Page 14 - Action Collaborative News Today

County Extends Rent Grace Period for Tenants Who Have Applied for Assistance Published: 13 July 2021 With the state declining to extend the eviction moratorium further, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners has voted to give a 90-day period of protection to tenants who can show documentation that they have applied for rent assistance. A statewide moratorium on all evictions enacted to protect tenants during the pandemic expired last month, despite a push to include an extension in the...

Hill 2 Hall June 28th-July 2nd   The Portland State University Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative (HRAC) issued a report estimating that over 125,000 Oregon households are at risk of being evicted when the federal moratorium on evictions expires this month, costing taxpayers as much as $4.7 billion. The collaborative utilized data compiled from emergency medical services filings, child welfare and juvenile justice services and institutions like emergency shelters. It is unclear the n...

Tense hospital scene after shooting increases alarm over Portland’s gun violence ‘crisis’ Updated 8:36 PM; 2 Facebook Share A flood of Portland police cars responded late Monday to break up a report of a gang fight at the doors to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center’s emergency department, where four people with gunshot wounds had just arrived. The scene was reminiscent of scenarios two decades ago when officers, street outreach workers and pastors routinely headed to the hospital to cool te...

Rent Repayment Period Lengthened by Oregon Legislature May 18, 2021 The Oregon Legislature just announced a bill that would expand the grace period for missed rent until February 28, 2022.    Currently, Oregonians are due to pay back missed rent the day after the moratorium lifts, July 1. Senate Bill 282, introduced by Portland Senator Kayse Jama, would not extend the moratorium, but instead give tenants more time to repay the money due.  When introduced on the House floor, Eugene Represent...

by Alex Zielinski • May 13, 2021 at 9:30 pm Kathleen Marie / Portland Mercury Portland City Council voted against including funds in the 2021-22 city budget that would have allowed the citys Portland Street Response pilot program to expand citywide within the year. Commissioners made the decision during a Thursday council meeting on Mayor Ted Wheelers $5.7 billion proposed city budget, which Wheeler initially released on April 29. The Thursday meeti...

Amethyst has been on her own since her mother kicked her out of her house at the age of 15. We’re not using her last name to protect her privacy. After graduating high school in 2019, she enrolled in Lane Community College in Eugene to study paramedicine.  Throughout high school and during part of her time in college she experienced housing and food insecurity.  “One, when youre having to pay for college by yourself, youre gonna lose a lot of money,” said Amethyst.  “And then you hav...

by Alex Zielinski • May 12, 2021 at 12:22 pm RETROROCKET / GETTY IMAGES The Oregon Legislature has advanced a bill that would lessen the expected impact of the looming June 30 termination of the statewide COVID-19 eviction moratorium. Currently, Oregonians whove been unable to pay rent due to the pandemics financial toll are required to pay back any missed rent payments on July 1, the day after the moratorium lifts. Senate Bill 282, introduced by Port...

A meeting of a community board that helps guide regional solutions to homelessness underscored concerns last week around a shelter proposal pitched by Multnomah County Commissioner Sharon Meieran. The virtual Wednesday meeting of the A Home For Everyone (AHFE) Coordinating Board—which oversees the collaborative work being done by governments in the Portland metro region to address homelessness—centered on Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury's proposed county budget for the 202...

An Epidemic Within a Pandemic The response to the U.S. opioid crisis has been fractured, making it hard for experts to collaborate and share best practices. This approach has led to an abundance of policies and solutions, many of which target small portions of the crisis rather than taking a holistic view. To bring together experts from across industries, organizations, and specialties, the Aspen Institute and National Academy of Medicine launched the Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S....

Editorial: City’s refusal to fund new gun-violence unit will take toll on victims of other crimes Updated Apr 11, 2021; Posted Apr 11, 2021 Amid continuing calls to defund the police, the Portland City Council refused to provide any additional funds for a new police team to combat gun violence. Unfortunately, that will only further tax an already understaffed police bureau, leading to a reduced response from police to other crime victims, the editorial board writes. Jamie Hale/The Oregonia...