New Evicted in Oregon reports explore role of discrimination in evictions

Photo by NashCo

Two new reports from the Evicted in Oregon project at Portland State University detail the role of discrimination in evictions, and in specific, the experiences of Latine immigrants and farmworkers.

Evictions do not impact all groups of people equally. While there are clear racial, ethnic, and gender disparities in eviction filings, knowledge detailing the role of discrimination is less robust.

"Targeted, Harassed, and Displaced: The Role of Discrimination in Oregon Evictions" focused on documenting the experiences of tenants who faced discrimination or prejudicial treatment from their landlord during their eviction cases.

"It was alarming to hear how openly hostile some landlords were toward tenants because of their identity," said Alex Farrington, lead author of "Targeted, Harassed and Displaced" and research associate in the Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning. "Tenants in our focus groups experienced discrimination based on their race, language, criminal record, gender, and disabilities."

Researchers conducted 18 focus groups with 101 Oregon tenants who had faced eviction since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were deliberately recruited from groups disproportionately vulnerable to eviction, including tenants with a criminal record, tenants with disabilities, Latine immigrants and farmworkers, and Black, African-American and African tenants. Participants lived in Multnomah, Washington, Marion, Lincoln, Baker, and Linn counties.

"Many of the tenants we talked with faced blatantly unfair and punitive treatment from their landlord, including targeted harassment, threats, and utility-shut offs," Farrington said. "Several tenants were also wary of challenging their eviction or reporting the discrimination they faced because they did not trust the legal system to listen to them or treat them fairly."

More than 30% of tenants interviewed for the report encountered discrimination at some point during their eviction process.

"From our findings, it is clear that prejudiced treatment and identity-based discrimination play a significant role in many Oregon evictions," Farrington said.

Latine Immigrant and Farmworker Tenants

Natalie Cholula, Ph.D. candidate in sociology and lead author of "Unjust and Unsafe: The Eviction Experiences of Latine Immigrant and Farmworker Tenants in Oregon," explored the impacts on Latine immigrant and farmworker tenants more in-depth as part of a second report.

From five focus groups with Latine immigrants and farmworkers in Multnomah, Washington and Marion Counties, researchers identified three patterns unique to the experiences of Latine immigrants and farmworkers who face eviction: mistreatment by landlords, fear of involvement with the legal system, and navigating unfamiliar procedures that have negative impacts on their health and family.

"Eviction is incredibly challenging for Latine immigrants and farmworkers who fear that forced displacement could lead to contact with the legal system and cause deportation or family separation," Cholula said. "Many tenants felt apprehensive about getting involved in the legal system, forcing them to tolerate uninhabitable housing conditions for fear of retaliation or eviction."

Some fears involving contact with the legal system included deportation, contact with Immigration and Customs Enforcement at court, and navigating family separation if they received a termination notice.

"Considering Latine immigrant and farmworkers fear of legal system contact in the face of eviction, support systems must effectively address overlapping needs related to housing challenges, language access, and immigration status," Cholula said.

The study also revealed that even when tenants receive the assistance they need, additional support is necessary to alleviate those identified concerns about engaging with and navigating the legal system.

Additional supports could include rental assistance and developing Eviction Navigation programs that address fears about the legal system and reduce negative impacts stemming from housing instability.

These two Evicted in Oregon reports will be presented alongside the 2024 State of Fair Housing report from the Fair Housing Council of Oregon during a webinar from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Oct. 10. More information about the webinar is available at bit.ly/OREvictionWebinar.