There are many organizations and agencies in the Lane County area, along with numerous online, Oregon-focused information sources, that may help you beyond what your rights are as a tenant. These links will take you off of the SETA website to other organizations or resources to learn more about your rights.
Legal Resources:
Oregon State Bar: The Oregon State Bar has several programs to help Oregonians gain access to legal services. This includes the lawyer referral service, Free Legal Answers program, Modest Means Program, the Military Assistance Panel, and Problem Solvers.
Oregon Law Help: Oregon Law Help is a great self-help resource for understanding your rights as a tenant! You can navigate their website by category to find a series of Frequently Asked Questions for each area. Oregon law help also has a lawyer search tool in case you're searching for a private attorney! NOTE: Oregon Law Help focuses on statewide policies, so local information specific for tenants living in Eugene will not be available. Both State law AND Eugene Municipal code apply to tenants living in Eugene's city limits.
Eviction Defense Project: The Eviction Defense project provides free legal representation for eligible tenants facing eviction. The EDP will only help tenants whose landlord has filed for an eviction hearing. Please be aware that a termination notice will not qualify a tenant for their services. A landlord can only file for an eviction hearing after issuing a termination notice. Call the Eviction Defense Project at 888-585-9638 with the case # and hearing date.
Lane County Law Library: The Lane County Law Library is a great resource for those wanting to dive into personal research and learn more about any legal topic!
Automatic Eviction Set Asides: A new Oregon law clears past residential evictions that meet certain requirements. It applies to cases where the court entered a judgment after Jan. 1, 2014. Cases that are eligible will be “set aside” and “sealed.” This means that these evictions will no longer show up in background checks. It also means that, legally, the evictions never happened. If your eviction is eligible, the courts will seal it automatically. Visit the Oregon Judicial Department website to see if your evictions were included.
Financial Assistance:
Lane County Rent Assistance and Homeless Prevention Programs: List of Rent Assistance providers and eligibility requirements
LIHEAP - Utility Assistance: The Low Income Home Energy Assistance program (LIHEAP) is the centralized location for those in need of help paying for their utilities. Check this page to see when their waitlist opens.
211info: 211 is often one of the best places to contact when trying to find Rent Assistance. Check out their website and search through one of the most complete databases of local resources across the state of Oregon!
one.oregon.gov: If you're looking for how to apply for the Medical, Food, Cash, or Childcare benefits, this is where you can apply for everything you might need!
Individual Development Accounts: Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) offer matching cash for asset building, information about financial systems, and community-based support for Oregonians with low to moderate incomes. Participants use IDA match dollars to leverage the power of their own savings in support of their financial goals. Match amounts and asset goals vary by saver, with timelines ranging from 6 months to 3+ years. There are three organizations providing IDAs in Lane County, and each have different eligibility requirements, waitlists, and goals they help save for. DevNW and St. Vincent De Paul offer support for Rental Housing needs. Goodwill also offers IDAs tenants can utilize, but not for rental housing related goals.
Housing and Tenancy Resources:
Eugene Rental Housing Program: The Eugene Rental Housing program helps tenants experiencing violations of the city's Municipal Code. This includes habitability and repairs, security deposit limits, Relocation Assistance, rental references, and more! Check out this overview of Tenant's Rights in Eugene. Before contacting the Rental Housing program, tenants need to inform their landlord of needed repairs or other issues in writing. If the issue has not been resolved within 10 days from this notice, tenants can make a complaint via the form on their website or calling them at 541-682-8282
Homes for Good: Homes for Good is Lane County's Public Housing Authority and runs the Section 8 Housing Voucher program. In addition to this, Homes for Good manages several affordable housing properties. Check their website to see if they currently have openings or waitlists for any of their programs.
Shelter Finder: Lane County's Shelter Finder is a tool to see many local shelters at a glance to see eligibility requirements and which locations currently have open beds.
Oregon State Tenants Association: OSTA provides resources for those who rent a lot in RV Parks, Mobile Home Communities and Marinas.
Sheltercare: ShelterCare provides a range of housing programs and behavioral health services to individuals and families who are experiencing, or on the verge of, homelessness.
Tools for Organizing and Understanding Housing Injustice:
Oregon Tenant Power Handbook: This handbook is intended to support the education, consciousness raising, volunteering, advocacy, and activism of tenants across the state of Oregon and beyond. The Community Alliance of Tenants envision that this handbook will be useful for new and seasoned tenants’ rights movement leaders alike. The workshops are designed to help people who are new to this movement develop a firm foundation, as well as to help groups who have worked together for some time.
Evicted in Oregon: Evicted in Oregon is a research project interested in understanding how evictions happen, for the purpose of eliminating them. Check this website out to see state and local data on Evictions.
National Low Income Housing Coalition's Tenant Protections Database: The State and Local Tenant Protections Database provides information about protections passed or implemented that have assisted in preventing evictions and keeping renters stably housed. The database tracks state and local tenant protections passed since the onset of COVID-19 as well as specific tenant protections that were in place prior to 2021, such as right to counsel, source-of-income discrimination, eviction record sealing and expungement legislation, anti-rent gouging measures, and just cause eviction laws. The database also identifies states that have preemption legislation in place. This Link will take you directly to a list of all tenant protection laws passed in each state.
Homes For All Greenbook: Homes For All is a group led by people most directly impacted by the crisis. Homes For All intends to build a national federation of tenant's unions, community unions and local groups working to achieve affordable homes for all people. In this handbook, you will find concrete steps to start organizing within your own community, and about the structures Homes For All have to support our movement’s growth.
Disability and Senior Resources:
LCOG's Senior and Disability Services Aging and Disability Resource Connection: - All seniors or anyone living with a disability can access resources here. They offer the public a single source of information and assistance on issues affecting older people, people with disabilities, and their caregivers, regardless of their income. ADRC is dedicated to providing resources and services that support the needs of family caregivers, helping individuals to understand the various long-term care options available to them, and enabling individuals to make informed, cost-effective decisions about long-term care.
Lane Independent Living Alliance (LILA): LILA's goal is to help people with disabilities achieve as much choice, access, inclusion and independence as possible. LILA offers five core services 1) Information and Referrals 2) Independent Living Skills Training 3) Peer Counseling 4) Advocacy 5) Transition to Independent Living
IDD Housing Help: IDD Housing is designed to offer simple and practical information on housing for people who experience an intellectual or developmental disability. Their site offers help for people who need to find a home, are at risk of losing housing, or have housing questions.
Mental Health and Addiction Services:
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): NAMI is a confidential, peer-led mental health organization offering support, education, and advocacy services in Lane County at no cost to the participant. The Resource Center is now open Monday through Thursday from 12 PM-3 PM. You can reach NAMI during these hours via email at [email protected], by phone at 541-343-7688, or by stopping by the Resource Center located at 129 9th Street in Downtown Springfield
Insight Northwest Recovery: Insight Northwest Recovery is an organization created by those who are impacted by drug or alcohol addiction. We have first-hand personal and professional understanding of how mental health challenges and substance use disorders impact our communities, families, and individual lives. Insight Northwest Recovery provides outpatient treatment programs for mental health and co-occurring addiction to adolescents and youth and young adults ages 12-29.
Whitebird: White Bird Clinic is dedicated to empowering individuals to take control of their social, emotional, and physical well-being through direct service, education, and community support. White Bird provides a variety of services including basic needs, health, transportation, and shelter and housing. White Bird operates CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets), the Mobile Crisis and Medic response team for Eugene-Springfield’s Public Safety System, as a crucial component of Lane County’s crisis intervention services. Additionally, as a Federally Qualified Health Center, we offer various services, including medical, dental, drug and alcohol treatment, counseling, and crisis intervention.
Services for Survivors of DV, IPV, SA:
Sexual Assault Support Services of Lane County (SASS): provides outreach, advocacy and support to survivors of sexual violence and their partners, families and friends throughout Eugene-Springfield and the rest of Lane County. SASS provides advocates who maintain a 24-hour crisis and support line and 24-hour advocacy for survivors of sexual assault and sexual abuse. SASS takes an empowerment-based, survivor-centered approach to ending sexual violence and the forms of oppression that allow it to exist.
Hope and Safety Alliance: Hope & Safety Alliance offers a confidential hotline available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can speak with an Advocate who help navigating the services available to you by offering information, resources, safety planning and support.
Discrimination and Bias Reports:
Localized Protected Classes List: This is a list showing all national, state, and local protected classes. If you experience based on one of these protected classes, there is support available in the below resources!
Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI): Tenants can report discrimination and/or retaliation in their rental housing to BOLI. Tenants should provide as much evidence and information related to the complaint as possible.
Fair Housing Council of Oregon (FHCO): The Fair Housing Council of Oregon can take reports as well as provide answers about issues related to Fair Housing laws, like reasonable accommodations and modifications.
Housing and Urban Development (HUD): Tenants can also report to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development any issues related to discrimination or fair housing laws.
Oregon Department of Just Bias Hotline: If you experienced or witnessed a bias crime, it can be reported to the Oregon Department of Justice's bias hotline. Examples could include: 1) Name calling; using a racial, ethnic, or other slur to identify someone; or using degrading language. 2) Creating racist or derogatory graffiti or images/drawings.3) Imitating someone with a disability, or imitating someone’s cultural norm or practice. 4) Assaulting, injuring, or even touching someone in an offensive manner because of their perceived protected class. 5) Threatening to physically harm a person, their family, or their property based on their perceived protected class.
Additional Resources:
Relief Nursery Resource Guide: If you didn't find what you were looking for here, the Relief Nursery offers the most comprehensive guide of local resources!
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