Audio Transcript: Renters survey promises to shed light on Portland's affordable housing problem
Althea Billings 0:00
The reality of renting in Portland is increasingly tough. But a survey guided by the group Southeast Portland Renters in Action and Portland State University aims to shed some light on it. The Lents Renter Impact Research Project began the summer of 2019 with volunteers canvassing the Lents neighborhood asking renters about their living situation, vulnerabilities, and what they would like to see change. The survey encompassed 38 buildings in Lents and ended with around 112 respondents. Marih Alyn-Claire is with Southeast Portland Renters in Action and for her, the study is about shedding light on an understudied issue and giving her neighbors hope.
Marih Alyn-Claire 0:35
We asked people basically what their concerns were around, like how long they have been in the neighborhood, kind of what their income was, what level of their income, because that's really important and we have a lot of seniors here and people who are disabled and people a very, very low income, and then we asked about people's health concerns because part of why people spend a lot of money on going to the doctor, these co-pays, and some of them don't have insurance and they have families with children and that kind of thing. And a lot of people who are working are working several different jobs and they're low paying job with not very much security, and so we talked to people and got their feedback on those kinds of things.
Althea Billings 1:29
The survey was aided by efforts from PSU professor Dr. Lisa Bates, who will be announcing the results of the study on Saturday, January 25. The results of the study will be used to help lawmakers understand the issues renters face and make new policies to combat them. Alyn-Claire explained that the people in the study were often one check away from falling into homelessness. Many would give up food or medicine to afford their rent that month, with 33% saying they would cut out those necessities. The situation can be incredibly dire.
Marih Alyn-Claire 1:59
People were moving out because they'd gotten their rent raised several hundred dollars, and they had been getting steady raises like $80, over $100, and they had just pretty much maxed out and so people have said they've maxed out their credit card. Some people have stopped paying their student loans, other people, they're seniors, for example, that no longer were buying medical equipment. One lady, for example, who had some sort of esophageal issue or whatever, she was supposed to buy these extra instruments to put in her throat and so she just kept reusing the old ones and she got an infection and she actually died.
Althea Billings 2:39
Alyn-Claire hopes that community members who attend the surveys unveiling on Saturday get to voice their concerns and help to create new solutions.
Marih Alyn-Claire 2:55
We had promised when we did the survey that we would report back and so this is the first report back, and so what people hear about the housing vulnerabilities, needs and concerns of these members and rent and people can ask questions. And also Dr. Amie Thurbur is going to be there from social work department and she can help answer questions that people have. And then we're going to have a discussion on, you know, what can we do, what policy and changes you need. In order to solve this problem.
Althea Billings 3:41
The Lents Neighborhood Renters Survey Results forum will be held Saturday, January 25, from noon to 3 p.m. at the Lents Village Dining hall at Southeast 104th and Holgate Boulevard. For KBOO Evening News. I'm Althea Billings.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai