Portland officials are pausing their drive to limit how landlords may vet potential tenants for past crimes and financial stability.

Commissioner Chloe Eudaly originally sought to have the City Council vote on an ordinance limiting the information landlords could use to turn away potential renters – including convictions for a long list of crimes, some of them violent. The day Eudaly projected the council would vote on such a proposal, September 20, came and went with no action.

Eudaly's chief of staff, Marshall Runkel, said the commissioner pulled back on the concept in light of "obvious concerns from key constituents."

Alarmed by the potential new rules, some landlords and developers, including usual city allies such as the builders who construct affordable housing, have opposed Eudaly's tenant-screening concept, according to Willamette Week. Fearing such a proposal, Oregon landlord industry groups joined forces to raise more than $2 million to fight any restrictions they say will undermine their businesses.

Runkel said Eudaly's office intends to continue developing the proposal with relevant interest groups and bring an ordinance to the council once it's ready.

"I feel confident there's a pathway to do that," Runkel said. He added, "We're more interested in getting this policy right than getting it done tomorrow."

-- Gordon R. Friedman

Have a tip about Portland City Hall? Contact Gordon: GFriedman@Oregonian.com