Governor Brown noted that historic amounts of rental assistance are available in Oregon on Friday, and urged Oregonians who may need assistance to apply as soon as possible.
“Housing is a basic human need, which is why I have continued to work with the Legislature and our congressional delegation to devote state and federal resources to ensure that Oregonians who have been hardest hit by the rent impacts of the pandemic have a warm, dry, safe place to live.
“To the thousands of Oregonians who lost jobs and fell behind on their rent during the pandemic: Apply today for rental assistance to pay your rent or you may be at risk of being evicted.
Oregonians seeking help to pay current and future rent and utility payments are urged to apply immediately for rental assistance through OregonRentalAssistance.org.
Qualified Oregonians can apply for rental assistance through the Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program (OERAP) to help pay back current and future rent. Of note, Oregonians may still qualify to receive assistance even though Oregon’s residential eviction moratorium expired on June 30th.
Earlier in the year, Senate Bill 282 was signed into law extending the repayment period for residential rent accrued during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill gives renters until February 28, 2022 to repay all rent accrued between April 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021.
Just weeks ago, in the final weeks of June, a 60-day safe-harbor period from eviction for nonpayment of rent to tenants who provide their landlords with proof that they have applied for rental assistance was enacted.
If a tenant has received an eviction proceeding notice, they should consult with a lawyer as quickly as possible. No cost or low-cost legal services may be available. For more information on the end of Oregon’s eviction moratorium and protections for Oregon’s renters, go to OregonLawHelp.org. Renters can also contact 2-1-1 or 211info.org to be linked to their local program administrator.
