Albina displacement lawsuit continues in Portland

National Lawyers Guild-Portland Chapter member lawyers are helping support legal action against the City of Portland, Legacy Emanuel Hospital, and Prosper Portland on behalf of 27 survivors or descendants of mass displacement from the historically Black neighborhood of Central Albina.

The Emanuel Displaced Persons Association 2 (EDPA2) formed to find redress for the mass evictions and destruction of homes carried out under the auspices of building Legacy Emanuel Hospital. The legal effort is supported by the Oregon Law Center; Legal Aid Service of Oregon (LASO); and the Albies, Stark and Guerriero law firm.

Between 1971 and 1973, 171 households were ultimately displaced—74 percent of them were Black.

Most recently the defendants attempted to have the case thrown out, claiming the descendants don’t have standing, as they weren’t the original evicted parties, and that the statue of limitations has already expired. According to an article by Oregon Public Broadcasting, U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Simon disagreed:

“Plaintiffs contend that recently discovered information, concealed by Defendants, shows that urban renewal and blight were mere pretexts for Defendants’ real motive — a desire to remove Black people from the economically valuable neighborhood of Central Albina,” Simon wrote. “According to Plaintiffs, the City, PDC [Portland Development Commission, former name of Prosper Portland], and Emanuel profited from their actions,” and instead of expanding the hospital, left land parcels undeveloped that are now causing a public nuisance.

Accordingly, Judge Simon found that the plaintiff-descendants have grounds to claim that they had been deprived by the defendants of the experience of growing up in a supportive, Black neighborhood. The court also found that because the key evidence had only recently been discovered, the case could proceed to trial.

Check out the Oregon Law Center page on the Albina lawsuit for more information.