Call or email your State Legislators, and submit written testimony TODAY to help protect people in their homes! Urgent!
We need your help! This will take about five minutes of your time today, and have a huge impact on our state and our neighbors. We need your help to ask our State Legislators to extend our eviction moratorium and enact a repayment period, and we need to fight for people who need foreclosure protection. The Legislature will come into session on June 24, so we need your help to call TODAY.
Extend our Eviction Moratorium!
Oregon Governor Kate Brown enacted a moratorium on evictions for non-payment of rent and evictions without a cause until June 30. That’s only 12 days from now, and we know that the impacts of Coronavirus for people who rent their homes has only gotten worse in the last few months. The Legislature needs to extend the eviction moratorium so more people have a chance to get back to work, to access rent assistance, and prevent a wave of evictions.
Enact a repayment period!
Whenever our eviction moratorium ends, we know that people who rent their homes, particularly people with low incomes, won’t just be able to pay any back rent that was due. They may need more time to access rent assistance, or to save up funds once they are back at work. The Legislature should enact a repayment period for six months, to give folks time to pay back any rent that was due during the moratorium.
Enact a foreclosure moratorium
People who rent their homes also need protection against foreclosures during this time. The federal CARES Act offers some protections, but those also will expire on June 30th, and they don’t cover everyone in Oregon. The Legislature should enact basic protections against foreclosure so that all homeowners have consistent information and rights during this emergency, and a moratorium on foreclosures during the emergency.
The good news: We know Legislators are considering including an eviction moratorium, the repayment period, and protections for foreclosure. They are meeting beginning on Monday, June 22 to hear testimony from the public. If you would like to share your story by phone, you can sign up for Monday or Tuesday. Please know there will be many people signed up to testify.
Why we need your help: We know that Legislators need to hear from you that these issues are important. There is not consensus that these are important, and Legislators need to hear from their constituents that this is critical. It is most important that you contact your Representative and Senator. It will make the most difference to hear from someone who lives in their district.
Contact your Representative and Senator today! Here are three easy steps:
First, find out who represents you in Oregon! Every Oregonian is represented by a Senator and a Representative. Find who represents you by looking up your address here: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/FindYourLegislator/leg-districts.html.
Type in your full address in the upper right hand corner, and a
box will appear on the screen. In it, you’ll find three tabs. You’ll find out who your State Senator is, and if you click to the next tab, who your State Representative is. Both tabs should have an email and a phone number. Use whichever is more comfortable for you.
If you have a personal story about being a renter or homeowner, and struggling to afford your rent or mortgage, or being forced to choose between paying housing bills and putting food on the table, please say a few sentences about that. It’s so important that our lawmakers know what’s happening in our communities.
If you are able to work from home or are an essential worker right now, and are able to pay your bills, share that too, and share how important it is that all of us can stay in our homes.
Second, decide whether you want to call or email. Here is a sample script:
Hi, my name is [your name], and I live in [your town]. I believe every Oregonian deserves a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home. Today, too many people across Oregon are struggling to pay rent or mortgages and put food on the table.
[If you are struggling to pay rent or mortgage, please share a sentence or two about what a stable home means to you, and if you’re comfortable, a sentence or two about what’s happening to you and your family.]
During the special session, please extend the eviction moratorium, enact a repayment period, and enact a foreclosure moratorium.
Having a stable home is so important right now.
Thank you.
BONUS! Social Media! If you use social media, write a post on social media and tag your Legislators. Ask them to support extending the moratorium and enacting a repayment period, or ask them to support a foreclosure moratorium! You can also share our posts on twitter or facebook.
Need help? Want more information? Email Alison.
Let’s get started: Find who represents you by looking up your address here: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/FindYourLegislator/leg-districts.html.
