What's he holding? Not a notice, I guess?

Thank you sir for following up on this. Good people live there, and I know it's not going to be easy for them to relocate. All the good spots at Washington Park are taken...

He's holding a summons to a meeting to be told about the eviction, and a tenant reference for his next prospective landlord.

The amount of housing affordable to folks below the poverty line continues to shrink in Portland. Low income housing is 99% occupied downtown. There are currently fewer affordable housing units in Portland then 1978 despite law passed by city hall that they would increase the number of afford housing units to at least 1978 levels.

This contributes to homelessness and makes it much harder for those on the streets to get off the streets. Is Community Alliance of Tenants (CAT) involved with this?
http://www.oregoncat.org/

The Community Alliance of Tenants

2710 NE 14th Ave.

Portland, OR 97212

Telephone: 503-460-9702

Fax: 503-288-8416

RENTERS' RIGHTS HOTLINE: 503-288-0130

Email: admin@oregoncat.org

Oh, boo-hoo. Gentrification happens - get used to it. Right, Matt? Or as you put it just last week: "...I refuse to live like a depressed pauper just because I happen to believe in such people’s rights.” In fact, I’ll go further than that. I fucking love our apartment and living where we do, and I don’t give a flying fuck about who lived there first. I’m not going to be held responsible for gentrification, nor am I willing to be vilified for taking advantage of it. Fuck you, social worker lady. Fuck you. Fuck you. And fuck you. Furthermore, fuck you."

Very eloquent, Matt. And you bought a condo, not an "apartment", btw. Mr. Roscoe is just going through what all the tenants of your building went through in the 30 days before they were evicted. Hypocrite.

Susan, gentrification does indeed happen. But usually people are given at least 30 days' notice to get out.

Again: I do not have to apologize to you, or to anyone, for living in a downtown condo building that was once home to low income tenants like the ones at the Arthur. I resent your judgment and stand by my reaction to it.

These whiners should suck it up like everyone else and get a $350,000 mortgage on a crumbling shitbox in Northeast so they can tell their friends "I just love living in Alberta Arts, it's a real melting pot of so many different cultures to displace"

It makes no sense for anyone who cares about this to continue ripping Matt for living where he does. It's the equivalent of attacking foie gras protestors for wearing leather shoes, or anti-war protestors for driving a car. It's rhetoric that says, 'you are a hypocrite about this issue, therefore this issue doesn't matter." What matters is Matt puts these stories in a newspaper, almost every week, and is pretty much the only one who does so (other than Street Roots) with notable consideration for the homeless and low-income perspective.

Perhaps Matt could write a (somewhat less defensive) article about his small role as an indirect and ex post facto part of gentrification. Simply because it would be interesting. But if you're gonna take away his social justice card because of it, well, that would just be one less person who gives a crap about social justice.

Defending Matt's hypocrisy: yaaaawwn.

The bigger issue (at least in terms of impact for readers of the Merc) is how his guilt has directly made him a useless journalist.

Ha. That's funny. Sorry to laugh at your situation, Matt. I agree it does not take away from the legitimacy of your reporting...such as it is.

Discussing Matt's personal life instead of the issue at hand: yaaaawwn.

I bet many of you crying about Matt's hypocrisy live in vintage apartments or converted houses that were once occupied by people with fewer advantages than you--maybe people without internet access, or little old ladies, or working class, or minorities, or the hearing impaired, or the blind. And that makes you a double hypocrite. Your lack of guilt means you shouldn't even try to help anyone less advantaged than you. Ever.

"Your lack of guilt means you shouldn't even try to help anyone less advantaged than you. Ever."

That's one of the oddest sentences I've ever read.

If I were a street beggar in India I'd be grateful for whatever came my way, but I wouldn't expect the person who gave it to be sorry about being richer.

Yet transpose charity to Portland and those with privilege are expected to apologize before they give, or show an interest.

Essentially, what you're arguing, some gal, is that nobody should be richer than anyone else. What country is this?

Matt...sarcasm.

oh wait, I meant, this is the Republic of Portland, where we are all equal except that some of us are more equal because we are artists or musicians and we post cat videos and we ride bikes and we hate success. And we are all jealous of Matt Davis because he has a cool accent.

Sorry, I didn't get it. Oops.

Back to the issue at hand: Where are the residents of the Arthur going to go now?

The mayor's office has been on the phone and is in contact with the city's Bureau of Housing and Community Development to try to work out some solutions.

Hah, owned.

here's what we do! we can pretty much surmise that the
so-called "manager" and morally-challenged "owner" are
diehard Republicans and probably Bush Pioneer heavy-duty
contributors, and they surely are frequent listeners to Lars
and Rush--as their "thinking" is in that mode--and that sort
of ilk (plus the screaming maniac on FOX...Bill O'Really) and
since they have pedigree like this, they are just bound to
have lot's of dirt all over themselves, all sorts of skeletons
in their closets, and have nasty-asses too boot! ((remember
that people who are too busy being "evil doers" have so little
time to wipe their asses and so they let that chore of living go))

let's push this matter for a full-court press for focused MEDIA
ATTENTION on these greedy mini-Enron wannabe characters,
as if we're jacking up their damned asses to show the rest of
the world how damned nasty they are.

this PUBLIC EXPOSURE may be enough to force them into
retreat and a "reconsideration" of their ill-advised tactic.

let's do as their fictional hero from 9-11 Shankville infamy
says, "LET'S ROLL!"

^ ugh...you are NOT helping.

maybe the mayor can get them some shelter beds at the YMCA?

I can't fathom how Roscoe and other low income tenants are going to manage to find anywhere decent to live in this city.
I had a hell of a time finding a place to rent in Portland, and I have a great rental history, very good credit, and steady (if low paying) employment. It took me 6 months. And I only got this place because my employer lied to my landlord about my income (which is not, actually, 3X the amount I pay for rent).

Imagine what it's like for anyone whose troubles have interrupted their employment or housing history.

Maybe you'd get more sympathy for the housing crisis if you became a new student at U of O where 800 freshman will soon be pitching tents due to the lack of affordable housing. There is hope; however, that their new $275 million Nike sports complex will be completed in time for mats on the floor like The Rescue Mission. Thanks Phil K and Dave F for continuing your wonderful efforts of community social responsibility and furthering education.

heh - freshmen will be pitching tents. heh.

DA: We'd be interested in that story if you fancy giving me a call 503 294 0840. x 246

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/steve_duin/index.ssf?/base/news/1211846103193850.xml&coll=7