Portland Offers $1,000 to Homeowners Who Rent Spare Rooms for 12 Months

Portland’s Housing Bureau and Mayor Keith Wilson launched a “home sharing” program offering homeowners $1,000 to rent spare rooms for 12 months at up to $800/month through PadSplit or Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon. The program aims to increase housing stock and address homelessness, though the $800 rent may be unaffordable for many currently unhoused residents, leaving the target demographic unclear. This follows Multnomah County’s 2022-2024 “Housing Multnomah Now” pilot that housed 311 households by incentivizing landlords to rent to people from streets or shelters.