SALEM — Renter protections from Oregon’s pandemic-era emergency rent assistance program expired Friday, Sept. 30, eliminating the last renter safety net policies tied to the economic fallout from COVID-19.

Among the expiring provisions were protection from eviction when a renter had a pending application for housing aid, as well as a provision that landlords had to give tenants 10 days’ notice of eviction. Landlords can now resume a three-day or six-day eviction notice. And they can now evict tenants for back rent they didn’t pay during the pandemic.

The state began distributing funds through the emergency rental assistance last May and paid out $408 million in rent and utility assistance. According to a dashboard that tracks the program, the state approved close to 65,000 applications and declined at least 39,000.

Although the emergency rental assistance program closed its application portal in March, the state housing agency has continued to work through pending applications.

State housing spokesperson Delia Hernández said the agency is also receiving funds that have been reallocated from other states who didn’t use up their housing funds quickly enough. So far, the agency has received $29.4 million in reallocated funds, and it has requested an additional $17.6 million.

But there are no plans to accept new applications for emergency rent assistance, Hernández said. Instead, the state housing agency will put the funds toward its eviction prevention program. It will also distribute money toward legal services and case management for renters, Hernández said.

The pandemic programs are winding down as renters rights groups are anticipating steep increases in rents next year that could lead to a wave of evictions. State economists announced last month that landlords can raise rents up to 14.6% next year under the 2019 state rent control law that ties the maximum increase to inflation.

The Community Alliance of Tenants called on lawmakers to strengthen eviction laws during the next legislative session, to avoid unnecessary evictions. The group also called for lawmakers to roll back the upcoming rent increase and to track landlords through a registration program.

People facing eviction can contact the Oregon Law Center’s Eviction Defense Project for legal help or call 211 for other resources.

$408 million: The amount Oregon paid out in rent and utility assistance through its emergency rent assistance program since May 2022.