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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I hope this finds you and your family healthy and safe. In my newsletter last week, I reported that Oregon had seen a steep increase in the number of coronavirus cases across the state. Sadly, that alarming trend has continued. The weekly surveillance summary released by Oregon Health Authority on Wednesday showed that last week (October 19-October 25) had the highest number of new cases on record.
I stated it last week, and it begs repeating--we must continue to follow the simple safety measures to keep each other safe. Wash your hands, make sure to wear a mask, and practice social distancing. I know that many of us are experiencing pandemic fatigue, but we must remain diligent if we want to slow the spread, preserve crucial hospital capacity, and save lives.
In this newsletter you’ll find links to housing and rental assistance, information on Portland’s $500 prepaid Visa gift cards, COVID-19 updates, and how to avoid wildfire related scams. As always, please contact my office if you have any questions or need further assistance.
Warmly,
 Andrea Salinas, State Representative
Portland COVID-19 Household Assistance Program
This Friday, October 30, at 1:00pm, the application for the City of Portland’s COVID-19 Household Assistance Program (CVHAP) re-opens. This fund will provide $500 prepaid Visa gift cards to support those who need assistance paying for dependent care, food, household supplies, medicine or health supplies, rent and non-city utility payments.
Only 1,400 cards will be available on a first come, first serve basis. I know the need is far greater than the resources available, and the funds will go quickly. So, if you qualify, please apply as soon as the application period opens on Friday.
This program only allows applicants to apply online. You will not be able to apply by phone. Please contact my office if this makes the program inaccessible to you. We will work with you to find a solution.
The PDX Assist website has an FAQ with the information you will need to provide in order to submit an application. I encourage you to take a look before Friday so that you can promptly fill out an application at 1:00pm: https://www.pdxassist.com/.
For program descriptions in Español (Spanish), 中文 (Chinese), По-русски (Russian), or Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese) click here: https://www.portland.gov/phb/translations
If you have any questions, you can call 503-200-3367 or email info@pdxassist.com for application assistance. Please also feel free to follow-up with my office with any questions or concerns.
Housing/Rental Assistance
The COVID-19 pandemic has made it challenging for tenants all across the state to make monthly rent. At the end of last month, Governor Kate Brown extended the moratorium on residential evictions for non-payment through December 31, 2020. The Oregon Law Center created a helpful guide that explains the eviction moratorium, which you can find here.
That said, there are still financial assistance programs available to Oregonians who are struggling to make their monthly rent payments. You can find out how to access these programs by dialing 2-1-1, or by visiting 211’s rental assistance website here.
The Governor also extended the moratorium on foreclosures through December 31, 2020. For homeowners, the Oregon Homeownership Stabilization Initiative (OSHI) created a COVID-19 Mortgage Assistance Program. More information on the program’s eligibility requirements and the application process can be found here.
If you need help connecting with any housing resources, please reach out to my office.
COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Extended
On Monday, Governor Kate Brown extended the COVID-19 state of emergency for an additional 60 days, until January 2, 2021. The emergency declaration is the legal underpinning for the executive orders the Governor has issued during the pandemic to slow the spread of the coronavirus. This includes her orders surrounding county reopening protocols, schools, childcare, and business operations.
The current emergency order was set to lapse on November 3, 2020. Governor Brown reevaluates her emergency orders every 60 days to determine whether they should be continued, modified, or rescinded, and with cases on the rise across the state, she chose to extend the order to keep the current health and safety measures in effect.
You can read the Governor’s press release here, and the full executive order here.
Multnomah County Added to Watch List
Late last week, Governor Brown announced that she added Multnomah County back to the county watch list. Counties are placed on the watch list when COVID-19 is spreading quickly and public health officials cannot trace the spread to specific sources.
Presence on the watch list does not mean a county will be moved back a phase in reopening (Multnomah County remains in Phase 1), nor is it a punitive measure. It is used to help the state prioritize resources and assistance. OHA offers additional support to watch list counties by increasing monitoring and communication, and deploying additional technical assistance and resources, such as epidemiological support, case investigation and contact tracing assistance.
Counties remain on the watch list for a minimum of three weeks and until their sporadic case count drops below 50 per 100,000, or less than 5 cases in the previous two weeks. Sporadic cases cannot be traced to a source, which indicates community spread.
Adjudication
Many Oregonians continue to wait for their claims to go through the adjudication process. Yesterday, the Oregon Employment Department announced Focus Adjudication, an initiative to process 100% of the claims that are waiting for adjudication.
Focus Adjudication will allow the Employment Department to track the progress made from the 52,000 claims in adjudication on September 30. The Employment Department’s goal is to process all claims before the end of the year, and they will provide weekly updates on their progress towards that goal.
It’s a welcome sign to see the Employment Department move towards clearing the backlog of cases and getting Oregonians the assistance they need, but I know that waiting until the end of the year is still far too long. So please contact my office if you continue to have issues with your unemployment insurance and we will work to assist you.
 Lost Wages Assistance: Self-Certify Online
If you received regular UI, PEUC (Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation), or EB (Extended Benefits) benefits for the weeks of 7/26-9/5, you must self-certify online that your unemployment or partial unemployment is due to disruptions caused by COVID-19 in order to receive the extra $300 in Lost Wages Assistance.
If you received PUA you do NOT need to self-certify.
You can self-certify using the online claims system here. Once you get to the online claims system, scroll down and select ‘Lost Wages Assistance.’
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Those with language access needs should contact OED by email at OED_LanguageAccess@oregon.gov or call their language hotline at 503-606-6969.
Unfortunately, wildfire scams are on the rise in Oregon. The Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ) launched a new website where you can learn more about how to protect yourself and avoid post-disaster scams. In addition to finding information and resources, you can also file a consumer complaint on the DOJ’s website. Or, you can call the DOJ’s Consumer Hotline where they can help you file a complaint and answer any questions: 1-877-877-9392.
Similar to other holidays this year, Halloween is going to look a bit different, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still be fun. To help you and your family plan your festivities, OHA created this graphic of possible considerations:
email: Rep.AndreaSalinas@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1438
address: 900 Court St NE, H-485, Salem, OR, 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/salinas
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