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Portland council adopts compromise amendment on $20.7 million rental-services fund after hours of testimony
Summary
After hours of public testimony and debate, the Portland City Council adopted a compromise amendment reallocating approximately $20.7 million in rental-services office funds toward a mix of rent assistance, eviction prevention, housing development gap funding and pilot legal defense programs; other competing amendments failed and remaining proposals were left for a future meeting.
Councilors on Jan. 28 took up a contested resolution setting priorities for approximately $20,700,000 in unspent rental-services office funds, advancing a compromise amendment after extensive public testimony from tenant advocates, legal aid clinics, housing developers and neighborhood groups.
The sponsors, led by Councilor Avila (housing committee), said the revised package was designed to balance urgent renter supports with investments that stabilize and expand housing. Councilor Avila summarized the key elements as preserving $9,000,000 for rent assistance programs, adding gap funding for several affordable-housing projects, increasing down-payment assistance to $750,000, and expanding eviction-defense and a right-to-counsel pilot to $1.9 million.
The City Attorney’s Office advised councilors that the rental-services office is a fee-based fund (rental registration fees) and that expanded uses require clear findings and an ordinance tying the new uses to the fee’s authorized purpose. Adrienne Delcato told the…
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