Thousands in Oregon face eviction as lawmakers scramble

By SARA CLINE
Associated Press/Report for America

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — In Oregon, where a long-standing housing crisis has been exacerbated by the pandemic, tenants on the brink of eviction are losing safety nets that kept them housed. Despite an overwhelming need, the state halted acceptance of new rental assistance applications after all federal funds have been requested. Now, an estimated 8,355 households are are at risk of eviction, as protections keeping them housed have expired after they waited for rental assistance for more than two months. More than 22,000 households are still waiting to be reviewed for state aid. Now lawmakers will be left scrambling during a mid-December special legislative session to try to pass solutions to keep thousands of families housed.