Oregon evictions spike to five-year high in January
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Nearly 2,800 Oregon families faced eviction in court in January — the highest monthly total in at least five years and almost double the state's pre-pandemic average, according to a new analysis of state data by the Oregon Law Center.
Why it matters: Record-high evictions reflect a crisis that has plagued the state for years, driven by high housing costs and limited available financial protections for tenants.
Catch up quick: Last year, Oregon lawmakers passed a budget bill that allocated $2.6 billion toward funding the Housing and Community Services Department, which funds housing stability and homelessness prevention, but cut the agency's budget by roughly $1 billion over the next two years.
- Many of its services have since been scaled back, including eviction prevention programs like rental assistance and tenant legal services.
- Homeless services providers and tenant advocacy groups laid off staff and cut programs due to a drop in funding from the state.
By the numbers: Last month, 2,788 Oregonians faced eviction in court, compared with an average of 1,566 monthly eviction filings in 2019.
- Tenants have legal representation in just 9% of Oregon eviction cases, compared with landlords' 47%, according to Evicted in Oregon.
- Advocates say access to an attorney can be the deciding factor in whether a case is dismissed or resolved in a way that allows tenants to remain housed.
What they're saying: "Eviction defense and tenant services can stop homelessness before people suffer on the streets," Becky Straus, an attorney at the Oregon Law Center, said in a statement.
What's next: Advocacy groups plan to ask lawmakers to restore $4 million for eviction protections during this year's short legislative session, warning existing rental assistance funds are nearly exhausted.
- Portland officials are also weighing whether to allocate $106 million in newly found unspent housing funds to bolster rental assistance and other housing stability programs affected in last year's budget deficit.