In a recent Register-Guard article headlined “State Rent Control Advances,” the Emerald properties issue is treated as an isolated incident. Actually, this reaction is widespread. That is why Richmond, California, in its wisdom, included a retroactivity clause in their rent control measure.
Oregon did declare an emergency, but it was insufficient to counteract the obvious knee-jerk reaction of “last chance” massive increases. California is not restricted in any way in their rent control movement, but we are!
Tenants have had enough and are fighting back. Measure SB 608 really only advances two things: a limit on “catastrophic” rent increases and the elimination of no-cause evictions.
The limit is 7 percent “plus” the CPI, which Tina Kotek calculated at 10.3 percent for this year. Is this not catastrophic enough for you? I know of no wage increases that could cover this.
Landlords must do their raises regularly now, for if not, they lose it. Which means rents will go up even more from this day forward. Such incentives will drive up evictions.
The hope attached to this measure will dissipate by example. Renters will know their situation is a slow death. The pain will continue under the passage of SB 608, only now it will affect a much broader range of renters beyond the wide spread “last chance” increases that have already taken place.
Cliff Gray
Eugene
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
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