If you have questions about rent or utility assistance, call 211.

Tenants or landlords with questions about a specific application submitted before Dec. 1, 2021, should call 844-378-2931 during regular business hours. Please have your application number handy.

Safe Harbor eviction protection

Tenants must pay rent each month or risk eviction. SB 891 extends temporary “Safe Harbor” protections protecting renters from nonpayment eviction until a tenant’s rent assistance application is no longer pending. All safe harbor protections expire on Sept. 30, 2022. 

To be protected, tenants must prove that they have applied to their landlord by June 30, 2022, or at or before any first court appearance, whichever is sooner. Documentation can be:

• a copy or photo of the documentation by email or text message
• email, a screenshot, or other written or electronic documentation verifying the submission of an application for emergency rental assistance

Once a tenant has given their landlord documentation of their application, the landlord may not move forward with a termination notice or an eviction action until the application has been closed, denied, or paid. If your application is closed, denied, or paid in an amount that is less than is owed, your landlord can move forward with the eviction process.

After June 30, only tenants who have submitted their safe harbor documentation will be protected while their applications are processed. 

Landlords must give ten days of notice of termination of tenancy for nonpayment until Sept. 30, 2022. If you receive a 10-day notice for nonpayment:

• If you haven’t already, apply for emergency rent assistance and provide documentation to your landlord.
• Call the Community Alliance of Tenants (503-288-0130), Springfield Eugene Tenant Association (541-972-3715) Hotlines, or their local legal aid office. (www.oregonlawhelp.org). 

If you have questions about eviction protections, please visit the Oregon Law Center’s website for updates at www.oregonlawhelp.org.

You have the right to these protections regardless of your citizenship status.

Other Resources for assistance

Numerous entities across the state received housing and utility assistance funds as part of this federal COVID-19 relief program. Five counties and the City of Portland have opted to accept applications from residents through their own application process. However, residents of all counties are welcome to apply to the Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program (OERAP).

All programs will require applicants to meet the same eligibility criteria. The state is coordinating with local providers to ensure that residents of all counties can submit an application for the Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program no matter where they apply.

To learn more about local programs, visit the following websites to see if you qualify for your city or county funds:

• City of Portland
• Clackamas County
• Lane County
• Marion County
• Multnomah County
• Washington County

Note: You may only select one program to apply to for assistance. Applicants are prohibited from accepting payment from the same expense from different providers and are asked to select one program.

Tribal Governments

Some Tribal Governments received federal funding to operate their rental assistance programs. If you are connected to services through a Tribe in Oregon, contact them directly for more information.

• Burns Paiute Tribe 
• Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw
• Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Housing Department 
• Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians 
• Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation / Housing Department
• Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs / Housing Authority
• Coquille Indian Tribe / Housing Authority 
• Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians
• Klamath Tribes

Oregon Public Housing Authorities

Rental assistance programs from Oregon Public Housing Authorities may also be available, including the Housing Choice Voucher / “Section 8” program. To learn more about these programs and whether you may qualify, you can search for your local housing agency and click on “find your agency.” 

Additional rental assistance programs may be available from your local Community Action Agency.

Utility Assistance

With the concurrent deployment of Emergency Rental Assistance dollars (ERA 1, ERA 2 alongside ERA 3), OERAP recently decided not to continue covering tenant utility bills. This change will allow the state to stretch the limited emergency rental assistance dollars to cover more applicants and keep families in their homes. Oregon has ample utility assistance available that renters and homeowners can access to cover their utility bills. Renters can learn more about where to access utilities in their local communities by contacting their Community Action Agency and calling 2-1-1.

Specialized Assistance for Spanish speakers, Agricultural workers, and Farmworkers

Do you need assistance or application information in Spanish? Reach out to the Oregon Human Development Corporation (OHDC) for additional help with your Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program application. Find more information on the OHDC website or call 1-855-215-6158.

Do you need legal guidance?

OHCS cannot advise on legal matters. For questions related to evictions, please reach out to the Oregon Law Center (https://oregonlawcenter.org/).