Housing Justice
The Housing Justice Pillar of Unite Oregon has emerged as a leading force for housing equity and tenant empowerment across the state. Guided by a framework of direct community engagement, "train the trainer" tenant education, and systemic advocacy, our work has empowered marginalized communities, built collaborative partnerships, and driven tangible policy wins - most notably the passage of the Tenant Protections Act, which bans no-cause evictions and requires just cause for termination of tenancy. At the core of our efforts is a deep commitment to building power, knowledge, and resilience within Oregon's immigrant, refugee, working-class, and communities of color. Through innovative programs like our Tenant Rights Education Initiative, we are equipping student advocates and community members with the skills and resources to navigate the complex housing landscape and assert their rights. By leveraging our on-the-ground expertise and amplifying the voices of those we serve, the Housing Justice Pillar is poised to expand its reach and drive even greater change for Oregon's most vulnerable residents in the years ahead.
How we work:
Popular Education Curriculum Development: Creating multilingual popular education workshops that build upon renters’ experience and innate knowledge of affordable housing challenges;
Leadership Development: Infusing our current structured leadership development programs with curricula designed to identify and develop multi-ethnic affordable housing leaders;
Community-Based Research: Producing community-based research documenting the problem and outlining community-validated solutions;
Issue Campaigns & Large-Scale Mobilization: Organizing tenants around affordable housing issue campaigns, developing strategy, identifying targets, and approaches to engage and mobilize those most impacted by policies to advocate for change.
Current Projects
Collaborative Community Partnerships:
The ADPDX Coalition is a leading force in housing justice, with a membership structure that centers Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color most impacted by gentrification and displacement. We leverage this coalition to set policy agendas, determine political strategy, and build power.
The Fair Housing Enforcement Collaborative (FHEC) is another key partnership, connecting people facing housing discrimination to the right agencies and services in real-time. We are working to expand the scope and funding of this collaborative.
Student Collaborations:
Through our JUSTPDX Internship program, we engage Portland State University students across disciplines to develop practical, community-facing tools and resources. One project involves creating a comprehensive housing assistance service guide to improve awareness and accessibility.
Housing Resource Referral Program:
Our online intake form connects renters and homeowners to the appropriate community-based organizations and services to address their housing needs. We are working to scale this program statewide over time.
Civic Education Workshops:
Our Tenant Tuesday series provides engaging, accessible platforms for renters to learn about their rights, connect with resources, and build community. These workshops also serve as a pipeline to our broader eviction prevention services.
Community Engagement & Base Building:
Unite Oregon's Housing Justice Pillar focuses on building power, knowledge, and equity within communities most impacted by gentrification and displacement. This includes leading the ADPDX Coalition's policy advocacy, facilitating the FHEC, and operating the Housing Resource Referral Program.
Current Projects
Policy Advocacy: In 2021, we helped pass Senate Bill 282, the Tenant COVID Recovery Act, protecting tenants beyond the recently ended pause on evictions and ensuring that families living in culturally relevant living conditions are protected from evictions.
Emergency Assistance: Our outreach team has ensured that Nepalese, Karen, Burmese, Spanish, Vietnamese, Somali, Arabic, and Thai-speaking communities all have access to emergency financial support.
Preventing Evictions in Washington County: In partnership with the Community Action Team and Hillsboro Oregon Law Center, we are empowering tenants and supporting immigrant, refugee, and BIPOC community members that have eviction cases filed against them now that the moratorium on evictions has ended. In its first month, our partnership was successful at preventing 95% of evictions for non-payment of rent.
We Protect Us (Renters’ Rights Workshops): Unite Oregon will facilitate a multilingual mini-training series for Portland Tenants to discuss renter’s rights, resources available for renters, and strategies to share this knowledge with our communities.
Building Leaders: In addition to multilingual renters’ rights workshops, we are hosting two housing leadership development programs to build the capacity of community members to participate in the decision-making of local housing issues and empower community members to help shape more housing options in their neighborhoods.
Housing Resource Referral Program
Our online Housing Resource Referral Program is designed to connect community members with the right housing assistance services and support. Whether you are seeking help with tenant rights, facing housing instability, or in need of legal services, this program aims to minimize the barriers you face in accessing the appropriate resources.
Through our user-friendly online intake form, located on the Housing Justice section of our website, you can provide us with essential details about your situation. This allows our team to understand your needs and refer you to the relevant community-based organizations and services. Our goal is to streamline the process and ensure you receive the support you require without unnecessary delays or repeated intakes.
At this time, the Housing Resource Referral Program is funded to serve the Portland Metro region, but we are working to expand our resources and corresponding tenant education curriculum to scale the program statewide. While we do not currently offer a phone-based option, we encourage you to complete the online form or reach out to other local housing hotlines, such as the Community Alliance of Tenants or 211, if you require assistance via phone.
Our Housing Justice team is dedicated to responding to community needs and concerns raised through the online intake form. By connecting you with the RIGHT legal services or community-based organizations, we aim to reduce the burden of navigating the complex housing landscape alone. Together, we can work towards ensuring all Oregonians have access to safe, affordable, and stable housing.
Let's Pass a Housing Minimum Wage!
Tenant Tuesdays Renters Rights Training
Introducing the Anti-Displacement PDX Coalition
The Housing Justice work of the ADPDX Coalition and Unite Oregon are deeply interconnected and complementary efforts aimed at empowering tenants, preventing displacement, and driving systemic change for housing equity across the state.
At the core, the ADPDX Coalition provides the collaborative framework and collective power that guides our housing justice initiatives. As a coalition led by Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color most impacted by gentrification and displacement, the ADPDX sets the policy agenda, determines the political strategy, and directs the relationships with technical advisors.
Unite Oregon's Housing Justice Pillar then leverages this coalition structure to amplify the voices and experiences of frontline communities. We lead the ADPDX's policy advocacy efforts, facilitate key partnerships like the Fair Housing Enforcement Collaborative, and operate the Housing Resource Referral Program to directly connect community members to services.
In turn, our on-the-ground tenant empowerment work, such as the Tenant Tuesday education series and eviction prevention services, informs the ADPDX's systemic advocacy. By aligning our individual and structural approaches, we are able to drive more impactful and holistic change.
This symbiotic relationship allows us to take a multi-pronged approach to advancing housing justice. The ADPDX Coalition provides the collaborative backbone, while Unite Oregon's Housing Justice Pillar brings the community engagement, direct service provision, and systems-level advocacy. Together, we are building power, knowledge, and equity to ensure all Oregonians have access to safe, affordable, and stable housing.
For more information about the Coalition’s work, up to date information on local anti-displacement movements and more, please visit adpdx.org
Tenant Tuesdays: Empowering Renters Through Community-Driven Education
The Tenant Tuesday program is a key component of Unite’s Tenant Education initiatives. This monthly series provides an engaging and accessible platform for renters to learn about their rights, connect with resources, and build community. On the first Tuesday of every month except for July and January, we host our Tenant Tuesday Renters Rights 101 Virtual training to build tenant confidence and gain critical insights to current housing obstacles facing renters.
The Tenant Tuesday model is designed to meet tenants where they are - both figuratively and literally. Each month, we partner with community organizations, faith groups, and local businesses to host the educational sessions in locations that are convenient and familiar to the target audience, such as community centers, places of worship, laundromats, and coffee shops.
The interactive workshops cover a wide range of topics, from understanding lease agreements and navigating the eviction process to identifying and addressing housing discrimination. Our curriculum is tailored to the unique needs and concerns of the participants, whether they are urban or rural residents, immigrants, seniors, or low-income families.
By delivering this content in an approachable, community-driven setting, we are able to break down barriers and empower tenants to self-advocate. The Tenant Tuesday sessions foster peer-to-peer learning, where participants share their own experiences and strategies for maintaining stable housing. This community-building element is crucial, as it helps renters recognize that they are not alone in facing housing challenges.
Importantly, the Tenant Tuesday program also serves as a crucial pipeline, connecting participants to the ADPDX Coalition's broader Eviction Prevention services. By empowering renters with knowledge and resources, we aim to prevent displacement and ensure all Oregonians have access to safe, affordable, and stable housing.
Portland Tenant Protections
All the info you need on Portland tenant protections. Download a handout below:
Other resources and eviction support services are available at the local level. To access these supports, contact 211 Info via phone at 2-1-1 or online at www.211info.org. If a tenant’s OERAP application is denied, their landlord may be eligible to apply for payment of unpaid rent during their tenant’s safe harbor period through the Landlord Guarantee Program. More information can be found at: www.oregonlgp.org
If someone receives an eviction notice, you should immediately contact 2-1-1 at www.211info.org for information about rent assistance, legal assistance, or other resources available in your area.
If someone receives a court eviction summons or if they are scheduled for an appearance in court, they should contact the Eviction Defense Project as soon as possible for legal support. Tenants should always plan to show up at any court appearance. Failure to appear at a court date can result in a default judgment against them.
All translated handouts and information can be found here.
Community Development and Prosperity
Unite Oregon has launched an ambitious economic justice program to build and retain wealth for systemically and institutionally excluded communities - immigrants, refugees, Black and Indigenous communities, and People of Color broadly. The Community Development and Economic Prosperity Program seeks to develop and pilot an economic ecosystem that generates wealth, creates assets, helps community entrepreneurs develop businesses, and reinvest resources to ensure sustainability and stability for our communities. As part of this initiative, Unite Oregon is working to collaboratively develop a community-based, community-centered strategy for equitable development in East Portland, Southwest Corridor, and the TV Highway Corridor.