Oregon tenants at risk in expiration of eviction safe harbor

Legislators and tenant advocates are calling for special session to extend protections, as renters run out of time to get help

By Julia Shumway – Oregon Capital Chronicle

Three months ago, most legislators agreed to let the state’s eviction moratorium expire but provide a 60-day grace period as landlords and tenants waited on bureaucrats to process rental assistance claims.

There were hundreds of millions of dollars in federal rent assistance available, Covid cases were decreasing and more than 2 million Oregonians had already been fully vaccinated. On June 25, the day the safe harbor law took effect, Gov. Kate Brown announced that she would end statewide mask mandates, capacity limits and physical distancing requirements.

Oregonians were finally free to mingle barefaced in crowds, and the pandemic seemed like it was almost over.

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