PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland City Council passed a measure to help bring relief and protection to Portland renters.
The measure required relocation costs for the renter to be covered by the landlord if the rent is increased by any amount through March 31, 2021, should the resident need to move because they can't afford rent.
It was unanimously approved on Wednesday.
“We are in the midst of a pandemic, and we need to do everything we can to keep Portlanders in their homes,” Mayor Wheeler said. “Simply put, this is a public health issue. Stable housing is the foundation of health, and this relief measure will help protect Portland renters through the worst of this crisis.”
Before the measure, the code allowed landlords to increase rent by 10% without being required to cover the moving costs of tenants.
In a press release, the mayor’s office said this is the latest of many actions the city has done to help stabilize vulnerable households.
Wheeler also directed the Portland Housing Bureau to reallocate approximately $500,000 toward housing stabilization in East Portland, enough funds to support about 1,000 households.
Last week, the mayor also announced that if the state does not act to extend the statewide eviction moratorium, which is scheduled to expire at the end of September, he will enact a local moratorium on Oct. 1.
