Bonamici Urges Operator of Beaverton’s Heritage Village to Drop Eviction Threats
California-based Cal-Am Properties Demanded Residents Make Repairs, Upgrades, or Face Eviction
WASHINGTON, DC [09/07/16]. — Recently Cal-Am Properties sent notices to residents of Beaverton’s Heritage Village manufactured home community demanding that residents make certain repairs and complete maintenance projects within a short timeframe or face eviction. Last week, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) asked the California-based Cal-Am Properties to work with residents to find a reasonable timeframe to resolve maintenance issues and keep residents in their homes.
You can read a full copy of Bonamici’s letter to Cal-Am Properties here.
“Northwest Oregon is experiencing a profound housing affordability crisis,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. “For residents of Beaverton’s Heritage Village—many of whom are low-income and elderly—the community park offers an opportunity for home ownership and a barrier against rising rents. But Cal-Am’s callous efforts to compel residents to make expensive repairs or face eviction deeply troubles me. I’m urging Cal-Am to work with the residents in good faith to find a reasonable solution that keeps people in their homes. I’m grateful to the Oregon Law Center for representing some of the Heritage Village residents.”
"I felt so alone and terrified two months ago when I got the letter from Cal-Am threatening to evict me,” said Ann Wolf, a resident at Heritage Village. “I’ve lived in Heritage Village for five years. In the recession, I was laid off and then lost my dream home to foreclosure. I worked since I was fifteen to buy that house in Scappoose. I don't know what I would do if I lost my home again. Now our community is coming together to push back against Cal-Am’s demands. We have an attorney through Oregon Law Center and we are thankful for Representative Bonamici's assistance."
As a state senator, Bonamici championed a state law to make sure that residents of manufactured homes were fairly charged for water use. In Congress, Bonamici is focused on enacting strong consumer protection laws. Recently, she introduced legislation with Senator Merkley to protect consumers from abusive online payday lending practices. You can read more about Congresswoman Bonamici’s consumer protection work here.
“I’ve been an attorney with Lane County Legal Aid & Advocacy Center for almost 40 years, representing low income Oregonians mostly in residential landlord and tenant law and affordable housing preservation and development,” said John VanLandingham. “When Congresswoman Bonamici was in the Oregon State House of Representatives and State Senate, she was one of two go-to champions for manufactured home park residents. Park residents and their advocates deeply appreciate Congresswoman Bonamici’s continuing interest in their situation, especially now with Cal-Am’s threats to evict hundreds of residents in its eight manufactured home parks. Many park residents are seniors, and threats of eviction scare seniors badly. Cal-Am has carelessly done that. Oregon law encourages park landlords to work with residents to reasonably address disrepair issues and most Oregon park landlords do so carefully and generously. It’s a shame that Cal-Am has not chosen to act in good faith with the majority of Oregon park owners.”