Over $289 million in federal emergency rental assistance paid to more than 40,000 households through pandemic
SALEM, ORE. – Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) will close the Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program (OERAP) Portal and stop accepting new applications after 11:59 p.m. PDT today, March 14, 2022. The portal reopened on Jan. 26, 2022, for a limited time after the Oregon Legislature allocated $100 million to support renters facing eviction. The state had paused accepting new applications on Dec. 1, 2021, due to dwindling federal funds.
Upon review, applications will be approved for payment or denied. This decision will be made based upon the highest need, not on a first-come, first-served basis. If a tenant has an incomplete application in the portal, they have until March 21 to complete it. As a reminder, tenants who submit new applications can access protections from eviction for nonpayment of rent while their application is being reviewed and processed.
Five counties and the city of Portland received allocations from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and are running their own rental assistance programs. Tenants can also contact their local community actions agencies to inquire about additional available rental assistance resources. Renters can call 2-1-1 or visit oregonrentalassistance.org for additional information.
During this historic crisis, the agency served as a national leader in providing rental assistance to more than 40,500 households, which means an estimated 104,600 people have been able to stay safely and affordably housed during the pandemic. Only two other states have provided a higher percentage of assistance, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Oregon ranks third in the nation in the percentage of emergency rental assistance funds paid out and obligated. More than $289 million has been paid in the past nine months.
Information for renters about portal closure
Here’s some important information for renters:
- If a tenant has an incomplete application in the portal, they have until March 21 to complete it. This extension applies for applications that are incomplete at the time of closure. New applications will not be accepted after March 14. If an application is started today, tenants have one week to complete it.
- Applicants can continue to log on to the OERAP portal to complete their application or check the status of their finished application. They will be alerted by email as their application advances.
- Tenants at immediate risk of eviction should apply for rental assistance right away to access safe harbor eviction protections and contact a legal organization:
- Oregon Law Center’s Eviction Defense Project: 888-585-9638 or evictiondefense@oregonlawcenter.org
- Oregon State Bar: 503-684-3763 or legalhelp@oregonstatebar.org
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