PORTLAND, Ore. — At La Hacienda, an affordable apartment complex in Southeast Portland, nearly everyone has left, save at least a few residents who said they're struggling to find other options.
The nonprofit running the complex, Relay Resources, said it has worked with several tenants to find another place to live within their price range, but some argue that has not been their experience. The clock is ticking, and they said they're fearful they could end up in worse housing or with no housing at all.
As of the first week in April, most units are empty. Relay Resources plans to demolish the 1970s apartment buildings and then redevelop them, adding more space for families with 60 new affordable housing units. Tenants at La Hacienda received a 90-day relocation notice in December.
"I mean, it makes sense to want to create more housing because of the housing crisis," said Priscilla Clark, who still lives in one of the units. "But it doesn't make sense to put people out on the street and add to the housing crisis. That makes no sense."
"Some people moved out, some people stayed and some of us really tried to fight to stay, to keep our building safe," said Kimberly Hagger, who also remains at La Hacienda. She's lived in the apartments for 20 years.
But now, time is up. The March 31 deadline passed.
"An eviction on the record would hinder my ability to get any kind of housing whatsoever," Clark said.
Over the past couple of months, they said they've given up that fight to stay in the apartments. However, finding a new home hasn't been easy for them.
Relay Resources said it would provide relocation payments and assistance finding alternative housing and moving services. Tenants got the payments, up to $4,500 for a 3-bedroom months ago, but Hagger and Clark said they require extra support. Hagger said she's still recovering from a stroke she had five months ago. Clark said she's had a series of debilitating health problems.
"I just want them to live up to what they said they would do," Clark said. "Help us to relocate because where else am I going to go?"
A spokesperson for the nonprofit said they've tried to make contact with everyone to discuss options, with calls and emails to knocks at the door, but they said some tenants still haven't responded.
Hagger and Clark said they're still waiting to get that assistance before it's too late.
"We packed up. I'm living in a box. I don't even know where all my stuff is," Hagger said. "I'm ready to go. We are all ready to go. We just need the help that they promised us."
In a note to remaining residents today, the nonprofit wrote:
Although Relay Resources is not waiving its rights to pursue legal action to have the few remaining residents move (to avoid halting the demolition of the building to create more, desperately needed affordable housing units), we are hopeful that the remaining residents will engage with us to let us assist them in finding new homes, just like most of their neighbors at La Hacienda. There are many resources available, and we are optimistic that once the few remaining residents engage with our team, they’ll opt to take the help offered rather than forcing Relay Resources to file an eviction action on the 90 Day Relocation notices they received.