Support for Renters Falls Short As Eviction Moratorium Ends portlandmercury.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from portlandmercury.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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The State of Oregon’s eviction moratorium officially ends on June 30. Millions of working class tenants across the state are bracing for an onslaught of evictions after more than a year of pandemic-era difficulties. Two contrasting interests intersect now that the moratorium is ending: more than 89,000 Oregon renters who owe back rent, and thousands of landlords who lost income in the last year while renters struggled to make ends meet after unprecedented job losses. An estimated $375 million in unpaid rent has accrued since April 2020.
Last week, the Oregon state legislature approved a 60-day hold on evictions in cases where the tenant can prove that their application for state rental assistance is pending. This legislation is a temporary remedy to a huge problem: the backlog of rental assistance applications that remain unfunded. (The state of Oregon is also waiting on $200 million in federal funds for rental assistance that has yet to appear).
Federal Government Extends Eviction Moratorium to July 31 portlandmercury.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from portlandmercury.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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 Representative Julie Fahey described it as a way to support landlords and tenants and give more time to those waiting for Federal aid to reach them. Oregon is currently waiting for $222.5 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act to give to those in need of emergency rental assistance, but it is unclear when these funds will arrive.
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 who ve been unable to pay rent due to the pandemic s 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 Portland Senator Kayse Jama, expands the grace period to repay skipped rent until February 28, 2022.
Eugene Representative Julie Fahey introduced the bill on the House floor Tuesday, where she described the legislation as a compromise bill, acknowledging that it had the support of both landlord and tenant groups. While she underscored the fact that the bill does not extend the current eviction moratorium, Fahey said that this delay would allow more time for expected federal aid to reach