*Authorize a subrecipient contract for $440,000 for the provision of services in support of stabilizing tenants

The City of Portland ordains: Section 1. The Council finds: In 2019, 5,904 eviction cases were filed in Multnomah County. Of those cases, only 3% of tenants had lawyers. Since 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused an economic downturn throughout Oregon and in City of Portland with unprecedented numbers of layoffs and reduced work hours for a significant percentage of our workforce. This economic hardship, disproportionately affecting low and moderate-income workers and BIPOC workers, has resulted in lost wages and the inability to pay for basic household expenses, including rent. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, nonpayment of rent was the leading cause of evictions within the state and in the City of Portland. Because the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an inability for tenants to consistently pay rent, it is anticipated that there will be a significant increase in the number of evictions when the COVID-19 eviction moratorium related protections expire. Evictions have long-term consequences for tenants including houselessness, the loss of personal possessions, decreased physical and mental health, poor school performance for children, job loss, housing discrimination, and the inability to find stable replacement housing. Evictions force low-income tenants further into poverty. Studies have shown that evictions and their resulting negative impacts disproportionately affect Black and Latino households, households headed by women, and households with children. Evictions create significant costs within the City of Portland related to shelter funding, education funding, health care provided in hospitals instead of community–based providers, transportation costs, and foster care. Providing access to counsel for tenants facing eviction is a proven means of preventing the disruptive displacement of families and the resulting social, economic, and public health costs of such displacement. Even if displacement cannot be avoided, counsel can help negotiate more favorable terms that allow more time to vacate, avoidance of a formal eviction on a tenant’s record and possible reductions in back-rent or other costs owed by the tenant. In recognition of the transformative impact of a right to counsel in eviction proceedings for tenants, eight cities and three states to date have adopted code creating a right to counsel for tenants facing eviction. The Portland Housing Bureau (PHB) and the Rental Services Commission recognize the importance of providing legal assistance to tenants facing potential eviction. In addition, as evictions disproportionately impact BIPOC renters, preventing evictions and their negative consequences is a way to advance the City’s Racial Equity Goals & Strategies and Portland Housing Bureau’s Racial Equity Plan. PHB used a competitive Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to identify organizations that are qualified to provide eviction legal defense services. The goal of the Eviction Legal Defense Program is to stabilize vulnerable renters and avoid the negative short-term and long-term impacts of eviction. The Eviction Legal Defense Program will advise the renters of their rights and represent them through negotiation in advance of a court filing or in eviction court. The program will service renters at 60% Area Median Income, roughly $58,020 for a family of four. Six submissions were received and reviewed by an evaluation panel compromising both community members and PHB staff. As a result of the RFQ process, PHB selected Oregon Law Center to provide program services. Funding is included in the Housing Bureau’s FY 2021-2022 adopted budget in the amount of $440,000. Through this contract, Oregon Law Center will perform intakes for at least 1,500 tenants facing eviction and will provide legal representation of at least 840 tenants through the Program. Demographic data of Program participants will be tracked to assess the Program’s effectiveness in advancing the City’s Racial Equity Goals & Strategies and the Portland Housing Bureau’s Racial Equity Plan. NOW THEREFORE, the Council directs: The Bureau Director or designee is authorized to execute a contract with Oregon Law Center in the amount of $440,000 in a form substantially similar to Exhibit A. The Bureau Director is authorized to approve funding amendments up to 25% of the original budget amount of this contract. The Mayor and Auditor are hereby authorized to make payments on this contract from the PHB operating fund budget. Section 2. The Council declares that an emergency exists because the program funds must be obligated within required timeframes; therefore, this ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage by Council.