How to get help if you get an eviction notice or need rent assistance

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Updated Jan. 21, 2022

How to apply for help

211info: If you or your household receive an eviction notice for nonpayment of rent, call 2-1-1 immediately to learn about rapid-payment rent assistance that may help you avoid eviction. The County’s eviction defense team may be able to provide rapid financial and legal resources to help renters in Multnomah County stay in their homes. Call even if you've already applied for help through the state’s online portal or a community organization.

Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program portal (Allita): After a temporary pause on accepting new applications for rent relief, the Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program portal will begin accepting new applications starting on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022. The State’s program will be open for a limited time, depending on availability of funds. In the meantime, call 2-1-1 for information about connecting with a community organization distributing emergency rent assistance.

Information about eviction protections

Oregon Senate Bill 891 protects renters who have applied for rent assistance from nonpayment evictions if they provide documentation of their application to their landlords. 

Oregon renters who apply for rent assistance and provide documentation to their landlord before July 1, 2022, are protected by this “safe harbor” protection until their application is processed, up until Sept. 30, 2022. This protection also applies to renters who already submitted documentation to their landlords and had their previous protections expire while they waited for their assistance to arrive.

Renters can receive the appropriate documentation from the rent assistance provider they are working with.

If you have additional questions about how and when to submit evidence of your application, please contact your rent assistance provider or Oregon Law Center, Community Alliance of Tenants or Legal Aid Services of Oregon.

Please be aware that other renter protections may also be available depending on your individual circumstances.  

Tenants cannot be evicted for owing rent for the months between and including April 2020 and June 2021, and have until February 28, 2022, to pay that rent back. Call 2-1-1 for information about programs that may be able to help you pay your back rent and avoid eviction for nonpayment of rent.

If you or your household receive an eviction notice for nonpayment of rent, call 2-1-1 immediately.

Download this fact sheet from Oregon Law Center to learn more about eviction protections.

Eligibility for rent assistance in Multnomah County

If you are a Multnomah County resident and are struggling to pay your rent (current and overdue) due to the pandemic, you may be eligible to receive assistance. You must meet all the below criteria to be eligible:  

1. You are a renter in Oregon behind on your payments.

2. One or more members of your household can demonstrate how the COVID-19 pandemic has directly or indirectly impacted their ability to pay rent or utilities.

3. Your annual household income is at or below 80% of the Area Median Income for your household size. Use the chart below to determine your income eligibility.