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