We’re on the third of the four races, with the same question, on renters’ rights:

It seems that due to the current mortgage meltdown and the recession we are currently in, all of the major property management companies have decided to raise their rates in some cases up to 25 percent in non-hip areas. Most of the statues of Tenant’s rights are geared towards property owners, not renters. Leases are not worth the paper they are printed on: I have known many people who are given the 72 hours to vacate notice letter for the most shallow of reasons, but God forbid the tenant wants to walk away as management companies have no problem sticking the ex-renter with charges that are legal, but in bad faith. I.e., you have lived somewhere for 5 years without any work being done on the property, yet the ex-tenant will be billed accordingly for the work that is needed, even though the “damages” are just a part of normal wear and tear.

Is there anything the candidates are thinking of that can help tenants avoid astronomical rent hikes and find more ways to balance out the power of property owners? I am not talking about low-income housing either (which i feel is a separate issue), but working-class citizens that are not seeing their wages get any higher suddenly getting sticker shock when their rent agreements are up for renewal. In all honesty, due to my last rent hike, I am not supporting any property-tax levy because I
know this will give my management company the power to disproportionately increase my rent again beyond the true cost of the tax so they can pocket more money. People are squeezed as much as they can be and this would be will just lower the standard of living to a high degree. I love this town, but it seems that the citizens who are not broke, nor own homes do not really have anyone looking out for them.

I wish to remain anonymous because I am afraid of retaliation.

John Branam—who has been a landlord—got back to us first:

John Branam
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: john4pdx.org
Public financing status: Certified as a publicly financed candidate

As much as we’re all proud of the ways in which Portland continues to do the right things that, in many respects, result in our becoming a sought-after place to live, one clear downside is the rise in the cost of living. People are moving here in droves and while that’s generally positive, it means rents are rising and landlords can get away with being less responsive. Making sure Portlanders at all income levels can have a clean, safe and affordable place to live is essential if we are to hold on to the “Portland” we cherish.

Obviously we are not the first city to encounter this problem. Cities such as New York and San Francisco have long faced these challenges. Those cities have had their successes—and failures—dealing with tenant protections. We need to consider what those cities have done correctly as we move forward.

Without question I think our city council and the appropriate bureaus should explore the strategies and opportunities to make sure our landlords follow the spirit of the law as much as they do the letter. Working to make sure landlords follow the laws and are responsive and reasonable is positive, both in the short and long-term, for all of Portland.

As City Commissioner I look forward to exploring all creative and legal solutions to ensuring renters are protected from unscrupulous landlords. Clear strategies for doing this include, but are not limited to, raising awareness across the city of tenants’ rights, partnering with local non-profits that are adept at addressing these issues, and making sure the city enforces all laws related to protecting tenants.

Chris Smith
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: citizensmith.us
Public financing status: Certified as a publicly financed candidate

Ironically, tenants in subsidized programs often have more process rights than free-market renters. For example, most government subsidized programs have a requirement for cause for eviction, with an opportunity for the tenant to remedy the cause.

In contrast, in the private market a landlord can remove a tenant with no cause in a month-to-month agreement or at the end of a lease. I am open to looking at the City creating a for-cause (with remedy options) regulation by ordinance (if the Legislature has not pre-empted this area of jurisdiction) or lobbying the Legislature for greater tenants rights in cooperation with other communities and housing advocates.

This does not directly protect against rent hikes, but would help with lease abuses.

Part of the reason I’m running is to create City policies that will promote housing development for a variety of income levels, not just for those below 50% of median family income. More supply at a range of market levels will help take some pressure off of rents.

Jeff Bissonnette
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: portlandersforjeff.com
Public financing status: Certified as a publicly financed candidate

When I was a freshman at the University of Oregon, one of my first experiences in activism was helping to organize a consumer hotline which provided advice to callers about a range of consumer problems they were encountering. By far the most common questions dealt with renters' issues: deposits being kept by shady landlords, hazardous living conditions, unfair rents, sudden evictions, faulty facilities left unrepaired, and the list went on. I learned early about the injustices renters faced on a daily basis.

Today we are seeing housing opportunities for renters either shrink for a variety of reasons - conversion of apartment houses to condos, housing subsidy contracts expiring - or get increasingly expensive as housing costs have increased across the board. And we also have landlords that refuse to treat tenants with the respect that is due in a business relationship like the one between tenants and landlords. Overall, the increasing lack of affordable housing is part of a growing concern around who is able to afford to live in Portland and who is not. And as access to mortgages gets tighter in the wake of the subprime lending crisis, we will have to ensure that there are increased opportunities for affordable rental housing and that renters have the protections they need to maintain their homes.

The main issues that I would prioritize as a city commissioner would be:

* maintaining subsidized housing contracts for rental housing so that we do not have a net loss in affordable
rental housing units;
* encouraging the purchase of or establishing multi-year leases for additional rental housing stock to
increase the inventory of affordable housing units;
* ensuring that affordable housing units are spread throughout the city so that renters have a wide variety of
options of neighborhoods in which to live;
* increasing the capacity of existing local non-profit organizations involved in providing affordable housing
to build and manage more affordable housing units;
* working to establish ways on the local, state and federal levels for renters to build a good credit history
with a demonstrated record of steady rent and utility payment.
* improving tenant protection where possible on the local level and, as needed, advocating for increased
protections at the state level.

I will work with existing tenants' rights organizations such as the Community Alliance of Tenants and other affordable housing advocates such as the Affordable Housing NOW coalition and the Community Development Network to monitor and improve the status of renters on an ongoing basis.

Most of us at one time or another have been renters. Taking advantage of rental housing is often a stepping stone to home ownership but in many cases, is the only housing option that makes sense for an individual or a family. Affordable housing is a basic need to ensure that Portlanders at all income levels are able to be part of our community. I will work to ensure that renters are treated as the important economic players that they are.

Amanda Fritz
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: amandafritzforcitycouncil.com
Public financing status: Certified as a publicly financed candidate

Tenants have rights, and it is the City of Portland's duty to do more to protect renters, inform them of their rights, and preserve/provide affordable rental housing.

Renters are often treated like second class citizens. The person asking this question feared to give their name due to concern about retaliation, and theirs is but one example of the challenges renters face. I hope Blogtown readers who rent will offer your own experiences in the comments, as I know the questioner is not alone.

Recently, the Oregonian changed the header of its Sunday section advertising housing to "Homes and Rentals", as if people who rent do not live in a home. I lived in a Salvation Army shelter when I first immigrated, then in rental housing for seven years. The shelter wasn't home to me, but the apartments were. My neighborhood's homes are half rentals, half owner-occupied. I will work to improve housing affordability and quality for both buyers and renters.

If I am elected to the Portland City Council, I will:

1. Improve code compliance and enforcement processes. Gresham recently adopted mandatory periodic inspection of rental properties, so tenants don't have to complain and repairs are made without retaliation. Portland should ensure homes meet State laws requiring rental properties to be safe and well-maintained, in an orderly and routine process instead of a complaint-driven one. The City Council should do more to identify, adopt, and implement policies to protect tenants from retaliatory evictions. The City's Bureau of Housing and Community Development convened a Quality Rental Housing Working Group in September 2007, to make recommendations on policy and implementation improvements. I hope establishing routine inspections is one of the outcomes.

2. Lead a public process to amend current Portland City Code language that allows landlords to refuse to rent to people using Section 8 vouchers. State regulations prohibit discrimination based on source of funds, except for vouchers. Portland chooses to uphold the carve-out even though we are allowed to make our code more equitable. The effort in 1999 to change this was unsuccessful. The promised task force to re-examine the issue within one year has not yet been formed. I remember and keep promises.

3. Work with the Portland Development Commission to ensure enforcement of requirements that subsidized projects remain affordable for 60 years, and to provide more rental housing instead of condominiums. Continue tax abatement programs outside of Urban Renewal Areas that promote rehabilitation of rental properties.

4. Continue to allocate City funds to preserve and renovate affordable rental housing. Housing is a human right, and provision of housing is one of the City's core responsibilities. Retaining and upgrading existing housing is half the cost of building new units.

5. Work with the entire City Council to push for funding and regulatory changes at the State and Federal level. Community Development agencies should receive direct allocations from the federal government rather than pass-through tax credits. I will work to generate political momentum at the State Legislature to allow rent protections and other safeguards for renters. After being an early leader in the 1970s, Oregon has not kept pace with other states in adopting laws that protect tenants, and the balance has shifted in favor of landlords.

6. Work in partnership with community organizations providing affordable rental housing and assisting tenants, and publicize the good work they do. The Community Development Network's members provide over 7,000 affordable rental homes. The Community Alliance of Tenants informs renters of their rights and helps resolve issues (person who asked this week's question, call their Renters Rights Hotline at 503-288-0130). Multnomah County's 211 line is an excellent resource and referral service.

7. Improve education of tenants and landlords about housing laws, good neighbor principles, and best practices. Increase access to legal services (available from the Fair Housing Council, with some funding provided by the Bureau of Housing and Community Development; from Legal Aid Services of Oregon; or from the Oregon Law Center), and mediation (through the Office of Neighborhood Involvement).

Legal remedies for tenant problems should be the last resort. Renters don't have time or money to sue after unfair eviction or spurious maintenance charges, and few retaliation charges are upheld in court given landlords' right to give 30-day no-cause eviction notices. Regulations and routine inspections should be in place so that clean, safe rental homes are provided without tenant complaints.

These aren't academic rules and policy changes. These decisions and strategies directly affect people's security and quality of life here in Portland.

In a healthy city, residents need affordable and safe homes, whether they own or rent. I care about renters, homeowners, and people experiencing homelessness. If you vote to elect me as your next City Commissioner, I will work to ensure that all Portlanders have safe, pleasant homes, in 95 safe, pleasant neighborhoods.

Charles Lewis
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: charleslewis.com
Public financing status: Certified as a publicly financed candidate

I can understand why the reader who submitted this question is frustrated. Like many residents in Portland, this person’s rent has increased astronomically while his or her tax dollars have gone to subsidize "development" that only benefits a few elite individuals. Rather than subsidizing million dollar condos that are affordable only to the wealthy few, we must increase our investment in affordable housing including offering assistance to renters. While we should be encouraging home ownership, we also must be sensitive to the fact that purchasing a home isn't an option for everyone.

The affordable housing shortfall leaves many families with few housing options. Renters can be evicted from their homes with little notice. Some unscrupulous landlords use the threat of eviction to intimidate renters from filing complaints about their living situation. Gresham has implemented a common sense solution to this problem. Rather than have a complaint driven system, which allows for landlord intimidation, Gresham now has mandatory inspection of all rental units. This will force "slumlords" to shape up and ensure that vulnerable tenants aren't being exploited.

We also need to reexamine our use of urban renewal areas. By capping property taxes in some areas of town, other neighborhoods are being asked to make up for lost revenue in the form of property taxes and special fees / taxes – costs that landlords often pass on to their tenants. Faced with the option of paying higher rent or moving out of town, many working families are choosing the latter. For the first time in modern history, Portland has a mass migration of families leaving the city and moving to Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard and Vancouver.

I also support the schools-families-housing initiative that links the City's housing, community and educational needs. Over the past decade, our schools have lost 11,000 students and an estimated $60 million in operating revenue that was tied directly to those students. By providing rent subsidies to working families, we can make sure our schools aren't "under-crowded" and that our schools have a healthy funding base.

Please find out more about my concerns online at www.CharlesLewis.com