My name is Bronwyn Jones Carver. I have been homeless for seven years this June.
At the time, Portland was just starting to experience the landlord greed machine as they raised rents by ridiculous amounts. I was no exception to this. My two-bedroom apartment in inner southeast Portland – where I had lived for 15 years, raised a family, buried pets and planted flowers – became a casualty of said greed.
I paid $850 a month, and the landlord’s son wanted to raise it to $1 625 [about R28 100 at the time of printing].
The increase was not acceptable, let alone affordable. I worked a job I would soon leave due to the
