Teresa Little, a 55-year-old caregiver who had been a Portland housing authority resident for more than 20 years, was served with an eviction notice by Home Forward late this summer.
What did she do wrong? failing to update her family size, confirm her income, and recertify her housing authority documentation as required by federal law.
Little remarked, “I’ve never dealt with this before.”
Little ended up in Multnomah County eviction court as a result of the dispute. The Commons Law Center, a nonprofit organization in Portland that offers qualified clients sliding-scale legal services on a variety of issues, including evictions, then presented a dramatic twist. The organization assists those with incomes up to 400% of the federal poverty threshold.
A family of one makes $15,060 and a family of four makes $31,200, which is the federal poverty level. A family of one would spend $60,240 and a family of four would spend $124,800, 400% more than that amount.
> Contribute to the Season of Sharing general fund or the Commons Law Center. The code Season2024 can also be texted to 44-321.
After finding out Little didn’t have a lawyer, a lawyer from the law center, which aims to transform underprivileged Oregonians’ access to fundamental legal services, met her at the courthouse on November 5 and offered to defend her. She was able to stay in her house after the group helped her negotiate a deal with Home Forward.
“It’s pretty cool that they’re helping a lot of people right now,” Little added. This program they have here is incredibly important.
The Commons Law Center was established almost ten years ago and is one of the recipients of The Oregonian/OregonLive’s 2024 Season of Sharing holiday fundraising initiative.
With a budget of slightly more than $1 million and five full-time attorneys and three paralegals, it has been supported by grants from Portland and Multnomah County in addition to private donations.
In Multnomah County Circuit Court’s Crane Room, where Commons Law Center attorneys meet with clients daily, attorney Kamron Graham, executive director, recognizes the need for her organization’s services.
According to Graham, only around 10% of tenants have legal counsel, while 80% of landlords do. However, by providing weekly assistance to 50 to 60 people, the center is reducing that disparity.
“We could have twice as many employees and still not be able to meet demand,” Graham added.
Evictions temporarily decreased as a result of emergency protections during the COVID-19 epidemic. In 2022, however, those regulations were repealed, and the need for legal aid increased.
According to Graham, there was a wave of evictions following the expiration of such protections. There is still a lot of snow even after the avalanche has passed.
Commons Law lawyers start by going over their clients’ eviction notices to look for any legal mistakes that could result in the dismissal of their cases. From arranging payment plans to scheduling a trial date if necessary, the lawyers also inform their clients on the procedure and their rights.
According to Graham, many people believe that the court will comprehend their story if they tell it. However, eviction courts have stringent regulations, therefore it is our responsibility to make sure tenants understand their situation and know the best course of action. Some judges may respond more sympathetically, but that doesn’t alter the verdict. They cannot use empathy to change the law.
Staff lawyer Julia Winett is aware of the stress that clients experience, particularly during a difficult housing market. According to Portland market analyst John Gillem of CoStar, a source of commercial real estate data, a renter in Portland should anticipate paying $1,525 for a one-bedroom apartment in the fall of 2024, up from $1,359 in 2019.
Portland State University researchers with the Evicted in Oregon program reported 11,243 evictions in Multnomah County between October 2023 and September 2024. The Portland Housing Bureau estimates that this is comparable to about 6,000 in 2019.
The fact that many renters must take time off work to fight their evictions adds to their difficulties, resulting in lost income and increased childcare expenses.
According to Winett, our goal is to help tenants get through one of the most trying periods of their lives. We make sure individuals are empowered to make knowledgeable housing selections and are aware of their rights.
In order to assist tenants in obtaining money for past-due rent, the group also collaborates with neighborhood rental aid organizations like Bienestar Oregon.
According to Winett, being present enables us to immediately coordinate so that residents may receive the assistance they require in one location.
The organization, which also assists clients in expunging eviction records, reports that more than 90% of tenants it has assisted in the past year have avoided eviction.
Although not all cases are successful, center representatives expressed satisfaction with their efforts. According to Winett, we work to help people achieve their goals, and for 90% of them, it means remaining in their homes. They leave knowing that someone was on their side and that they were aware of their rights, even if that isn’t feasible.
OregonLive/The Oregonian
What your donation can do
$25: Could support tenant legal information sessions by offering a renter’s rights session.
$50: Provides resources for eviction defense services, such as legal counsel and the initial court appearance.
$100: Encourages continued tenant activism and follow-ups after eviction.
Tyler Brown works for The Oregonian/OregonLive as a breaking news reporter. He can be contacted at 503-221-8243 or [email protected].
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