The developer of a Southwest Portland apartment complex owned by the city that gave top-floor residents three days’ notice to leave their homes because of a failing roof said he wasn’t aware of any issues and that he’s “chagrined” by the situation.

Jim Winkler, president of Winkler Development, said Wednesday that the city hasn’t contacted him about problems with the roof at the Headwaters Apartments and wasn’t aware of any until he read about it in local news reports. He said he reached out to officials involved in the construction and learned they weren’t aware of any concerns either.

Winkler, whose development work includes Adidas’ North American headquarters in North Portland, acknowledged that needing to replace the roof of an apartment complex that opened in 2007 is “highly unusual.”

“I don’t know what to say and unfortunately I just don’t have any information,” Winkler said. “This is all very surprising.”

Randy Williams, a vice president and chief financial officer for Portland-based R&H construction, the general contractor for the apartments, declined comment Wednesday, saying his company only recently became aware of the roof issues and that he is trying to get more information.

Residents of 22 apartments in the four-story, 100-unit complex were notified Nov. 24 that they would have to leave their homes by Nov. 27 — the day before Thanksgiving — because of concerns the roof was deteriorating and might not withstand potential snowfall. City housing officials haven’t specified what’s wrong with the roof, but they said damage was first spotted during a routine inspection in August and more examination led to the city learning on Nov. 21 that the roof needed to be replaced.

The city estimates it could take nine to 11 months to be fixed.

The apartments are designated for tenants who earn between 80% and 100% of the area’s median income. According to federal data, that range for a Portland-area one-person household in 2019 would be $49,280 to $61,530 and for a four-person household would be $70,320 to $87,900.

The city is paying temporary relocation fees for displaced tenants, including hotel stays and storage costs, said Martha Calhoon, a Portland Housing Bureau spokesperson. City staff is also helping residents find more stable housing. She said fourth-floor tenants won’t be charged rent for December or the last week of November and will have their security deposits refunded.

Most displaced tenants have been placed in extended-stay hotels, Calhoon said, and some are staying with family and friends. She said she didn’t know how much has been spent so far in relocating residents.

Calhoon said Wednesday that city officials are expecting displaced residents to get permanent new housing within around 30 to 45 days. For residents who plan to return to Headwaters, the city plans to cover the differential between their Headwaters rent and any higher rent they are charged for a similar unit while away, Calhoon said.

Tenants who don’t return will receive a lump-sum relocation payment. Residents on the remaining three floors are not in any apparent danger and haven’t been required to move, Calhoon said.

One displaced resident who spoke to The Oregonian/OregonLive on Wednesday described the short-notice move as “awful” and said that she didn’t know what her next steps would be. She declined to be identified because she said she was concerned of possible repercussions.

Darby Yandell lived in the Headwaters Apartments for about five years and said having to leave her home didn’t negatively impact her Thanksgiving plans.

She said she left her apartment that Wednesday, telling city officials that she wanted to figure out hotel accommodations on her own. She stayed in a downtown Portland hotel for four days, paying for one night out of her own pocket which she said the city plans to reimburse her for. She was able to find a new apartment in Southwest Portland near Beaverton in the meantime and moved in on Sunday.

All of Yandell’s belongings remained in her Headwaters unit until the weekend, she said. Workers packed all her things for her and movers transported her items from her old apartment to her new one. She said the new place costs $275 more but her first month’s rent was waived.

Yandell, 31, estimated around 30 people had to be relocated and that most weren’t happy about the circumstances during a meeting held the Sunday when they all were notified. Some tenants were out of town and didn’t find out until later, she said.

“I truly feel that everyone who helped me move did everything they could to make me feel comfortable and taken care of, but I was in a position that I didn’t have to rely entirely on them,” said Yandell, who works as an accountant. “But there’s a lot of questions, like why is the roof bad?”

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 | @EvertonBailey

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