On Wednesday, the Portland, OR City Council passed an ordinance that officially enacted a
housing emergency in Portland. During the hearing, the commissioners were schooled in how bad the housing situation is in the city.
One particularly moving testimony came from Justin Buri, Executive Director of the Community Alliance of Tenants, Oregon’s only statewide, grassroots, tenant-let, renters rights organization.
Buri painted a blistering portrait of Portland and its leadership in regards to affordable housing, housing discrimination and gentrification. It’s eloquent, passionate and everything every renter in Portland has ever thought.
Video and key moments below.
Where Buri tells the truth about the human impact of Portland’s development boom.
Tenants cannot wait for incremental change. We need bold, courageous action to address this human-made disaster. Building-wide, no-cause evictions are popping up like brush fires across this city, fanning the flames of displacement as our communities continue to bleed. The flood of speculation from Wall Street, corporate landlords, and private investors, buying up buildings to empty them and raise rents, has dire consequences on people's health, economic stability and their children's educational opportunities.
When are we going to recognize that building only market-rate, luxury apartments, will never “trickle-down,” to lower income tenants, no matter how many we build, despite all the zoning changes, cash incentives, and sweetheart deals we offer to developers?
The advocate builds to a fever-pitch...and it’s so wonderful.
Low income tenants, people of color, people with disabilities, working families making poverty wages, and seniors in a fixed income are being told, “if you don’t like it, move," which really means, “you are no longer welcome to live in this city.”
Tenants are tired and in distress. Tired of moving, tired of our homes making us sick, tired of paying over half of our income on rent. Tenants are tired of being silenced, out of fear of retribution or a bad reference from their landlord. Tenants are tired being told that our voices, our experiences, our stories, don’t matter. Tenants of tired of hearing, “housing will have to wait, we have more important priorities right now.”
Tenants make up almost half of Portland’s population, and deserve to be heard.
Pitch perfect outrage.
It’s time to recognize that Portland is not livable, equitable, nor sustainable, when tenants are being pushed out of their homes. It’s time to recognize that housing is a human right, and should not be left to the under-regulated free market. It’s time to prioritize the needs of all Portland residents, not just the landlords, investors, tech companies like AirBnB, and developers. It’s time to prioritize people over profit, and recognize that everyone who lives here has a right to this city.
The expectation is stated.
We are calling for a moratorium or suspension of no-cause terminations for one year, and to increase the notice period of rent increases over 5% of rent, from the current 30 days, to one year. 30-, 60-, or even 90-days’ notice is not enough, either to move quickly or absorb a shocking rent increase, especially in today's disaster-like housing crisis.
We will no longer accept that your hands are tied due to explicit or implicit preemptions on Oregon state law. If that is the case, then demonstrate the courage and leadership necessary to either change them or challenge them. The Supreme Court of the United States has reaffirmed disparate impact under the Fair Housing Act.
Buri drops mic and walks off stage
Watch the full testimony (beginning at 48:12), and the entire meeting, below.