Mayor Ted Wheeler, Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury Announce Eviction Moratorium

In a press conference this morning, Mayor Wheeler and Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury announced the following with regard to a forced moratorium on evictions.

Read more on Oregonlive/The Oregonian.

• In Multnomah County and the City of Portland, the courts and police departments will no longer be advancing eviction proceedings, effective immediately.
• All evictions for nonpayment of rent will be halted for the duration of the state of emergency.
• Tenants will be given 6 months following the end of the emergency declaration to repay back rent. 
• Wheeler said he plans to meet with local banks and credit unions on Thursday to urge them to provide leniency on mortgage payments for landlords and building owners who will be impacted by this eviction moratorium. 
• Wheeler also asked the state legislature to expand rental assistance programs. 
• Neither the city nor the county plan to offer monetary assistance to renters or landlords. 

The Mayor thanked landlords who have already stepped up to help tenants who are struggling to pay rent as a result of business closures and lost income.

Mayor Wheeler also announced that the city will be distributing $150,000 in grants to businesses in the Jade District, which were among the first to see economic impacts from the crisis. He hopes this grant program can eventually be expanded to neighborhoods across the city.

At the beginning of the Q&A portion of the press conference, protesters asked Wheeler and Kafoury to freeze rents until the economy recovers, citing concerns that six months will not be enough to pay significant back rent that may accrue. Neither Wheeler nor Kafoury responded to the protesters.