Don't Shoot Portland organizes mass action to file lawsuit against REACH Community Development
Black tenants in NE Portland to file lawsuit against REACH Community Development that forced them into inhabitable conditions. Complaints outline how landlord has forced low-income, elderly residents to live in filth and rightfully fearing for their safety.
Portland, Ore. (June 1, 2022) – Tenants of the Allen Fremont Plaza will hold a press conference Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at noon as they file suit against their landlord, Reach-Allen LLC (Reach Community Development) for failure to maintain habitable premises in accordance with Oregon law.
Allen Fremont Plaza is an apartment building in Northeast Portland for elderly tenants living on a fixed income. Reach Community Development promised tenants it would make improvements to the building seven years ago when it took over management, but since then, tenants say conditions have only gotten worse. Elderly and disabled tenants have been forced to live in unsafe, unsanitary conditions because of the landlord's failure to provide basic and necessary maintenance to its property, including:
• failure to provide functioning restrooms for eldery tenants' basic hygiene needs;
• failure to maintain elevators, forcing disabled tenants to literally crawl down flights of stairs to exit the building, or to stay in their apartments for days until the elevator was working again;
• failure to provide effective lighting and security cameras, resulting in criminal activity taking place on the premises as well as elderly tenants being harassed by non-residents; and
• failure to provide adequate ventilation and safety from fire hazards.
WHO: Plaintiffs Gary Bailey, John Brant, Huey Martin, Cathy Mayes, Lisa McConnell
Michael Fuller, Lead Pro Bono Trial Attorney for Plaintiffs
WHERE: Allen Fremont Plaza Apartments (221 NE Fremont)
WHEN: Wednesday, June 1, 11a.m.
Legal advocacy and services are being provided with support from Don't Shoot PDX and civil rights law firm OlsenDaines. If you feel your housing rights have been violated as a tenant, please use this link for referral for legal advocacy.