The Portland Housing Bureau has been sitting on $21 million in unspent funds generated by a fee that landlords pay to register new rentals.
The tranche of dollars could have gone to emergency rent assistance, eviction defense or other housing aid, according to documents reviewed by The Oregonian/OregonLive.
The revelation comes as nonprofit providers reel amid budget cutbacks from local, state and federal governments, prompting fears that an eroding social safety net could lead to more people living on the margins becoming homeless. Many pandemic-era one-time boosts to rent assistance have long since expired, and free legal aid for renters is also under threat amid the cutbacks…