PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — When Relay Resources, a local non-profit that manages La Hacienda Apartments in Southeast Portland, passed out eviction notices to the tenants in mid-December, they said they would cover relocation costs and additional moving services.
But longtime tenants Priscilla Clark and Kimberly Haggar told KOIN 6 News that hasn’t happened. Even though the deadline to leave was last week, those who are still there can’t find another affordable place to go.
“They sent me a list of places with the addresses. That’s it,” Clark said. “They didn’t put how many apartments, how many bedrooms, how much it costs.”
Haggar said they were told they “were going to be at the top of all these lists and it would be seamless to be transferred over into a new apartment. It’s not.”
Both said the past 3 months have been a nightmare and also said most of the tenants who haven’t left have disabilities.
Haggar, who has lived at La Hacienda for 20 years, is recovering from a stroke, has a hard time walking and is not able to drive.
“I shop in this area. I work in this area. My son went to school in this area, My doctor’s in this area. My community is here,” she said.
Clark also has serious health challenges that make it difficult to try and find another apartment.
“I worked all my life and now I’m having some disabilities and problems and I’ve been a tax payer all this time and I can’t get the adequate help I deserve being a tax payer,” Clark said.
Tenants rights advocate Margot Black said the entire affordable housing system needs an overhaul.
“The problem is that our whole affordable housing industrial complex is garbage,” Black told KOIN 6 News. “Affordable housing is affordable for developers to bring to market, making plenty of profit in bringing affordable housing to market. It is not affordable for the people living in it.”
KOIN 6 News reached out to La Hacienda management for answers to questions but have not had a reply at this time.