Dave Caston, Sr. in his apartment on the second floor at Franklin Towers on Wednesday, September 7, 2022. Caston has has lived in the building, which is home to 210 low-income elderly and disabled people, for 13 years.
From top clockwise, Patty Cote, Sue Leathers, Beverly Collins and Gail Leighton play a game called Scat together in a common space at Franklin Towers on Wednesday, September 7, 2022. The group of friends, who have lived in the towers and known each other for over a decade, play Scat on Wednesdays and a board game together on Thursdays.
Sameerah Kadhim in her apartment at Franklin Towers on Wednesday, September 7, 2022. Kadhim has lived in the building for 8 years. She was one of many residents who still is without full power in their apartment after a power outage last month knocked out power in the 7-16 floors.
Residents load into the elevator at Franklin Towers on Wednesday, September 7, 2022. At the moment only one of the two elevators is working at the 16-floor building.
Samantha Hashey in her apartment in Franklin Towers on Thursday, September 8, 2022. Hashey has lived in the building for six years and said it has been frustrating to see how little care has gone into maintaining it.
Franklin Towers lit up in the distance just after sunset on Friday, September 9, 2022. Some residents of the building say they have been trying to bring attention to the building’s many issues, some of which right now include bugs, only one working elevator for 200 apartments, random leaks and dirty hallways.
Anna Hernandez, right, and her daughter inside of Anna’s apartment at Franklin Towers on Thursday, September 8, 2022. Anna, who has lived in the building for several years, is letting her daughter and her 9-year-old granddaughter live with her since they were evicted from their Portland Housing Authority apartment near Kennedy Park last week. Anna wants them to be able to stay with her until they can find a new apartment, but is not sure Portland Housing Authority will allow it.
Neighbors Dave Caston, Sr. and Samantha Hashey talk from their doorways of their apartments at Franklin Towers on Thursday, September 8, 2022. The two have become close friends since Hashey moved into the building. They look out for each other and both have spent time documenting various issues with the building.
Dave Caston, Sr. looks for butter at the Franklin Towers Mini Mart on Friday, September 9, 2022. Caston, Sr. brings a list with him, but said he often forgets something, like butter, and has to go back. The tower’s mini-mart is open for just a couple hours a day, but it is a lifeline for residents who cannot get to a grocery store to buy items they need.
Beverly Collins holds the dog, Bella, that she babysits for a fellow resident in her lap as she plays cards with her friends at Franklin Towers on Wednesday, September 7, 2022. Collins has lived in the towers for 20 years and said she too has had to deal with a few issues over the years, such as bugs, but misses when there was more of a sense of community in the building. “I like it still,” Collins said. “But it’s not like it was.”
What appeared to be bug bites covered the feet, legs, arms and back of one towers resident, who did not wish to be identified, on Thursday, September 8, 2022. The resident thought they were from bedbugs, but hadn’t shown them to a doctor.
Bonnie Smith sits near the windows in the hallway outside of her apartment in Franklin Towers on Monday, August 29, 2022. Smith lives on the eleventh floor of Franklin Towers. Smith said that she has lived in the building for nearly two decades and this is the, “worst it has ever been.” Smith said she struggled cool during the last warm days of the season without being able to use her air conditioning.
A resident grabs a dinner that is provided to residents of the upper floors that are still without pull power at Franklin Towers on Wednesday, September 7, 2022. Earlier that day the building sent out notices that they would no longer be providing lunches, but would still provide breakfast and dinners. Residents of the partial power floors cannot use their stoves or microwaves.
Written and photo documentation of issues with the building that Samantha Hashey has gathered since living at Franklin Towers. Cheryl Sessions, executive director of the Portland Housing Authority, said the agency is planning a $35 million renovation and is doing everything it can to keep up such a large property with limited federal resources and a shortage of staff.
Brendan Walsh in his apartment at Franklin Towers on Thursday, September 8, 2022. Walsh moved onto the 8th floor about a week before the power outage happened. Despite the ongoing outage and the puddle from a ceiling leak he found outside his apartment the other day, Walsh said he likes the building so far. “There’s this feeling of people taking care of each other,” Walsh, 44, said. “People bringing food by each other, people looking out.”
Extension cords given to residents of Franklin Towers who lost power seen in the hallway on Monday, August 29, 2022. For many residents the extension cords, which were meant for their refrigerators and fans, meant they could not close their doors all the way, which some residents said made them feel unsafe. Once the floors regained partial power the extension cords were removed.
Anna Hernandez cries as she talks about the possibility of her daughter and granddaughter having to leave her apartment and live on the street on Thursday, September 8, 2022. Hernandez spoke to someone from Portland Housing Authority that afternoon who told her that her daughter and granddaughter could stay for seven days but had to leave after that.
Beverly Collins takes a sip of her coffee inside the Franklin Towers Mini Mart on Friday, September 9, 2022. Collins and her friends in the building all met each other because they would go downstairs and get coffee from the mini mart and sit just outside of it at the tables and chat.
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