2,788 Oregon families faced eviction cases in January alone. That is a record high, nearly double the pre-pandemic average. This is an emergency happening right now, in courtrooms across Oregon.

As Chair of the Senate Committee on Housing and Development, I need your help to restore $10 million in eviction prevention funding. While this is less than 8% of the $129 million cut in the 2025-2027 budget, restoring $10 million would make a major difference in keeping Oregonians housed. Here's what it does:

✅ Restores $4 million for eviction prevention services. Legal defense for tenants facing court cases, phone hotlines connecting renters to resources, and tenant outreach and education programs, the lifelines that were slashed in the 2025-2027 budget.

✅ Provides $6 million in emergency rent assistance. Keeps an estimated 2,300 families housed. The vast majority of families need help only once. A bridge over a temporary crisis like a medical bill, a job loss, or an unexpected expense.

✅ Keeps 385 families housed for every $1 million invested. At five to ten times less than the cost of sheltering and rehousing families after they have been evicted into homelessness.

✅ Costs one-half of one percent of Oregon's emergency reserves. $10 million is a fraction of what Oregon has available. This is a question of priorities, not capacity.