Program date: June 9, 2023
Air date: June 12, 2023
From the City Club of Eugene:
Last July, the Eugene City Council approved “Phase 1” renter protections, including capping rental application and screening fees to $10 per applicant (a clause later struck down by Oregon courts) and requiring landlords to provide rental histories as well as itemizing and photographing property conditions at move-in and move-out.
This year, the Council is continuing work on “Phase 2” protections, including limiting security deposits to no more than twice the monthly rent and requiring landlords to pay displacement assistance for legal “no cause” evictions.
These efforts come as the housing market in Eugene/Springfield continues to suffer from limited supply, while high inflation and rising interest rates have raised both the cost of living for tenants and the cost of maintenance for landlords.
In advance of the City Council work session on Monday, June 26, City Club is proud to bring together community leaders for a spirited debate about the future of rental housing and tenant protections in Eugene, moderated by KLCC’s Chris Lehman.
Speakers:
Professor Tim Duy received his B.A. in Economics in 1991 from the University of Puget Sound, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Economics in 1998 from the University of Oregon. Following graduate school, Tim worked for US Treasury Department as an economist in the International Affairs division and later with the G7 Group, a political and economic consultancy for financial industry clients.
Tim returned to the University of Oregon in 2002. He is the Senior Director of the Oregon Economic Forum and the author of the University of Oregon Statewide Economic Indicators, Regional Economic Indicators, and the Central Oregon Business Index. Tim has published in the Journal of Economics and Business and is currently a member of the Oregon Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors and the State Debt Policy Advisory Commission.
Tim Morris (He/Him) is the Executive Director of the Springfield Eugene Tenant Association. Formerly working in the substance abuse and mental health recovery field, Tim is one of five founding members of SETA and transitioned his work toward housing justice. Specializing in being a direct service provider, as well as zoning law and renters’ rights, Tim uses his experiences to provide a voice for the often unheard or ignored in our community and works hard to keep people off the streets and in their homes.
Tia Politi is the President of the Rental Owners Association of Lane County and the Oregon Rental Housing Association. Tia was a licensed property manager from 2009-2022, supporting private, public, and assisted housing and was named a 2020 Housing Hero by St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County for her work as a volunteer instructor with the Second Chance Renters Program.
Tia is the author of numerous publications, including Landlord Bootcamp and Renting a Home, which teaches high school seniors and college freshmen the rights, risks and responsibilities of tenancy. She earned a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Oregon.
About the City Club of Eugene:
The mission of the City Club of Eugene is to build community vision through open inquiry. The Club explores a wide range of significant local, state, and national issues and helps to formulate new approaches and solutions to problems. Membership is open to all, and Club members have a direct influence on public policy by discussing issues of concern with elected officials and other policy makers. The City Club’s mailing address is PO Box 12084, Eugene, OR 97440, and its website is cityclubofeugene.org.
Video and Broadcast
This program will be live streamed, and the videotape will be made available on the City Club of Eugene’s Facebook page and You Tube Channel, in addition to our website. It will be broadcast on Monday, June 12, at 7:00 pm, on KLCC 89.7 FM.
Contact: For more information, visit CityClubOfEugene.org.