Portland Quality Rental Housing Workgroup Releases Draft Recommendations for Multifamily housing Code Revisions Re: Apartment Health and Safety Issues

The Portland Quality Rental Housing Workgroup (QRHW) has released its draft recommendations for ensuring that rental housing is maintained by both tenants and landlords for the purpose of ensuring safe and healthy rental housing.

The draft recommendations were approved July 22, 2008, were posted online August 12th and a public hearing on the draft recommendations will be held September 3rd. The entire 50-page summary document is available for review online.

These draft recommendations contain some important positive and negative things for owners of property within the Portland City Limits. Because there is only a brief amount of time prior to the public hearing, rental owners should download and read for themselves the entire list of recommendations. PUBLIC COMMENT IS AVAILABLE ONLINE OR AT THE PUBLIC HEARING ON SEPTEMBER 3rd.

After receiving public comment, the workgroup will vote September 22, 2008 on the package of recommendations that will be forwarded to City Council for approval in early October 2008.

Public Comment
There are several ways for organizations or individuals to provide comment on the Workgroup recommendations.

The public hearing on these draft recommendations will take place:
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
6:00 pm (7:00 public testimony)
Multnomah County Building, Commission Room
501 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, Oregon

Public testimony is open to all and is limited to three minutes per person. Individuals wishing to testify will need to sign up upon arrival. Forms for written comment will also be provided. The hearing will be audio taped and a transcription will be made available.

Additionally, comments can be provided using the online form found at
http://www.portlandonline.com/bhcd/index.cfm?c=48233&a=207137

For additional information or if you are having problems viewing or downloading the workgroup recommendations, please contact Andrea Matthiessen at (503) 823-2379 or amatthiessen@ci.portland.or.us.