APARTMENT LIFE

Renters unite

By Noah Bruce

Tired of wading to your bathroom cause the landlord won’t fix the leaky toilet? Had to leave out the beans from your beans and rice due to rent increases? Radon exposure got you down? Well, you may be in luck.

At a Portland West meeting on January 9, over 30 participants took the beginning steps to forming a tenants organization that would function as a lobbying group to push for reforms such as rent control and safety standards for apartments in Portland.

According to Ethan Strimling, executive director of Portland West, tenant organizations in other cities act as powerful advocates for renter’s rights, and if Portland can attract enough members to a similar group, it too could wield significant influence.

“The power that’s going to be created is based on the number of people that you have as a base,” Strimling said. “If you get hundreds and hundreds of people behind an issue you can influence the city council.”

But before that can happen, other points have to be ironed out. Some in attendance felt the organization should be citywide. Others, like Jo Coyne, a West End resident, believed the group should have a narrower focus in the beginning.

“We should start small,” said Coyne. “Start just with the West End, then expand to Portland, and finally to Greater Portland.”

Some felt the organization should include landlords, while others felt this would represent a conflict of interest.

Ultimately the group decided the next step would be to create a structure for the organization. An meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, January 16, at Portland West to begin formulating a plan. About 12 people agreed to attend. The results of that meeting would be presented to Portland West on February 13.

This would not be the first time Portland has seen a tenant organization. According to Strimling, that last such group folded about 20 years ago. The prospect of a new organization is an energizing one for the executive director.

“I just want to say that I find this very exciting,” he said at the meeting’s conclusion. “I’ve been with Portland West for four years and I’ve never seen anything like this.”