Action Alert - Eviction reform next Monday - Jan 30

This coming Monday, January 30th, the Senate Housing Committee will hold a public hearing on SB 799 - the eviction reform bill - and we need your testimony in support!

For too long, landlords have dominated the conversation with our elected leaders, resulting in some of the highest eviction and homelessness rates we've ever seen.

Senate Bill 799 will:

• Reduce nonpayment evictions and make the eviction process more fair.

• Expand time after notice to make payments before being taken to court to 10 days instead of 72 hours.

• Restore nonpayment eviction timelines to those during the pandemic era, which reduced displacements.

• Restore 60-day safe harbor period to give time for rent assistance to be processed.

• Require landlords to accept payment and dismiss the case if paid before final judgment.

We need this bill, and we need tenants to tell legislators why. We want to flood the conversation with tenant voices.

If you can come to the Capitol at 8am on Monday to testify, email Kevin Cronin and we can work with you to get you there.

If you cannot make it in person, but wish to submit written testimony, please do! You can submit written testimony on on your own or email Kevin Cronin for help! We have included a few resources below

-How to Submit Written Testimony

-Sample Written Testimony from Eugene Tenant Alliance

Displacement Assistance Update

The Eugene City Manager, Sarah Medary, has canceled our hearing on February 21st for Displacement Prevention Assistance. This tone-deaf move to delay this life saving homelessness prevention measure comes in stark contrast to Gov. Kotek declared a homeless state of emergency in Lane County. A recent report says more than 68 individuals have passed away while being homeless in 2022 in Lane County alone.

We need your help to fight back.

Please send this email to mayorcouncilandcitymanager@eugene-or.gov, and smedary@eugene-or.gov

Subject: Take our the Homeless Emergency Seriously - Pass Displacement Prevention Assistance

Dear City Council, Mayor and Manager,

I am dismayed to learn that Displacement Prevention Assistance (DPA) has been pulled from the council tentative agenda. While landlords have complicated the renter protection process by suing the city of eugene, Displacement Prevention Assistance is not affected by any pending litigation. Here are five reasons we need to hold a hearing and vote on DPA as soon as possible.

1. Governor Kotek has declared a state of emergency for Housing and Homelessness in Lane County.

2. More than 68 people died as a result of being homeless in Lane County in 2022.

3. DPA is first and foremost homeless prevention.

4. DPA has been litigated all the way to the Oregon Supreme Court in Owens Vs. City of Portland. Portland very much prevailed.

5. We are in the 3rd calendar year of discussions regarding DPA. It has broad community support, from a variety of community organizations and individuals.

Please reverse your decision to cancel this hearing on homelessness prevention. Would you delay a policy solution from being considered if this were a fire, flood, pandemic, earthquake or other severe weather event? Why is this emergency different?

This is a bad look for Eugene to delay consideration of the most significant homeless prevention proposal it's considered during your time as city manager, under a declared state of emergency on the very same topic.

Sincerely,

Your Name

Rent Cap Update

Word on the street is that our bill to cap rents in Oregon - SB611 (3 minute video explainer) is coming up for a legislative hearing in the middle of February. We are organizing a coordinating meeting on Feb 4, at 11am on Zoom. We will be coordinating rides to the capital and talking about our testimony strategy. If you want to come, R.S.V.P. by emailing eugenetenantalliance@gmail.com