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Senate Bill 608 passed out of the house chamber by a 35-25 vote. Representative Jack Zika released the following statement regarding the passage of the Rent Control Bill:
“I am deeply concerned about the unintended consequences that will come with the Rent Control bill that passed out of the House chamber today. Rent Control has harmed the very same people it was intended to help in places where this policy exists and raised the cost of living as well, such as San Francisco. It’s no secret that Central Oregon is facing a housing affordability crisis. Study after study shows that rent control will restrict the ability to build more affordable housing in places where the policy has been implemented. Rent control has never been implemented in rural communities. This is an unprecedented piece of legislation rammed through the legislative process without careful vetting or notice to industries affected by this bill. Furthermore, this bill decreases the opportunities of home ownership and is a direct attack on property owners.”
SB 608 will limit annual rent increases to seven percent, plus the annual consumer price index, and will prohibit landlords from terminating month-to-month tenancies without cause after 12 months of occupancy. The landmark legislation now heads to the Governor Kate Brown’s desk for approval and will become law as soon as she signs the legislation
