Portland Housing Bureau Offers Immediate Cash Support

Press release from Portland Public Schools:

April 22, 2020

Families in Portland that have experienced a loss of income during the coronavirus crisis can apply for $250 in immediate assistance from the Portland Housing Bureau. The city bureau will distribute immediate cash to 2,000 families that meet program criteria to help pay for such urgent needs as groceries, rent, utilities and medical expenses.

The bureau allocated $1 million from its budget to create a fund to help families during the crisis and will distribute $200,000 to families next week. Applications from eligible households will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, April 27. To apply:

• Call: 211 or 1-866-698-6155
• Go to: org/covid19

Language interpretation and accessibility help will be available.

To be eligible, families have to have been earning no more than 50% of area median income before loss of employment because of COVID-19. That scale ranges from $30,000 for a household of one, to $58,050 for a household of eight (see the income limits). Applicants will need to include documentation of the hardship they are experiencing.

The remaining money in the fund is being distributed via internal referrals through social service providers that serve culturally specific communities, and individuals and families experiencing homelessness and housing instability. See the program webpage for more information.

This press release was produced by Portland Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.