PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — For years, Rebekah Thompson, Priscilla Clark and Kimberly Haggar have lived at La Hacienda Apartments in Southeast Portland. But they — and all the other low-income tenants — were given 90-day eviction notices just before Christmas because their landlord wants to tear down these 38 affordable units and rebuild 60 affordable family-sized units.
The decision makers at the non-profit Relay Resources said they want to compete for state housing funds in January 2024. In order to be in a competitive standing for that money, they need to be “shovel ready” to get that financing faster.
That decision to demolish is displacing the residents of this longtime affordable housing complex.
Thompson has lived at La Hacienda for the last 7 years with her 11-year-old son, Miguel. She fled an abusive relationship, then slept in a car and a shelter before she moved in to her apartment.
“I was actually homeless when I first moved here,” she told KOIN 6 News. “My son has been having the same friends. He’s an only child so it’s important for him to have these bonds and friendships that he has. So for that to be over is heartbreaking me to deal with.”
Clark lives at La Hacienda with her daughter. She said everyone was shocked at the eviction notice.
“Three months and where are we supposed to go? They say they need us out so they can demolish so they can make more housing,” Clark said. “They’re willing to kick us out on the streets. We’ll be homeless.”
The tenants said this decision is disrupting dozens of lives — before the non-profit has even acquired a sure funding source to rebuild. And there is no comparable affordable units nearby ready for them to move to.
Relay Resources is offering tenants the required relocation money along with additional moving services. However, the tenants said their suggested housing isn’t in their price range or it’s really far away.
“I’ve lived here for 20 years and I had a stroke before that. When I got that [eviction notice] I was so lost,” Haggar told KOIN 6 News. “I am so lost. I don’t know what to do.”
Leaders at Relay Resources said the building needs a lot of work, including a new roof, and that they wouldn’t be able to acquire a sizable loan to make the necessary repairs.
And that, they said, led them to their decision to tear down and start new.
While half of the tenants have already moved out that doesn’t sit well with Priscilla Clark.
“We don’t want the building to be demolished. We want them to do the repairs. We want to stay. We have no place else to go.”
Tenants of La Hacienda have formed a Union and they are asking for the community’s help donate to offset costs related to organizing and moving as well as facilitate help for individual tenants going through crisis.
“We have a ton of empathy for those who still remain and don’t have a plan,” said Julie Cody, the VP Housing at Relay Resources. “We are encouraging everyone to work with us — and if there are special needs — we will try to address those the best we possibly can.”
The Oregon Housing and Community Services responded in a statement saying:
We acknowledge the concerns of the residents of La Hacienda and their stress around finding future affordable homes. Our common goal in Oregon is that everyone has access to affordable, stable, and safe housing. As a Housing Finance agency, OHCS provides financial and program support to create and preserve opportunities for quality, affordable housing.
The state does offer different funding streams whether that be for rehabilitation or redevelopment. A non-profit has discretion on what funds they choose to apply for whether that be rehabilitation or redevelopment. OHCS reviews the applications it receives, and so far, we have not received an application from Relay Resources.