Community Alliance Of Tenants

TO EDUCATE AND EMPOWER TENANTS TO DEMAND SAFE, STABLE, AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

SEE SCHEDULE O.THE TENANT EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SERVED OVER 2,000 HOUSEHOLDS IN OREGON THROUGH OUR RENTERS' RIGHTS HOTLINE. STAYING TRUE TO OUR MISSION AND VALUES OF SERVING THE MOST VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITIES, ABOUT 50% OF THE RENTERS WE SERVED WERE EXTREMELY LOW INCOME (0-30% MFI) AND ABOUT 40% OF THEM IDENTIFIED AS HAVING A DISABILITY. WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HELP AS MANY RENTERS AS WE DID WITHOUT THE MANY VOLUNTEERS WHO HELPED US RETURN CALLS ON OUR HOTLINE, HELPED PRESENT HELPFUL INFORMATION AT COMMUNITY EVENTS SUCH AS FAIRS AND WORKSHOPS. IN THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, OUR AMAZING VOLUNTEERS AND MEMBERS CONTRIBUTED OVER 1,100 HOURS TO CAT AND OUR COMMUNITY. WE ATTENDED AND HOSTED 50 COMMUNITY EVENTS PROVIDING TENANTS WITH RENTERS EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY INFORMATION THROUGHOUT THE PORTLAND METROPOLITAN AREA AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PARTNERING AGENCIES, PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND AT TENANTS' BUILDINGS. CAT ALSO LAUNCHED A PILOT PROGRAM CALLED THE TENANT PROTECTIONS TEAM, WHICH IS A CULTURALLY SPECIFIC PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH APANO, SEI, AND IRCO. THROUGH THE NEW PROGRAM, OUR 3 STAFF MEMBERS ARE ABLE TO WORK WITHIN THE COMMUNITIES THAT FACE MORE CHALLENGES IN NAVIGATING AND ACCESSING SOCIAL SERVICES AND ADVOCATING FOR THEIR RIGHTS. TENANTS RECEIVE ONE-ON-ONE SUPPORT AND WITH PEOPLE THAT "LOOK LIKE THEM AND MAY EVEN SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE". BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE GRANT MONIES FROM THE STATE OF OREGON FOR TENANT EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE. WE DISTRIBUTED OVER $330,000 IN EMERGENCY FUNDING TO OUR MEMBERS FROM LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS; ALL EMPLOYEES FROM EVERY DEPARTMENT PARTICIPATED IN THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH, DEMOGRAPHIC DATA GATHERING, APPROVAL PROCESS, AND DOCUMENTATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THESE FUNDS BY THE END OF JUNE 2021.

ORGANIZING AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT (O&LD) - THE O&LD PROGRAM ORGANIZED MULTIPLE BUILDINGS: 1) IN NEED OF SIGNIFICANT REPAIRS, 2) FACING BUILDING WIDE EVICTIONS, OR 3) FACING SIGNIFICANT RENT INCREASES. WE WORK WITH TENANTS, COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS, AN APPOINTED AND ELECTED GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. WE CONDUCT RENTERS RIGHTS, TENANT POWER, AND COMMUNITY BUILDING WORKSHOPS. WE ALSO CONDUCT DIRECT ACTION AND ADVOCACY EVENTS THAT CALL ATTENTION TO THE NEEDS OF VULNERABLE TENANTS STATEWIDE. WE ALSO CONDUCT THE TENANT LEADERSHIP COUNCIL, WHICH IS A GROUP OF TENANT LEADERS WHO ACTIVELY ENGAGE IN ADVOCACY AND ORGANIZING THROUGH THE O&LD PROGRAM.

HOUSING JUSTICE PROGRAM (HJP) - CONVENED STABLE HOMES FOR OREGON FAMILIES COALITION, TO RUN A TENANT PROTECTIONS CAMPAIGN TO PASS HB 2004 AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE. 40% OF OREGON'S POPULATION ARE RENTERS, AND ARE SUBJECT TO NO-CAUSE EVICTIONS OR SUDDEN RENT INCREASES WITH NO LIMITS. WE ENGAGED THOUSANDS OF TENANTS STATEWIDE, WITH ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP CHANGE THESE STATEWIDE LAWS TO BETTER SUPPORT TENANTS. WE ALSO CONDUCTED DIRECT ACTION AND ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF TENANT MEMBERS PARTICIPATING WITH CAT THROUGH RENTER WEEK OF ACTION, THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE RIGHT TO THE CITY ALLIANCE AND HOMES FOR ALL CAMPAIGN AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL.