Agenda Packet 3-13-19 Work Session

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March 13, 2019, Work Session – Item 1 EUGENE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Work Session: Renter Protections Meeting Date: March 13, 2019 Agenda Item Number: 1 Department: Planning and Development Staff Contact: Stephanie Jennings www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 541-682-5529 ISSUE STATEMENT City Council requested a follow-up work session to further discuss the experiences of Eugene renters and better understand current rental housing issues including affordability, availability, access, quality and stability. As a part of this work session, council will receive an update on proposed state legislation related to renter protections. BACKGROUND City Council previously discussed renter protections during a work session on February 21, 2017. The presentation provided an overview of Eugene’s rental housing market, conditions, and trends; an overview of existing programs, local policies and programs that affect renters. Next steps that emerged from this work session were for staff to work with the Intergovernmental Housing Policy Board to conduct outreach to renters to better understand rental housing affordability, availability, access, quality and stability. In 2018, the Housing Policy Board formed a task team to learn more about current market conditions affecting renters and to identify tools and strategies to protect renters and prevent displacement in areas with changing housing market conditions in Eugene. The task team created the Renters’ Experiences Survey and have held four listening sessions. The results of the survey and listening session are summarized below. Renters’ Experience Survey – The task team developed and designed a survey with 17 questions. The survey was administered city-wide online during the month of January. Links to the survey were provided on the City’s website and notices of the survey were emailed to Eugene neighborhood leaders, Neighborhood Leadership Council, Human Rights Commission interested parties, and Housing Policy Board interested parties. Print copies of the survey were distributed by task team members in various ways, including local food pantries and during the renter listening sessions held November 2018 through February 2019. A total of 851 surveys were completed. Renters Listening Sessions – The task team facilitated listening sessions with four groups of renters, including a session with students at University of Oregon and meetings organized in