What is the Eugene Tenant Alliance?
Eugene Tenant Alliance is a grassroots political action committee that represents and mobilizes tenants for political action in Lane County, Oregon.
Eugene Tenant Alliance is a grassroots political action committee that represents and mobilizes tenants for political action in Lane County, Oregon. Organizers with Eugene Tenant Alliance know firsthand the importance of programs and policies that keep renters stably housed: leaders of the group include voucher holders, LIHTC tenants, public housing residents, and people who have experienced no-cause evictions and homelessness.
The tenant alliance was launched as a Facebook group in February 2022, with the goal of pushing the Eugene City Council to pass 14 new consumer protections for renters. Within just months, Eugene Tenant Alliance successfully advocated for an initial phase of robust local tenant protections, including caps on application fees and landlord documentation requirements. They followed up these victories in 2022 at the city level by passing relocation assistance, security deposit caps, first come, first serve applications, and a comprehensive eviction reporting system. At the state level, Eugene Tenant Alliance played a major role in passing HB 2001, eviction reform, SB 611, which caps rent increases at 10%, and took the lead on HB 2860, which reforms application fees across the state.
One of the greatest strengths of the group is that moderate income tenants teamed up with Seniors, LIHTC Residents, Voucher Holders, and Public Housing Residents. This team brings a wealth of both lived experience and professional organizing experience that has been key to the recipe for success. Eugene Tenant Alliance has built a strong working coalition with organized labor, environmental groups, the church community, and progressive leaning political parties. The burgeoning tenant movement has manifested its political influence with vigor and is poised for further impact.
Here's a snapshot of the pivotal victories ETA members have championed since 2019, with several accomplishments predating the inception of our group in 2022:
Implementation of a 90-day notice period for no-cause evictions, now confined to four distinct situations.
Establishment of relocation assistance for tenants affected by significant rent increases and no-cause evictions.
Introduction of a $10 cap on application fees (later overturned by the courts), leading to the formation of a legislative workgroup dedicated to creating a universal application.
Adoption of a "first-come, first-served" policy for rental applications.
Initiation of a city-wide eviction tracking system, encompassing both no-cause and for-cause evictions.
Enactment of rent stabilization measures, limiting rent hikes to 7-10% statewide.
Provision of state rent assistance, supplementing federal funds.
Reform of eviction procedures to allow tenants adequate time for lease compliance and to secure legal representation.
Implementation of safeguards for tenants in dwellings with expiring affordability constraints.
Allocation of city funds towards a Housing Navigator position and the sustained operation of a tenant-operated, tenant-focused hotline.
These milestones reflect our unwavering commitment to the rights and well-being of renters, marking the beginning of an era where tenants' voices lead the charge for equitable housing solutions.
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