Advocates Want a New Multnomah County Tax to Fund Eviction Defense Lawyers

HOW MUCH?

$3,025

WHO GOT IT?

Tenants Organizing Against Displacement

WHO GAVE IT?

The Portland chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

In 2020, when COVID-19 made signature gathering difficult, the Democratic Socialists of America worked the streets aggressively and gathered enough support to put a first-of-its-kind, preschool-for-all income tax on the Multnomah County ballot. Officials tweaked the DSA measure and put their own version in front of voters instead (it passed with 64% of the vote).

Now, the DSA is throwing its might and its money behind a measure that would pay for attorneys to represent renters facing eviction. The idea, aimed at the November ballot, would follow similar policies now in place in New York, California, Washington state and other jurisdictions. It would impose a 0.75% capital gains tax—which, like the preschool-for-all tax, would mostly hit high-income earners—to raise an estimated $12 million to $15 million a year for lawyers.

WHAT DOES THE CAMPAIGN SAY?

Colleen Carroll, an organizer for the campaign, says the numbers of evictions filed in other cities and those that are successful have both dropped when tenants have access to lawyers. Her group is seeking a stand-alone tax to ensure the funds don’t get diverted to other uses. “We are looking at a salaried group of lawyers with a reasonable case load,” she says. “We want the funding to be sustainable and not easily cut.”