Rental and Housing Assistance
After 20 minutes on the phone with 211, here is some information about current assistance families should be aware of:
1) Is there cash assistance available for families to pay phone bills? No. Families should be working with the phone companies who may have payment plans.
2) Is there any help for families to pay for storage unit fees? No. Families reach out to their storage company to see what might be available. St. Vincent De Paul might be a resource, but they are very busy and don't always answer the phone. Try: 503-235-8431.
3) What's the current response to families calling about a) needing housing, or b) rental assistance?
Parents/caregivers can call to be placed on a waitlist for 1) a shelter or 2) with the Multnomah County Housing Team.
They will need a:
Parent/caregiver Name and Date of Birth
Best contact phone number and best day/time to call,
exact number of adults and children needing housing.
Through the second option a family gets assigned a housing specialist. There is no estimate on how long this will take, so get on the waitlist.
Families also can contact Home Forward and Reach Properties (reachproperties.org online) to check availability or to get on the waitlist.
In summary, parents/caregivers needing these resources can call 211, get on which waitlist is most relevant, and be directed by 211 staff to get on other waitlists of whatever they have in their databases.
Multnomah County Emergency Rent Assistance to apply, call 2-1-1 (or dial 503-222-5555 from a cell phone)
Local rent relief for tenant households with incomes at or below 80% area median income who have experienced financial hardship due to COVID-19.
How to apply:
About the Program
Multnomah County, Portland Housing Bureau, Joint Office for Homeless Services, and Home Forward’s COVID-19 Emergency Rent Assistance Program (ERAP) was created to prevent evictions caused by the financial and health impacts of COVID-19. The program provides emergency rent assistance to households with incomes at or below 80% Area Median Income (AMI) in Multnomah County, with priority in serving Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities experiencing the greatest adverse impacts from COVID-19.
An eligible household may receive up to 9 months of rent assistance with ERAP-1 funds.
A preference is in place for households...
earning at or below 50% AMI, or
households with a member who has been unemployed for at least 90 days.
A household who meets one of the preferences is eligible to receive up to 12 months of rent assistance.
The program can cover the following expenses:
current or future rent payments (future payments limited to 3 months)
rent arrears
security deposits and fees
Funds are not eligible to pay for mortgage payments, utilities, or direct cash assistance.
How to Apply
To apply, call 2-1-1 (or dial 503-222-5555 from a cell phone) to get connected with a community organization delivering emergency rent assistance through this program.
Over 40 partner agencies in Multnomah County assisted in delivering rent assistance through the ERAP program.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for the program, households must meet all three of the requirements below. There is no citizenship requirement for these funds.
Resident of City of Portland or Multnomah County
Experienced both of the following impacts due to COVID-19:
One or more individuals within the household has qualified for unemployment benefits; or, experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced other financial hardship due, directly or indirectly, to the COVID-19 outbreak
One or more individuals within the household can demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness; or, housing instability
Household income at or below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI)
SHORT TERM RENTAL ASSISTANCE is available through Self Enhancement Inc.
Families can book an appointment online or call the scheduling hotline at 503-713-5590 if you cannot access the web portal.
Franklin SUN Client Assistance Request form (limited utility assistance)
Multnomah County Emergency Housing Resources Info about shelters and transitional housing.
Rose Haven is the only day shelter and community center specifically serving women, children, and gender-diverse people in Portland.
211 Rent The COVID-19 Rent Relief CARES Program is intended to provide assistance to households who have experienced a loss of income or who have increased health risks or needs due to COVID-19.
Affordable Housing Options through Relay Resources has a variety of affordable housing openings. Some involve waitlists, while others do not. Sign up for email updates.
Utility Debt Relief The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) has approved debt relief programs to benefit residential customers of Portland General Electric (PGE), PacifiCorp, Idaho Power, NW Natural, Avista, and Cascade Natural.
Habitat for Humanity Home Repair & Preservation helping Portland homeowners with low incomes restore and maintain their homes.
Local Rent & Utility Assistance Programs
CALL 211 or 1-866-698-6155 | TEXT your zip code to 898211 (TXT211) | EMAIL help@211info.org | Monday-Friday 8:00am-6:00pm
211info connects people with health and social service organizations. Child care and parenting, utility assistance, emergency management, food, health, housing & shelter, resource department.
Impact NW Dancing Tree Family Center - Housing & Safety Net
503-721-1740 | Monday-Thursday | 9:00am-7:00pm
Energy assistance; housing and rent assistance; pathways to food security; help with applying for SNAP, TANF, or LIHEAP.
Note: Families have had the best luck with monetary assistance when they take their bill and go in person to speak with someone.
David DiMatteo at 503-283-6881 | Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm
Family Stability Programs with bilingual/bicultural case managers that provide culturally specific and intensive support around securing stable and affordable housing and locating emergency rent and utility assistance.
Human Solutions - Housing Stability
503-548-0200 or 503-405-7875 | Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm
Our supportive services engage families to stabilize their housing, further their education, increase income, improve health and wellness, create positive child development, and broaden their social and safety networks. We outreach to community partner agencies and organizations for referrals to provide wrap around services for families.
Native American Youth and Family Center
503-288-8177 | Monday-Friday, 9:00am-6:00pm
NAYA’s wrap around services include programs that are essential to the health and wellbeing of a family when times are difficult. Programming such as emergency energy assistance, clothing closet, food pantry, homeless services and domestic violence interventions exist to respond to the real life emergencies that impact Native families and individuals. Appointments for Water Bill discount program.
SEI
IRCO - Africa House Rental and Energy Assistance
Africa House Rental Assistance: 503-802-0082 | Africa House Energy Line: 503-234-1959 | Monday-Friday 8:30am-5:00pm
IRCO is able to offer culturally and linguistically specific services designed to empower families, including case management, life skills training, relationship building, health education, and anti-poverty assistance.
Rental Assistance Hotline: 503-234-2048 | Energy Assistance Hotline: 503-235-4932 | Monday-Friday 8:30am-5:00pm
IRCO is able to offer culturally and linguistically specific services designed to empower families, including case management, life skills training, relationship building, health education, and anti-poverty assistance.
503-288-0130 | Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays 1:00pm-5:00pm, and Tuesdays 6:00pm-8:00pm.
Tenant membership organization, serving primarily low-income tenants. For questions about tenant rights, hotline hours are Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays 1-5pm, and Tuesdays 6-8pm.