Here in Portland, housing in general can be difficult to find. Securing affordable housing is practically impossible. Homeless Voices for Justice, a grass-roots group I work with, has continually advocated for affordable and accessible housing — fair housing.

I have personally heard Portland referred to as a "no-housing city." This already dire situation has been made more difficult with the closing of the apartments at the Eastland Park Hotel and is presently being strained as the last of the Eastland tenants move out.

Homeless Voices for Justice does appreciate the workable time frame and compensation packet given to tenants to assist in their moving-out costs and expenses, but the fact remains that the city of Portland lost 52 low-income housing units that it could ill afford to lose.

When affordable units disappear, the city loses. People in need of housing lose. Is the city of Portland’s housing replacement ordinance just a paper tiger?

Now we see that the Eastland wants to eliminate Congress Square Plaza, and the way we hear it, it’s already a done deal. Shame on us for losing both affordable housing and public space and for letting it happen.