep homes.
H ales did acknow ledge that
gentrification and racism have been
rampant in the city but also admitted
that he had no easy solution, even
with the money for housing initia
tives, and that this was reason for
the meeting, to discuss ideas and
set priorities.
Fax 503 610 7011 Office 503 254 7188
1710 NE 82nd Ave Portland, OR 97220
Independent agents serving Oregon & Washington
BOW EIVEL
Classic Cuts &
Lawn Care Maintenance
Mowing, Edging & Trimming
Pruning, Tilling, & Gardening
Clean-Up & Hauling
Leaf & Debris Removal
Composting • Yard Maintenance
Bark Dusting • Power-Washing
& More!
Com m ercial & Residential Services
For free estimates call Owner
James Wimbish at: 503-890-4826
“Your satisfaction is my guarantee”
Boweivel@comcast.net
Charles Washington
Past Publisher o»t the Portland O bserver
in memory of an outstanding and dedicated
member of Portland's Longest Standing
Minority Publication.
‘ JJnrtlanb CObscruer