November 16, 2021 3:15 a.m.

The State of Oregon will pause accepting new applications for the Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program on December 1st.

A release from Oregon Housing and Community Services said an estimated nearly $289 million in federal emergency rental assistance allocated by the U.S. Department of Treasury to the state has been requested and the program will be fully subscribed in the coming weeks. The pause in new applications will last for six weeks. The release said it will ensure that the state can keep its commitment to every Oregon renter that applies for assistance until that time. In the intervening weeks, OHCS will work with the Governor’s Office and legislative leaders to pursue solutions at the federal, state, and local levels to continue to help Oregon renters.

The release said the state allocated the federal funding more quickly than many other counties and states. Oregon is currently ranked 7th nationwide in percent of federal emergency rental assistance funds paid or obligated. The U.S. Department of Treasury allocated a total of nearly $360 million to Oregon, in two waves.

OHCS said it will shift the focus to advocating for more federal funding and processing applications currently in the queue. The agency is in the process of formally requesting additional funding.

Anyone who has fallen behind on rent or may get behind on December rent is encouraged to apply for emergency rental assistance right away before December 1st at www.oregonrentalassistance.org