A 91-year-old tenant explains why she's rent striking
Channel: Portland Tenants United
Date: 2018-09-02

Ana immigrated to the United States several decades ago from the former Soviet Union, and has always called Holgate Manor her home. Listen to her explain the situation at the apartment complex that has led to her decision to rent strike to pressure the property manager and owner to meet the union's demands.

THE BACKSTORY

Holgate Manor has been a sanctuary for immigrants, refugees, and low-income Portlanders for over 40 years. For the past five months, their community has been devastated by rent increases and displacement at the hands of the new landlord, California millionaire Fred Kleinbub. 

Shortly after Kleinbub bought the building, he hired Princeton Property Management to enact his program of forcible gentrification. Princeton sent misleading letters to tenants (in English—a language the majority of the tenants do not speak or read) announcing that an unknown number of apartments would be remodeled and implying many of would have to move. It used confusing language to encourage them to self-evict, signing away their rights under Portland's Renter Relocation Assistance law. 

Some of the tenants signed temporary move-out deals (in English, which many do not understand) after being told they could move back at affordable rents once remodels were done. In fact, the deals raised many of their rents, gave Princeton the right to deny them the right to move back, and if they did return Princeton could raise their rent by 20% a year from now without paying Relocation Assistance. Many of their neighbors had to move out permanently, and several were barred from returning after Princeton said they no longer met income requirements. Those who did return found their rents much higher, while their remodeled units still have cockroaches and mold. 

The majority of them refused to sign these deals, forming the Holgate Manor Tenants Union to assert their rights and defend their community from displacement. They have enlisted community support via television, the newspaper, the City of Portland, neighborhood associations and city and state politicians. 

The tenants received no answer to their demands from Mr. Kleinbub. Instead, they all received 9.9% rent increases—enough of a budget hit to force many of them to move, yet none of them are eligible for Relocation Assistance. At the same time, they are enduring constant noisy and dangerous construction that has gone on over five months. Those who work irregular hours cannot sleep during the day, families are afraid their children will be hurt if they play outside, and their home feels like living in a war zone. 

The tenants will not break under these constructive eviction tactics. On August 1, they began a RENT STRIKE. 

THE TENANTS' DEMANDS

Until Princeton and Kleinbub meet the following demands, they will exercise their legal right to withhold rent: 

1. Allow displaced tenants who wish to return to Holgate Manor to do so without submitting new applications, and at a rent that is affordable to them. 

2. Retract the 9.9% rent increases until after the construction is complete, including a rent refund for the months construction was taking place, and commit to no new rent increases until negotiating with representatives from the Holgate Manor Tenants Union and Portland Tenants United. 

3. No new fees or no-cause terminations to be issued until after negotiations.  No 72-hour eviction notices or retaliation against striking tenants.

4. All communication from management should be professionally translated in the tenants’ native languages of Khmer, Spanish, Russian, Burmese, and Ukrainian. Google Translate is not an accurate translator. 

5. Respond to property maintenance needs as required by law, especially the existing issues of pests and mold. 

We deeply appreciate your support in the Holgate Manor tenants' struggle to win dignified and affordable housing for their community. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO
 
✔️ Tell all your friends about the rent strike, 
✔️ Support the strike fund (http://bit.ly/hmtu-strike-fund), 
✔️ Sign the petition (http://bit.ly/hmtu-petition), and 
✔️ Get on the contact list by emailing HolgateManorTU@gmail.com or texting "HOLGATE" to 444999.