With Oregon passing statewide rent control, the “door has been opened” to tweak the law locally to better protect tenants from money-addicted landlords. The current “one size fits all” legislation fails to protect the most vulnerable.
The newly legalized cap of a 7-percent annual increase will financially devastate those in the lower socio-economic groups such as seniors, the disabled and the impoverished (i.e., single mothers). It places all renters into one group as opposed to reflecting the spectrum that actually exists. More importantly, it does next to nothing to make housing affordable.
With Lane County and Eugene being a compassionate place to live, our county commissioners and City Council need to take the law one step further; there is nothing now preventing the enactment of local law(s) to cap rent even lower. This can be done on a continuum that reflects various types of rental properties, addressing the true reality that exists and the incomes of those found therein.
Eugene’s Falcon Wood Village retirement park, and the unsavory deeds done there by management through its Chicago-based corporation, has been in the news. Our Legislature is attempting to enact new law to address aspects of this corporate greed.
Statewide rent control, however, exacerbates the woes at Falcon Wood. It will force tenants who rent lots for their homes there to give them up.
Surely astute local politicians can find a better way to address our affordable housing crisis and therefore help ease our burgeoning homelessness.
James Houston
Senior citizens advocate
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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