Events
Eviction Comic Release Party! brought to you by Know Your City and Community Alliance of Tenants
- 7:00pm–9:00pm Monday, March 30, 2015
Know Your City (KYC) and Community Alliance of Tenants (CAT) will host a release event for Know Your Rights: Don't Get Evicted!, a comic book about the rights of tenants and the process of eviction, at Oregon Public House, a nonprofit brewpub (700 NE Dekum St). The event will include short presentations by the illustrator Becky Hawkins, and from lead organizers from KYC and CAT. Community representatives and CAT members who participated in writing the stories featured in the comic will also speak. A portion of the food and drink purchases will benefit KYC and CAT.
Oregon continues to top the lists of desirable destinations across the country. More and more people are moving to Portland every day to enjoy our walkable neighborhoods and DIY culture. This national popularity has created a construction boom in the city, but at the risk of increased gentrification in areas home to low-income renters. Renters of all incomes face evictions and rent increases in Portland everyday, and housing justice issues are becoming increasingly pressing. Neighborhood demographics are changing as newcomers and long-time residents alike compete for scarce rental housing. Low-income renters, people with disabilities, and communities of color are facing evictions and are being pushed out of their communities at alarming rates.
Know Your Rights: Don't Get Evicted! tells stories which engage and educate tenants and non-tenants alike. Renters will be able to use this comic as a reference to understand the process of eviction, how to identify an unfair eviction, and what to do if it happens to them. Using graphic storytelling, the booklet covers essential topics such as how to respond to a termination notice, what do do if you are locked out by your landlord, or what to expect if you need to go to evictions court.
"Thousands of tenants across Oregon call CAT's Renters' Rights Hotline every year, and many already have an eviction threat or a court date,” according to Justin Buri, CAT Executive Director. “The evictions process can be complex, riddled with stress, uncertainty, and the real possibility of losing your home and ending up without a roof over your head. This educational tool will help demystify the process, so they can make good decisions, and hopefully stay in their home. It’s also very accessible with great artwork, so people will read it because they want to, and will then be that much more informed."
Know Your Rights: Don't Get Evicted! is the culmination of a year-long partnership between CAT and KYC, and contains compilations of stories from CAT members. Illustrator Becky Hawkins from French Toast Comix was selected from a public call to artists, due to her experience with comics and her accessible style. Using illustration to explain issues such as housing justice and legal processes surrounding eviction makes complex information more understandable and compelling.