Portland, OR –Today Councilors Candace Avalos (District 1), Jamie Dunphy (District 1), and Councilor Loretta Smith (District 1) announced the introduction of their resolution to slow the inflow into homelessness. The resolution establishes City Council's priorities for the allocation of approximately $21 million in unspent Rental Services Office (RSO) funds in the Mayor's proposed budget.
An internal Portland Housing Bureau review of RSO finances conducted this year found unspent funds that had accumulated over the past several years. This discovery coincides with recent Multnomah County data showing that more people in the region are becoming homeless than are able to find housing. This resolution emphasizes funding upstream solutions that stabilize renters at risk of eviction and keep people in their homes.
"The numbers don't lie," said Councilor Avalos. "More people are losing their homes, and more people are becoming homeless for the first time despite the work underway at the City and County. These extra unspent dollars give us the opportunity to better meet the reality that too many Portlanders — especially in East Portland — are struggling to make rent. I'm grateful to be leading this resolution with my D1 colleagues to fully invest in the programs we know keep people housed."
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," said Councilor Dunphy. "For every 1,100 people we successfully get off the streets and into housing every month, we know that 1,400 more people are falling into homelessness. At the same time, the Federal and State governments both have eviscerated rental assistance dollars, meaning this problem is going to get significantly worse next year. These dollars aren't enough to stop the hemorrhaging, but they are an incredible opportunity for Portland to help control the bleeding."
"Our responsibility on Council is to see the full landscape of need, not just where the crisis shows up, but where we can intervene early," said Councilor Loretta Smith. "As Chair of the Homelessness and Housing Committee, Councilor Avalos sees housing at the 30,000-foot level. When she learned about these surplus dollars, the opportunity was simple: act quickly and direct resources to the renters most at risk, especially in East Portland and across District 1. This resolution is about stabilizing families before they fall into crisis and using what we have now to protect our most vulnerable neighbors. I'm proud to stand with my colleagues to keep Portlanders housed."
Specifically, the Slow the Inflow to Homelessness resolution urges the Mayor to allocate the approximately $21 million in unspent RSO funds towards:
- Rent Assistance for Tenants- $4 million in FY 25-26, FY 26-27, and FY 27-28 for flexible, short-term aid for households at risk of losing housing before facing eviction.
- Rent Assistance and Rapid Rehousing for Tenants Facing Eviction – $2 million over FY 25-26, FY 26-27, and FY 27-28 for current Eviction Defense program that includes tenant legal services, rent assistance to cover non-payment amounts, and landlord-tenant mediation.
- Rent Assistance for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness - $3 million over FY 25-26, FY 26-27, and FY 27-28 to provide rent subsidy and related financial assistance for households exiting homelessness into affordable vacancies.
- Right to Counsel Pilot- $1.5 million for FY 26-27 to launch a Right to Counsel Pilot in a limited geography and offer every household facing eviction in that geography access to legal assistance.
- Emergency Housing Vouchers – $9 million to be distributed to Home Forward in FY 26-27 for emergency housing voucher capacity for households affected by federal enforcement actions or loss of federal benefits.
- Landlord/Tenant Education - $200k for FY 26-27 to provide support for landlords implementing tenant protections (resources like education and guidance), expand landlord tenant education, and an informational campaign so tenants know their rights.
- Affordable Housing Portfolio Stabilization - $750K for FY 26-27 to stabilize operations for nonprofit affordable housing providers in the N/NE Preference Policy catchment area with high vacancy rates, as well as emergency safety and security supports for providers throughout the City.
- Downpayment Assistance for Tenants Ready to Purchase - $250K for FY 25-26. to offer downpayment assistance to tenants in position to purchase a home.
The Slow the Inflow resolution also requests that the Mayor, when developing the proposed budget for FY 26-27 and beyond, prioritize allocation of 20% or $2,000,000 (whichever is greater) of Rental Registration Revenue to be put toward a Revolving Loan Fund. The fund would be used to acquire market-rate housing or to bank of land for expanding the stock of social housing.
The full text of the resolution can be read here.