[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6349120,"mediaKeyId","2239283-d6c77292ec4db9c5cb1df5c9adf25ba9","parentId",2239283,"title","State homeownership tools see strong demand: LIFT oversubscribed, new Amplify mortgage pilot aims to speed equity","audioSeconds",2463,"startMs",2682000,"endMs",5145000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2239283-d6c77292ec4db9c5cb1df5c9adf25ba9&start=2682&end=5145","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2239283-d6c77292ec4db9c5cb1df5c9adf25ba9/thumbnail_2682000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6349120/Oregon/State-homeownership-tools-see-strong-demand-LIFT-oversubscribed-new-Amplify-mortgage-pilot-aims-to-speed-equity","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6349120-2fcc1deb2c8893ec38f442ebd12a1d1f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771088784&Signature=SstpcWBu6ikxaPue5ly5-F4CsPl0ScqMcwokmdongbP3tTlThwOPJFMwqND~dhZnHDuqbUG7IjFS79JOn3tITNC9y51T73K3~x9LBSVKANyoBex0O-TKPOcRIzsnvGNnlY4ApnWPFTSvbAYq-2mnUY3MNmev2Wzsr6cb-kCVJRt8PwoRmlmahyPCDNbjkF9WXUVSZ5rVNJ-go3KfVYD4yoIq--pHqf--y6xgoqINA5Z0OOPA1J3fnK-2rndzAG8XAmEvMiyP8fkvIvBhK2W~2s-onUTrj3OsBrja4IW13zSnBFH7QSzeoIsVMw4~YBrSdlgeMDoJf~QdGPp3hjU7Tw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","State of Oregon","date","2025-02-03T00:00:00Z","article","SALEM, Ore. — During the Senate Committee on Housing and Development’s Feb. 3 informational session on homeownership, nonprofit developers and state housing officials described how the LIFT Homeownership Program and a new mortgage pilot called Amplify Oregon are expanding permanently affordable ownership options — and how demand is far outpacing available subsidy.

\"Homeownership is affordable housing,\" said Shannon Vilhauer, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Oregon, opening the session. Vilhauer described how below‑market mortgages and shared‑equity models can make ownership accessible even where market prices are high.

LIFT program: production and changes

Talia Ken‑Kravis, assistant director for homeownership programs at Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), told the committee that LIFT (Local Innovation and Fast‑Tracked Homeownership) has leveraged about $110 million in LIFT funds to fund 62 projects and nearly 1,000 homes in six years; 221 of those homes were complete at the time of her presentation and 413 residents were living in LIFT homes. She described the program’s shared‑equity requirement (commonly implemented through community land trusts and leasehold models) and said OHCS takes a first lien on the land to maintain its operating interest and preserve long‑term affordability.

Demand and program changes: Ken‑Kravis said LIFT historically set loan amounts based on land appraisals, which disadvantaged rural projects because rural land often appraises much lower. The 2025 LIFT notice of funding availability (NOFA) revised the subsidy structure to base subsidy on bedroom size rather than appraised land value, added a $5,000 per‑unit rural supplement (up to $100,000), and created set‑asides for culturally specific developers and counties historically underserved by LIFT. The NOFA opened Jan. 6; OHCS said it had already received roughly $77 million in pre‑applications for $40 million in available LIFT funds, proposing about 445 homes while funding capacity is about 200 homes under the current funding assumptions.

Shannon Vilhauer of Habitat for Humanity emphasized the program’s local impact: \"For Habitat Portland region, we tripled production within three years using LIFT homeownership,\" she said, describing affiliates that grew from a handful of homes to dozens annually when LIFT subsidy was available.

Subsidy depth vs. unit count

OHCS and developers noted the program’s subsidy per home has risen: the average LIFT subsidy historically was just under $100,000 but OHCS expects average subsidies to be closer to $200,000 under the new gap‑funding assumptions. Talia Ken‑Kravis said the change will provide deeper subsidies and more equitable geographic coverage but — because per‑unit subsidy increases — fewer homes can be covered with the same total funding.

Amplify Oregon mortgage pilot

Speakers from DevNW, NOAH (Network for Oregon Affordable Housing), and partner organizations described the Amplify Oregon accelerated mortgage program, a pilot designed to pair community land trust (shared‑equity) homeownership with a blended, below‑market 20‑year mortgage. Karen Sachs of DevNW and Bill Van Vliet of NOAH said the structure is intended to accelerate equity accumulation and reduce lifetime interest paid by borrowers while preserving long‑term affordability in the shared‑equity model.

Bill Van Vliet summarized an example delivered to the committee showing a homeowner using the 20‑year structure would accumulate substantially more equity and save on interest compared with a traditional 30‑year mortgage. He said the initial pilot funding would support roughly 50 CLT homebuyers; NOAH and partners estimated the fund would leverage private bank capital and be able to fund about seven homes per $1 million of state investment. Van Vliet said the proposal is associated with House Bill 3235 and a companion capital request; he said additional legislation (including a capital bill and a bill to allocate certain tax credit proceeds) is being pursued.

Rural‑urban tensions and program design questions

Senators pressed developers and OHCS on whether changes to LIFT would push subsidy toward or away from urban centers and how the program balances rural needs. Developers said appraisal‑based limits had unintentionally suppressed rural applications; OHCS said the new bedroom‑based subsidy structure and rural add‑on are intended to address that imbalance and that HDIP and general funds have been used previously to make rural projects pencil.

What the committee heard and next steps

- LIFT has demonstrable production results but is oversubscribed for 2025; OHCS asked for continued, predictable funding to meet pipeline demand.

- Program changes in the 2025 NOFA aim to make awards more equitable across geographies and project types; they will increase per‑unit subsidy and reduce the number of units possible per dollar of state subsidy.

- The Amplify mortgage pilot would pair below‑market, faster‑amortizing mortgages with shared‑equity resale formulas; pilot funding and companion bills were identified to create a revolving fund.

No committee votes were taken; the session was informational. Program representatives and OHCS said they would continue to provide materials, respond to technical questions and work with committee staff as the legislative session advances.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Committee On Housing and Development Feb 3, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","State housing officials and nonprofit developers told the Senate Committee on Housing and Development on Feb. 3 that the LIFT Homeownership Program has leveraged roughly $110 million to develop nearly 1,000 permanently affordable homes and that demand for the 2025 round far exceeds available funds; a separate pilot, Amplify Oregon, was presented as a way to accelerate homeowner equity via shorter, below‑market mortgages paired with shared‑equity resale restrictions.","taxTitle","Housing and Development, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Oregon","taxId",17873,"location","Oregon","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":44,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6349123,"Senate committee hears data on rising evictions, courtroom reforms and gaps in assistance",2650,32000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2239283-d6c77292ec4db9c5cb1df5c9adf25ba9&start=32&end=2682","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2239283-d6c77292ec4db9c5cb1df5c9adf25ba9/thumbnail_32000.jpg","/articles/6349123/Oregon/Senate-committee-hears-data-on-rising-evictions-courtroom-reforms-and-gaps-in-assistance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6349123-20f99ae5191a711580010edfae3bc68f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771088784&Signature=LZZpmaD24BpIqq2bXwbFyL8zmAbLQGZih6KWEe272B9xwzdqL0vVwZJ-4T75dgvKhQux57evitsjqiWInRQoNtxAb0JiJRTSHC2iVK3mqOnkfXvXM92AYFR~qkuHNcP6YPRFY9QJSRA9-YsHarEg5iFohgotZs~ZuEFM3uyhfFBjTaQCdsB-I4tjBjSnOUlbnxIkynijst1EH1s9Jke~jrMQMJgHfyIopCeFVVQwNXOmJ2zhRPsMA93yW19aHmppXJj0rYhOhnd2ze9F56oYI~RPYvpz8vBfcMzN9IeDxJzKkJt55tKGax~6m3~xoCDZI~RDBCOUAxfh53RplgyNEA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","SALEM, Ore. — The Senate Committee on Housing and Development on Feb. 3 heard an informational briefing on eviction trends in Oregon and how recent legal changes have affected court outcomes.

Sybil Hebb, an attorney and policy specialist with the Oregon Law Center, told the committee the state logged 27,290 eviction cases filed in 2024 and that nonpayment filings accounted for a large share of those cases. \"Every one of those represents a household at risk, whose livelihood, whose roof over their head was in danger,\" Hebb said.

The presentation framed the filings against broader affordability data and recent statutory reforms. Hebb summarized the effect of House Bill 2001 (part of the 2023 housing reform package), including a permanent extension of the nonpayment notice period from 72 hours to 10 days and a statutory requirement that notices include information about where to obtain assistance in multiple languages. She said HB 2001 also required that landlords accept rent‑assistance payments and automated the expungement of qualifying forcible entry and detainer (FED) judgments when those judgments meet statutory criteria.

Why it matters: Committee members were shown how cost burdens and limited low‑cost stock push households toward court. Hebb emphasized that higher rent burdens and limited supply mean more households — especially households of color and households with children — face eviction risk and displacement.

Key facts and findings

- Court filings: Hebb presented court data showing 27,290 eviction filings in 2024 and average monthly filings above 2,200 during the year. She contrasted that with a 2019 monthly pre‑pandemic average of about 1,556 filings.

- Nonpayment cases: Hebb said nonpayment filings rose and accounted for about 87% of filings in 2024 (as presented to the committee).

- Legal‑procedural reforms: HB 2001 (2023) lengthened nonpayment notice periods to 10 days; requires notices to include multilingual assistance information; made payment before judgment a basis for case dismissal; prohibits landlords from refusing rent assistance payments; strengthened default‑judgment procedural protections; and automated expungement for qualifying FED judgments.

- Expungement eligibility: Hebb said the statute had long allowed expungement of some judgments (for example, those more than five years old or judgments where the tenant prevailed), and that automation of expungements began under an Oregon Judicial Department (OJD) timeline. She reported OJD had removed roughly half of qualifying judgments from records by the end of 2024.

- Court representation gap: Hebb told the committee that about 9% of tenants in eviction proceedings are represented by counsel. By contrast, she reported about 46% of landlords are represented by counsel and that representation rises to about 62% when agents are included. She described that disparity as a structural concern in access to justice.

- Displacements outside court: Hebb cautioned the committee that many displacements never reach court. She cited studies estimating that the number of households receiving landlord notices can be two to five times higher than court filings, meaning the court data likely undercounts total displacement risk.

Assistance programs and timing concerns

Hebb described rent assistance and prevention resources as key to preventing judgments. She noted the Eviction Prevention Rapid Response program — prioritized for households already in court proceedings — could turn around assistance quickly (she said it has worked \"as quickly as a week\") but that the program had run out of money at the time of her testimony. She also summarized that rent assistance payments accepted before judgment generally lead to dismissals under the statutory change.

Voucher uptake and lease‑up timeframes

Hebb and senators discussed voucher use and time limits. Using a Central Oregon example reported in local media, Hebb said that only about 32% of households offered vouchers in one 2023 example made use of them, in part because households have 120 days to use vouchers and can forfeit them if they cannot find a unit to lease up in that time. Hebb noted local housing authorities can grant reasonable‑accommodation extensions in some cases (for example, disability‑related needs), but she said extending voucher timeframes generally is governed by federal regulation.

Committee questions and docket procedure

Senators asked procedural and jurisdictional questions: whether evictions are heard in justice courts or circuit courts (Hebb said it varies by county and that some counties use both court types), how quickly rent assistance arrives in practice (Hebb said turnaround varies by program and provider, and that pandemic‑era centralized programs were slow but that targeted rapid‑response funds can be quicker), and whether landlords are shifting properties to short‑term rentals because of perceived eviction hurdles (Hebb said she has heard that concern from some landlords).

What the hearing did not decide

This was an informational briefing; no committee votes were taken. Hebb offered to provide committees additional materials and county‑level court mappings after the hearing.

Ending

The committee did not take formal action after the presentation. Hebb said she would follow up with committee members and provide the presentation materials and county court mappings. The chair closed the informational session and proceeded to the next agenda item on homeownership programs.","An informational hearing on Feb. 3, 2025, featured an Oregon Law Center presentation showing court filings rose sharply in 2024, outlining recent legal reforms (including a 10‑day nonpayment notice and automated expungement rules) and identifying persistent gaps in legal representation and rent‑assistance access.","actionData","errors"]

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State homeownership tools see strong demand: LIFT oversubscribed, new Amplify mortgage pilot aims to speed equity

Senate committee hears data on rising evictions, courtroom reforms and gaps in assistance