Portland observer., September 16, 2015, Image 5

September 16, 2015
Page 5
Renter
Emergency
C ontinued from P age 3
come Housing Coalition, Portland is one
of the most gentrified cities in the nation
and has among the highest rates of rent in-
creases at the moment at over 13 percent
annually.
For many people, Portland wages re-
main well below what is needed to pay for
housing. A worker making minimum wage
in Multnomah County, for example, would
need to work 66 hours per week to afford
a one-bedroom apartment, or 79 hours a
week to afford a two-bedroom apartment.
“Unsurprisingly, no-cause evictions are
at record levels,” wrote Justin Buri, execu-
tive director of the Community Alliance of
Tenants in a public statement. “Landlords
and developers issuing such evictions and
dramatically raising rents are forcing re-
sponsible and reliable tenants out of hous-
ing, into one of the worst rental markets in
history, without considering of the impact
photo by J ustin N orton -K ertson
Residents march across the Hawthorne Bridge to demand affordable housing and living wages. Last month’s protest brought
traffic to a standstill.
on the individual tenants, or our commu-
nity.”
The Alliance, which is a non-profit,
August in September
C ontinued from P age 3
ence. Students engage with peers
across the Portland area. They
experience great friendship as
well as a rigorous competition. In
Master classes with professional
actors, they immerse themselves
in the themes, characters and lan-
guage of Wilson plays in a safe,
supportive, atmosphere. The ex-
perience enhances self-expres-
sion, leadership and public perfor-
mance ability, skills that will serve
lead role.
Portland’s August in September
events include a series of interac-
them throughout their lives.
tive workshops that double as op-
Wilson’s work has become a portunities for local high school-
valuable piece of black history. ers to be a part of this historic
His plays explored the black ex-
perience in America and appealed
to audiences across the board. He
won two Pulitzer Prizes, as well as
numerous other honors.
According to multiple news
outlets, a film adaptation of his
play “Fences” will be the latest of
his works to get a national audi-
ence, with Denzel Washington di-
recting and Viola Davis cast in the
Geneva’s
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503-288-0033
member based, tenants-rights organiza-
tion, held a rally and press conference last
Tuesday night at Peninsula Park in north
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Portland, hoping to gather the community
and address the housing crisis tenants are
facing.
nationwide competition. Teens
can catch the series on Saturday,
Sept. 19 at 12:30 p.m. at the Mid-
land Library, 805 S.E. 122nd Ave.;
Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 6 p.m. at the
Kenton Library, 8226 N. Denver
Ave.; and Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 6
p.m. at the Albina Library, 3605
N.E. 15th Ave.
For more information, visit
multcolib.org/events or reddoor-
project.org/awmc.