Whenever a landlord like Deborah Strochlic (Letters, April 6) claims to know what is best for renters, we should question what they’re saying. You don’t get the truth from people who are making money off you.

Strochlic wrote that Portland’s 2017 renter protection ordinances “resulted in private landlords’ selling off their properties, and meant 13 percent fewer available rentals.”

Landlords are apparently basing this on a March 25, 2022, ECONorthwest report (bit.ly/43k3jH5) that says “The number of single family detached rental units in the City of Portland declined from 27,656 units in 2017 to 23,669 in 2020, a loss of 3,987 units.”

That’s single-family home rentals, not apartments, and I don’t see anything in the report that proves the reduction was due to renter protections. Since houses have escalated in value, perhaps landlords are simply cashing out. If you’re trying to buy a house, this would be an advantage.

A 2019 SVN | Bluestone report (bit.ly/3ZSDwTJ) says, “The Portland apartment market added about 5,700 new market-rate units in 2018, a 20 percent increase over 2017 when about 4,800 units delivered.”

So fewer single-family home rentals, more apartments, for a net gain.

The Eugene City Council will again discuss renter protections phase 2 at a work session in April. I really wish Eugene Weekly would cover renter protections in some depth as a news story. Renters are 52 percent of Eugene residents, and we deserve better information.

Lynn Porter

Eugene

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