Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (April 27, 2011)
local news DreCut continued from page 1 events. He said he’s in talks to tunities so far.” For Andrews, the opportunities have the group ‘N3w Era’ to wear of life are boundless. He has plans his stuff. to create a hip He said the artist hop magazine Mighty will also be and also expand wearing his stuff his already when he appears on established busi- “106 & Park.” ness of helping Long involved in artists with web- music, Andrews sites, press kits, said he taught in the music videos music department at and distribution. Helensview School “I want this to and was also a part be uplifting, to of the Metropolitan the youth, to do Youth Choir as a your dreams. No child. -- Bendrea Andrews matter what any- “I really wanted to one says, things take over the bad that you come things about hip hop about in life, to music and bring in actually go out things that are there and try it,” uplifting and empowering,” he said. “The cloth- he said. Visit DreCut Clothing online at ing line, that’s how it got started, with my own music and the oppor- www.drecutclothing.com. ‘I want this to be uplifting, to the youth, to do your dreams’ Housing continued from page 1 market,” says Housing Commissioner Nick Fish, who oversees the Portland Housing Bureau. “PHB and FHCO are seri- ous about ending discrimination toward people renting apartments, and these results are an opportuni- ty for us to candidly address some of the problems that racial and eth- nic groups face today.” Fish’s staff says the Housing Bureau is bringing together a wide swath of stakeholders in the region to look closely at the rental audit results and recommend a plan of action. Strategies for improvement The city says that while the Fair Housing Advisory Committee is looking at a broad spectrum of dis- crimination occurring throughout the continuum of housing servic- es, among its key priorities is ensuring that people have equi- table access to safe, decent, affordable and accessible rental units. Among the committee’s — Provide culturally and lin- guistically appropriate informa- tion regarding rights and resources. Deborah Imse, executive direc- tor of the Metro Multi-Family Housing Association and a mem- ber of the Fair Housing Advisory Committee, says the report speaks to the importance of educating landlords and property managers about Fair Housing Law. “Fair housing education has never been more important,” she said in a statement. “Landlords have an obligation to offer the same opportunities and the same policies for the same housing unit. Consistent application and inquiry processes can help keep all land- lords from violating fair housing laws, even unintentionally.” Fish says the committee’s rec- ommendations are a solid step toward addressing fair housing issues. “Equitable access to housing is Landlords have an obligation to offer the same opportunities and the same policies for the same housing unit draft recommendations include: — County-wide funding and support to continue and enhance fair housing services, including but not limited to enforcement and education of fair housing laws. — Create a Fair Housing Advocacy Committee that meets on an at least quarterly basis to focus on fair housing issues and to be a strong advocate voice for Multnomah County. — Partner with local organiza- tions to ensure frequent and accu- rate trainings for property man- agers. — Modify screening criteria that has inadvertently higher impact on protected classes. at the forefront of Portland Housing Bureau’s mission, and I am personally committed to ensur- ing that everyone has access to a safe, decent and affordable place to live,” he said. “We will work closely with landlords and others to make sure that leasing agents are well-trained to eliminate bias in their interac- tions.” Methodology FHCO sent out white, African- American and Latino testers to apply for rental apartments throughout Multnomah County. Each tester is given a profile that details where they should seek Bendrea Andrews helps musicians with websites, press kits, music videos and distribution. He wants it to be uplifting for the youth to do their dreams. housing, and information about income, whether or not they are married or have children, why they are seeking new housing. The profiles are nearly identical except for their race and national origin. For any given test there are three possible results: (1) the test shows different treatment, (2) the test does not show different treatment, and (3) the test is inconclusive. FHCO performed 25 tests based on race and 25 tests based on national origin. “In order for us break free from our collective past, we must be willing to honestly look at our- selves and admit where we have failed to achieve an integrated society”, said Moloy Good, Executive Director of FHCO. “We applaud the City of Portland for taking this hard look at discrimi- nation and committing to efforts to eliminate it. We are working closely with the City of Portland to raise awareness about fair hous- ing laws, educate landlords and advocacy groups about their fair housing rights and responsibili- ties, and assist individuals in Portland who may have experi- enced illegal discrimination.” MEMBERS OF THE FAIR HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE Elisa Aguilera, Community Alliance of Tenants Donna Childs, Elders in Action Andrew Colas, Colas Construction, Inc. Alyssa Cudmore, Fair Housing Council of Oregon Jeanne Davidson, Portland Youth & Elders Council Donita Fry, Portland Youth & Elders Council, NAYA Family Center Moloy Good, Fair Housing Council of Oregon Cashauna Hill, Oregon Law Center Deborah Imse, Metro Multi-Family Housing Association Liv Jenssen, Multnomah County Dept. of Community Justice Ethan Krow, Center for Intercultural Organizing Walter Lander, Providence Hospital Christine Lau, Asian Health & Service Center Ben Loftis, Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives, Inc. Phil Owen, Rental Housing Association of Greater Portland Andrew Riley, Center for Intercultural Organizing Molly Rogers, Housing Development Center Ryan Roser, community member Emily S. Ryan, community member Neisha Saxena, Disability Rights Oregon Lynne Walker, community member Jenny Weinstein, Portland State University Institute on Aging Bruce Whiting, Key Bank Community Development Banking april 27, 2011 The Portland Skanner Page 3
