Portland proposal to ban rental price-fixing software hits stumbling block
After hearing a third round of testimony on the proposal on Wednesday night, city leaders unanimously approved District 3 Councilor Angelita Morillo's motion to refer the ordinance back to the Homelessness and Housing Committee.
A six-figure salary might not be enough in Portland, report finds
'It's kind of with a heavy heart that I have to say this — that there is some new litigation elsewhere that touches on similar issues with the algorithmic price fixing ordinance,' Morillo, the proposal's lead sponsor, said. 'And I want to assert that the litigation is not determinative of what's going to happen here, but it's worth us keeping an eye on and being responsible stewards of policy and maintaining good conversations with stakeholders as we look into it.'
The councilor was referring to a real estate software company's ongoing legal battle with the City of Berkeley. In early April, the Associated Press reported that accusing the California city of violating its free speech with an ordinance that prohibits rent-pricing algorithms.
The lawsuit against Berkeley is the most recent development in a nationwide attempt to crack down on an alleged price-fixing scheme.
In August, Oregon and several other states joined the Department of Justice in filing a federal complaint that claimed with property managers and hike up the cost of rent. The plaintiffs to include some of the country's 'largest landlords' in January.
Portland's Homelessness and Housing Committee began discussing an ordinance against these practices the following month. The committee later , but Morillo's recent decision to reverse this move comes as the city is 'facing other immediate priorities, like the upcoming budget.'
Complaint requesting prosecution of St. Helens Mayor heads to Oregon DOJ
The councilor previously noted that 47% of Portlanders are renters. And while much of the has come from those in support of it, RealPage Vice President of Associate General Counsel Mike Semko argued that banning the software would impact renters negatively.
'What this draft ordinance does at the present moment — It doesn't ban price fixing,' Semko said on Wednesday. 'It bans the use of data sets in applied math. Essentially, what you're doing is — you're banning a math tool. That's not going to help anybody. It certainly won't help housing providers and, by the way, it won't help your residents either.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Oregon one of the worst states to move to, analysis says
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Anyone thinking about moving to a new state may want to think twice before considering the Pacific Northwest, according to a new analysis. recently ranked Oregon the fourth-worst state to move to in 2025, down from its 2024 ranking as the seventh worst. Washington, on the other hand, is the 35th best state to move to, according to the analysis. 'This year, Washington outperformed Oregon in affordability, economic strength, and health care and educational attainment,' ConsumerAffairs said. 'However, both states continue to face challenges with crime and climate risk.' Oregon scored poorly for its affordability, safety, economy, education and access to healthcare. According to the report, Oregon is the third-worst state for affordability and the ninth-worst for safety. It is also among the most vulnerable to environmental hazards, such as drought and wildfire. 'As affordability, economic strength, and quality of life drive relocation decisions across the U.S., this ranking offers a clear picture of the challenges Oregon faces in retaining and attracting new residents,' ConsumerAffairs said. Overall, the states that ranked worse than Oregon are California, Louisiana, and New Mexico. The best states to move to, according to the report, are Utah, New Hampshire, Idaho and Virginia. Washington D.C. was omitted from the rankings. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Oregon man fatally shot after attacking family member with knife, deputies say
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — An early morning domestic dispute in Philomath on Saturday ended in the shooting death of a 36-year-old man, the Benton County Sheriff's Office announced on Saturday. Law enforcement responded to the scene just after 2:15 a.m. in the 600 block of College Street. 'Preliminary information indicates the incident began as a domestic assault involving family members. Gerardo Martinez Flores, 36, of Philomath, was shot while attacking another individual with a knife. Gerardo was pronounced deceased at the scene,' officials said. No arrests have been made and authorities say there is no ongoing threat to the public. The investigation is ongoing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
09-08-2025
Portland, Oregon, to pay $3.75M to estate of unarmed man fatally shot by police
PORTLAND, Ore. -- The city of Portland, Oregon, is set to pay $3.75 million to the estate of an unarmed man who was shot and killed by police in 2022 after being mistaken for an armed robbery suspect. The city settled with Immanueal Clark's estate, which had filed a wrongful-death lawsuit last year, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported. An officer mistook the 30-year-old as someone involved in an armed robbery earlier in the evening and shot him in the back as he fled from a police stop in November 2022. The news outlet, citing a database maintained by the advocacy group Portland Copwatch, reported it was the largest settlement on record paid by the city to an individual plaintiff. City councilors unanimously approved the settlement on Thursday after a meeting in which they questioned disagreement within the police department over whether the shooting was proper. An internal affairs investigator had found the officer who shot Clark violated bureau policy; the city's Police Review Board, which includes four members from the police department, two community members and an independent city staffer, voted 4-3 that the shooting was within policy, OPB reported. Police Chief Bob Day told councilors that while he was angered by Clark's death, it was his final decision to deem the shooting appropriate as he believed Officer Chris Sathoff acted reasonably according to the facts available at the time, OPB reported. A grand jury cleared Sathoff of criminal wrongdoing in 2023. The night of the shooting, a 911 caller told dispatchers he had been robbed at gunpoint in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant by men who were 'definitely white.' Officers mistook Clark's sedan as being involved in the robbery, and when they approached it in a church parking lot, Clark, who was Black, fled on foot. In grand jury testimony, Sathoff said Clark had been 'digging his pockets' as he ran away and that he thought Clark may have a gun. He fired three bullets from an AR-15 rifle. Councilor Loretta Smith said the shooting highlighted discrepancies in how Black and white Portlanders are treated by police. 'We did know the description of the robbers — and the robbers were white. And Manny is clearly Black,' Smith said.
