PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Oregon Worker Relief has introduced the Home Fund, a short-term rental assistance program targeted to immigrants who are facing eviction.
The support organization announced the Home Fund on Tuesday morning, but this isn’t the first time Oregon Worker Relief has offered financial help to communities in need.
The organization has previously accepted applications for its climate change fund made for people who have lost work due to extreme heat, and its relief fund for workers who earned less money or lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Oregon Worker Relief’s newly-announced fund pays for up to two months of rent for eligible immigrants in the state. The program will also connect recipients with further support services including food assistance, job training and financial counseling — all of which intend to aid applicants in their pursuit of stable housing.
“Preventing evictions allows our neighbors to stay in their homes, keeps families safe and intact, and maintains healthy communities,” Oregon Worker Relief Board President Martha Sonato said. “Creating shared prosperity in our state starts with ensuring every member of our communities has a safe and decent place to call home — and can stay there.”
Oregon Worker Relief says the entire state is enduring a housing crisis, but immigrant communities are among the groups most at risk of eviction or homelessness. The organization cited data from the Oregon Center for Public Policy, which reports that one in 10 Oregon children live with an undocumented relative.
Despite this, executive community member Isa Pena says immigrant Oregonians are generally left out of assistance programs.
“Migrant Oregonians are essential to Oregon’s economy and we need to work together to make our community strong, healthy and whole,” Program Manager Andrea Gonzalez added.
Go to the Oregon Worker Relief website for more information on the home fund, or call 1-888-274-7292 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday to Friday to apply.