Committee hears package to protect tenants as affordability restrictions expire; advocates seek mitigation fund and dashboard improvements

The Senate Committee on Housing and Development on March 3 held a public hearing on a three-bill preservation package: Senate Bill 973, Senate Bill 31 (two dash versions), and Senate Bill 32. The bills are designed to protect tenants and improve information and resources when publicly supported affordable housing loses its affordability restrictions.

LPRO staff summarized the three measures. Senate Bill 973 would require landlords of publicly supported housing to provide written notice of ending affordability restrictions to applicants, new tenants, and extend the minimum notice provided to existing tenants. The LPRO summary said SB 973 "extends the minimum notice that must be provided to existing tenants from 20 months to 30 months" and directs the Housing and Community Services Department to adopt rules for notices and translations. Senate Bill 31 (dash 1 and dash 2 variants) would allow Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) to award grants to qualifying housing sponsors to provide one-time financial subgrants to tenants whose housing is being withdrawn from affordability restrictions, creating an expiring affordability mitigation fund. Senate Bill 32 would require OHCS to publish additional data on publicly supported affordable housing on its preservation dashboard, including expiration dates, unit counts, rental assistance type, tenant income levels and preservation status.

Why it matters: Presenters said Oregon faces a wave of expiring affordability restrictions. Senator Deb Patterson, sponsor of the package, told the committee the work began after local pilot projects to preserve housing and that "4052 affordable housing units across Oregon will lose affordability restrictions over the next 5 years," citing OHCS figures. Representative Courtney Neron added the bill builds on prior work and called for stronger tenant protections, including translation of notices and extended notice periods for tenants.

Advocates and housing agencies described the tools as complementary. Cameron Harrington of the Oregon Housing Alliance said the most effective preservation approach is bond funding to acquire properties, "but still a number of these properties will convert to market rate because it is the owner's right to do that." He described the mitigation fund concept as a modest but meaningful source of flexible assistance, usable for relocation costs or help covering rent increases for households that want to remain in place. "Some households will need those resources to help them move to another home... Other households ... the best thing for your family is to stay in your current home and be able to have some support affording the higher rent for a couple years," Harrington said.

Service providers and housing authorities urged support. Christina Dirks of Home Forward, the Multnomah County housing authority, said the package provides transparency and assistance while acknowledging that "the biggest thing most important thing this legislature can do in terms of preservation of affordable housing is...allocating bond funding to help acquire these properties and keep them permanently affordable." Jessica Blakely of the Salem Housing Authority described Orchard Park Apartments as an example where greater resources could have aided tenants.

Residents and tenant advocates described practical impacts. Victory Hall, who has worked in shelter and affordable housing, said tenants often do not know how long an affordability restriction will last and called the notification and mitigation proposals "such a difference for people." Kim McCarty of the Community Alliance of Tenants and others emphasized long wait lists for housing and the high cost of moving, supporting the mitigation fund and improved notice.

Clarifying details and discrepancies in the record: The LPRO staff summary described an increase in the tenant notice period from 20 to 30 months, while Representative Neron said the bill would extend notice from 24 to 36 months. Advocates explained the change to 36 months in discussion: owners are already required to provide a 36-month notice to the state, local government, and local housing authority, and aligning tenant notice with those existing notices avoids staggered deadlines and improves clarity. (Cameron Harrington)

Administration and local officials: Multiple public housing authorities, community action agencies, Multifamily Northwest and county leaders testified in support, and stakeholders described the dash-2 version of SB 31 as broader in eligible administrators to ensure communities without a housing authority could access funds. In committee questioning, Senator Anderson asked whether dash-2 was the preferred version; Harrington said dash-2 reflected input from housing authorities and broadened eligible organizations that could steward the funds.

Next steps: The committee closed the public hearing without recorded committee votes. Supporters urged the legislature to pair these policy tools with bond funding recommended in the governor's budget to preserve properties and reduce the number of conversions.