More than two dozen people are suing their former landlord over a Legionnaires' outbreak that sickened 14 tenants and killed one, according to KATU’s news partners at Willamette Week.

The outbreak happened in 2021 at Rosemont Court, an apartment building for low-income seniors in North Portland.

The lawsuit alleges the building manager and owner failed to keep residents safe from Legionnaires' disease, which is caused by a waterborne bacterium.

Most plaintiffs are seeking damages of $10,000 each.

One plaintiff, who contracted Legionnaires’, is seeking three-quarters of a million dollars.

Northwest Housing Alternatives is the defendant in the suit.

“As a mission-based nonprofit organization, Northwest Housing Alternatives cares greatly for all our tenants,” said Trell Anderson, executive director of Northwest Housing Alternatives, in a statement. “We have gone to great lengths to prioritize the well-being of Rosemont Court residents since the Legionella outbreak occurred. This was a public health issue and NHA followed the guidance of the public health agency, Multnomah County Health Department.”

Anderson added there is a hospital-grade treatment system in place to treat the water coming from the public water system into Rosemount Court, and the water is tested regularly.

The Joint Office of Homeless Services provided up to two years of rental assistance to residents and $4,000 per resident to cover moving and relocation expenses, Anderson said.