When lawmakers passed a state budget in June, it included a massive cut in eviction prevention funding, a reduction of almost $100 million for the current two-year budget cycle.
Those cuts are being felt by the Springfield Eugene Tenant Association. The eviction prevention nonprofit is losing state funding that accounts for about 70% of its budget.
Starting Aug. 1, SETA will end its free tenant education program and reduce its tenant helpline to 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily. Its paid staff hours will reduce by two-thirds, from the equivalent of six full-time employees to the equivalent of two full-time employees.
Its efforts to collect data on evictions will also be rolled back.
"It’s horrifying to think that our staff may be attempting to access the resources we’ve been giving out to the community already. I know our team is devastated knowing that their ability to support our community is being harmed," said SETA Executive Director Timothy Morris.
Morris said due to the nature of the state budget cuts, it is likely other groups who work in eviction prevention will see similar cuts. He is looking for other ways to make up some of the lost funding, from local governments to groups that provide grants to help prevent homelessness.
