Starting Feb. 16, Clackamas County will be offering basic mediation training and housing mediation services in an effort to aid community members in resolving conflicts and preventing future evictions.
These housing mediation services are offered at no cost to participants until June 30, and tenants and housing providers alike can begin the eviction prevention mediation process now by simply filling out an intake form online at clackamas.us/ccrs/eviction-prevention-mediation or by calling 503-655-8850.
“Eviction can lead to poverty, homelessness, loss of employment, loss of possessions, increased health issues and disrupt children’s education — and, it affects mostly low income and underserved populations including people of color,” said Clackamas County Resolution Services Manager Amy Herman.
With the housing mediation program, county staff are hoping to be preventative and proactive in addressing homelessness. The program offers free mediation, resources and support services to housing providers and tenants, with the aim of decreasing evictions that lead to homelessness by “offering housing providers and tenants the opportunity to work together on possible solutions before an eviction case is filed in court.”
The county has hope that mediation can pinpoint and address specific problems to stabilize a situation and prevent getting to the stage of eviction. These solutions could include developing a payment arrangement plan or a plan for a more peaceful move. Mediation can also give renters more time to find new housing and connect them with community resources, and help housing providers lessen or recover losses, such as overdue rent and costs associated with eviction by making connections to possible funding sources.
This is one of a handful of ways Clackamas County is working to prevent a continued increase in homelessness and housing instability that’s affecting the entire state. Clackamas County’s housing mediation program is part of a statewide network of 15 dispute resolution centers. These centers are funded by the University of Oregon School of Law’s Oregon Office for Community Dispute Resolution, as part of a $1.2 million grant awarded in 2022 by Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS). OHCS is the state’s housing finance agency working to decrease poverty and increase access to stable housing. Program data concludes that 92% of post-mediation respondents reported the process was fair.
