November 30, 2021 2:00 p.m.

On Tuesday, Governor Kate Brown announced that she will be calling the Oregon State Legislature into special session on December 13th to address eviction protections for renters.

Governor Brown said, “As we enter our coldest months, it is absolutely essential that we take action to ensure no additional Oregon families are evicted when rental assistance is on the way”. Governor Brown said, “I have spoken directly with Oregon renters in recent weeks about the pain and hardship their families have faced due to the economic impacts of the pandemic. We must take legislative action now to approve additional state funding for rental assistance, and to extend eviction protections for Oregonians who have applied for assistance”.

Governor Brown’s release said federal funds for rental assistance are nearly spent. Brown said she is continuing to work with federal officials at the U.S. Treasury and the White House to secure additional federal emergency rental assistance funding for Oregon.

The release said Governor Brown is proposing a framework to prevent further evictions:

*Extend eviction safe harbor protections for each individual who has applied for rental assistance

*Ensure landlords are paid in full for the rent they are owed

*Provide up to $90 million in additional rental assistance to ensure low-income tenants access through the winter

*Provide $100 million to transition from large-scale pandemic-related emergency rental assistance to long-term, locally-delivered eviction prevention services

Governor Brown said legislators may also be asked to take on additional time-sensitive issues during the special session that require action before February 2022.