Oregon homeowners are safeguarded against losing their homes to foreclosure until the end of this year, under an extension Governor Kate Brown announced Monday.
Brown said she lengthened the moratorium on residential foreclosures until Dec. 31, 2021, under the provisions of a bill passed by lawmakers earlier this year.
“This moratorium prevents Oregonians who own their homes from losing their homes to foreclosure if they have lost income and been unable to pay their mortgage during the Covid-19 pandemic,” according to her statement.
The ban would have expired at the end of next month.
“As we continue to see record-high numbers of Covid-19 hospitalizations driven by the delta surge, I am committed to ensuring that Oregonians have a warm, dry, safe place to live during this pandemic,” Brown said.
“Extending the temporary residential foreclosure moratorium another three months will prevent removal of Oregonians from their homes by foreclosure, which would result in serious health, safety, welfare, and financial consequences and which would undermine key efforts to prevent spread of Covid-19.”
The governor’s office said that the extension would relieve mortgagors who are leasing real estate to tenants, giving them the flexibility to work with those who struggle to pay rent.
“These protections are necessary as Oregon continues to deploy federal financial relief both for Oregonians who rent and for Oregonians who own their homes, including the Emergency Rental Assistance program and the Homeownership Assistance Fund, both of which are in the initial stages of deployment,” the statement said.
Oregonians who have fallen behind on their mortgages during the pandemic are encouraged to contact a housing counselor in their community. Housing counselors are knowledgeable, dedicated professionals who can help homeowners explore their best options for keeping their homes.
Similar protections are also in place for renters and tenants at OregonRentalAssistance.org. A 60-day safe harbor period is currently in effect statewide that bars eviction for nonpayment of rent. In Multnomah County, the safe harbor period is 90 days.
The safe harbor period for each tenant begins when they provide their landlords with proof that they have applied for rental assistance. Tenants who are behind on their rent or utilities or who may need help paying current or future month’s rent may apply. The program is offered to all eligible renters regardless of immigration status.
If a tenant has received an eviction proceeding notice, they should consult with a lawyer as quickly as possible. No cost or low-cost legal services may be available. For more information on the end of Oregon’s eviction moratorium and protections for Oregon’s renters, visit OregonLawHelp.org. Renters can also contact 2-1-1 or 211info.org to be linked to their local program administrator.
Cover photo by respres, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.