Overview
Despite Oregon's expanded investments in affordable housing development and eviction prevention, over 5,400 eviction cases were filed in the state’s subsidized housing from January 2019 to December 2023. This report maps out the landscape of subsidized housing eviction in Oregon and brings attention to the high share of eviction judgments in subsidized eviction cases, the disproportionate rate of eviction filings from housing-authority-contracted management companies and nonprofit housing providers, and the great disparities in legal representation between landlords and tenants.
Key Findings
While eviction filings were less common in subsidized housing, once an eviction case was filed, it was more likely to end in a judgment of eviction for subsidized housing tenants. In 2023, the annual eviction filing rate in subsidized housing was 2.5 per 100 units, compared to an annual eviction filing rate in unsubsidized housing of 4.4 per 100 units. About 39% of eviction filings in subsidized housing ended in a judgment of eviction in 2023, compared to 32% in unsubsidized housing.
Housing-authority-contracted management companies and nonprofit housing providers were responsible for a disproportionate share of eviction filings in subsidized housing. Housing-authority-owned, for-profit-managed subsidized units comprised 12% of the total subsidized rental stock in Oregon but were responsible for 15% of the subsidized eviction cases in 2023. Nonprofit owned and managed subsidized units constituted 18% of the total subsidized rental stock in Oregon but were responsible for 25% of the eviction filings in subsidized housing in 2023.
Nonpayment of rent was the most common cause for evictions in subsidized housing. In 2023, about 73% of the evictions in subsidized housing were filed for nonpayment of rent, compared to 86% in unsubsidized housing. While nonpayment remains the leading cause of eviction, a significant share of evictions in subsidized housing cited reasons other than nonpayment (e.g., drug or alcohol violations, housekeeping issues, threats to community safety). In 2023, about 25% of the evictions in subsidized housing were for causes other than nonpayment, compared to only 9% in unsubsidized housing.
The disparity in legal representation between tenants and landlords was greater for eviction cases in subsidized housing than in unsubsidized housing. In 2023, subsidized housing landlords were more likely to be represented by a lawyer in court (72%) compared to their private market counterparts (41%), while both subsidized and unsubsidized housing tenants had a very low share of legal representation (6%).
Updates from the First Half of 2024
Over 1,200 eviction cases were filed in Oregon's subsidized affordable housing in the first half of 2024. This represents about 10% of all eviction cases filed in the state during this period.
Eviction happens more often than people think it is. In the first half of 2024, the eviction filing rate in subsidized housing was 1.4 per 100 units, compared to an eviction filing rate in unsubsidized housing of 1.8 per 100 units. About 25% of eviction filings in subsidized housing ended in a judgment of eviction in the first half of 2024, compared to 27% in unsubsidized housing.
Nonprofit housing providers were responsible for a disproportionate share of eviction filings in subsidized housing. Nonprofit owned and managed subsidized units constituted 18% of the total subsidized rental stock in Oregon but were responsible for 28% of the eviction filings in subsidized housing in the first half of 2024.
Nonpayment of rent was the most common cause for evictions in subsidized housing. In the first half of 2024, about 82% of the evictions in subsidized housing were filed for nonpayment of rent, compared to 88% in unsubsidized housing. While nonpayment remains the leading cause of eviction, a significant share of evictions in subsidized housing cited reasons other than nonpayment (e.g., drug or alcohol violations, housekeeping issues, threats to community safety). In the first half of 2024, about 17% of the evictions in subsidized housing were for causes other than nonpayment, compared to only 8% in unsubsidized housing.
The disparity in legal representation between tenants and landlords was greater for eviction cases in subsidized housing than in unsubsidized housing. In the first half of 2024, subsidized housing landlords were more likely to be represented by a lawyer in court (73%) compared to their private market counterparts (42%), while both subsidized and unsubsidized housing tenants had a very low share of legal representation (13% and 9%, respectively).
General Information:
Researchers: Yi Wang, Lisa K. Bates, Azad Amir-Ghassemi, Minji Cho, Marisa Zapata, Jacen Greene, Colleen Carroll, Devin MacArthur.
Funding: Portland Housing Bureau, Oregon Housing and Community Services. Unless otherwise specifically stated, the views and opinions expressed in the report are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Portland Housing Bureau or Oregon Housing and Community Services.
Citation Details: Wang, Y., Bates, L. K., Amir-Ghassemi, A., Cho, M., Zapata, M., Greene J., Carroll, C., & MacArthur, D. (2024) “Eviction in Oregon's Subsidized Affordable Housing.” https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/42570