PORTLAND, Ore. -- On Monday, Anna Lendya spoke in front of a crowd of people with help of a translator. She has lived at the Holgate Manor apartment complex in Southeast Portland for about 25 years.
“I don't have children, my husband just passed away recently within two weeks ago. I have no place to go,” said Lendya.
Seven different languages are spoken in the 82-unit complex.
About a month ago, tenants received a letter from Princeton Property Management. It was written in English. Many of the tenants said, as they understood it, they were supposed to move out by this past weekend because of renovations.
The letter sent to tenants on March 1 actually outlined three early move-out options, starting as early as March 31, with a final deadline of July 31, 2018. Tenants who opted to move out early were told they would receive up to $5,500 to help with relocation costs.
That money would be paid the day tenants moved out. One tenant said the issue is that it could be difficult to find a new place without money to move into it beforehand.
Tenants said Fred Kleinbub, a developer out of California bought the property.
“I don't receive a lot of money and I can't afford to leave and this is my home and I want to stay here,” said Rakhelya Levitskaya, a tenant who has lived at the complex for the last 18 years.
Some people have already left. With the short notice, they couldn't take much with them.
But people who stayed say they're worried.
“There's no option for us to leave at all. It's impossible for us to leave,” said Lyubov Mirinichenko. She said she’s lived in her unit for about 18 years.
Even though their future is uncertain, tenants at Holgate Manor aren’t going down without a fight.
A community letter was read aloud. People voiced their concerns. Many of them are worried that if they leave they may not be able to come back.
“We would face huge rent increases and undergo rescreening. Those of us who didn't leave faced unknown alternatives, possibly no cause evictions or rent hikes of nearly 10 percent like the ones many of us got this weekend,” the letter stated.
The letter from Princeton Property Management to tenants in March said rent would be increased to help pay for the renovations, but would still be below affordable housing rates for the area.
Still, tenants are proposing the Portland Housing Bureau buy the complex using money from the recent housing bond.
“We would like to see Holgate Manor converted into permanently affordable housing,” said the letter.
The community living at Holgate Manor is diverse, but still closely connected.
“This is my family,” said Lendya.
On Tuesday, tenants plan to drop in on the Portland Housing Advisory Commission's meeting to talk about the possibility of using bond money to buy their complex.
They also have a change.org petition online.
KGW reached out to the developer's representatives. We have not received a response.
UPDATE: Princeton Property Management, the company that owns Holgate Manor, reached out to KGW on Tuesday morning and provided copies of the letters sent to residents on March 1, 2018 and April 2, 2018.
Spokesperson Felicia Heaton also released a statement from Holgate Manor on Tuesday morning.