Financial pressure mounts as rent day arrives for area tenants

The first of the month Friday marked rent day for many Oregon residents, and many are worried about their continued ability to make rent as financial pressures mount during the pandemic.

Experts say workers in lane county who are the most likely to be laid off, are also more likely to be renters.

Which makes the first of the month extra challenging for so many who are unemployed right now.

Kezi 9 news reporter chris lueneburg has a look at the challenges so many are facing on rent day.

Isobelle jensen counts herself lucky to have a job-- but that hasn't stopped the struggle.

"i went a week hourless, and so i'm very behind on rent and very behind on my bills at the moment."

She and many of her friends are feeling unsure about next month's rent.

"uncertainty really puts you at risk and none of the debt is stopping for anyone in particular and it's becoming a challenge."

For residential renters, evictions, termination notices and late fees are on hold until june 30th.... ....raising questions for many-- and the springfield eugene tenant's association's hotline is taking the calls.

"so those people could be sent into crippling debt on july 1st.

They could have several thousand dollars they could never pay back sent to collections."

They say their call volume has doubled-- questions coming from workers who have lost jobs-- and students trying to break their leases while at home.

"while residential renters struggle, so are commercial renters-- with storefronts closed, landlords are doing what they can to keep these businesses sucessful."

Masaka properties owns a large chunk of the builidngs on springfield's main street-- and they are working with tenants to find solutions.

"people are just being in communication with us and sharing their concerns and laying out some sort of payment plan about how they are going to catch up, because what we don't want them to do is get so far behind that once things go back to normal people have too much debt to make it."

If you can't make rent legal aid services of oregon reccommends paying what you can and reaching out to your landlord.

Jensen is glad their are options.

"as rough as it may be there's always a way through it."

Reporting in springfield i'm chris lueneburg