To continue helping tenants who are still financially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners extended the protection period of Senate Bill 278 from 60 days to 90 days, giving renters an additional 30 days of eviction protection, effective on July 8, 2021.
SB 278 granted 60 days of eviction protection to tenants who filed for rental assistance and submitted proof of filing to their landlords. The protection period starts when the landlord receives documentation of the filing for rental aid from their tenants. This original bill took effect on June 25, 2021.
The Oregon State of Legislature enacted SB 278 to give rental assistance service providers in Oregon more time to process record-breaking numbers of rental assistance requests. Multnomah County has two new rent assistance teams to help its distribution efforts. One team focuses on processing requests from the Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program. The other team is dedicated to eviction prevention.
“Extending SB 278’s protections by another 30 days will help ensure Multnomah County and our partners have enough time to process applications, and help people get current on their rent and regain stability,” explained Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury. “We have reorganized and expanded our systems in preparation for the challenge. Still, the unprecedented scale of need, and the resources to meet it, far exceed those of other counties across the state, and the extra time will be vital to getting people the help they need.”
The Multnomah County Board strongly recommends landlords avoid filing eviction notices and instead inform and encourage their tenants to apply for rent assistance. Tenants will be given a chance to stay housed while they apply for rent assistance, which will be paid directly to landlords.
If 90 days have passed since the tenant provided the documentation and a balance of back-pay remains unpaid, the landlord may issue a new eviction notice. Landlords need to study SB 278 and its extension to ensure that they are fully compliant with the order. If they are not utilizing a regularly updated forms bank, they should consider doing so.
Tenants who have accrued unpaid rent from April 2020 to June 202 are urged to file for rent assistance as soon as possible if they haven’t yet. More information on who is eligible and can file for assistance is found at Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program. There is $280 million of rental assistance allocated to Oregon, the city of Portland, and multiple counties in the state.
“We are trying to get as much money out the door as quickly and efficiently as possible,” Commissioner Lori Stegmann also said. “We want to get that money to renters and to landlords.”
Both landlords and tenants can benefit from this order. If you are either a landlord or a renter affected by the order and you are unsure how to proceed, Multnomah County is also ready to extend legal assistance as needed.
If you are interested in rental property management in Portland, Oregon, visit Illume Property Partners.
Source: Multnomah County