Oregon signs six housing bills

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek signed six housing bills on April 22 that expand city growth options, add loan programs and curb some investor purchases of single-family homes. (oregon.gov) Kotek signed the package at Woodburn City Hall, where House Bill 4035 cleared the way for Woodburn to manage a one-time 120-acre urban growth boundary expansion for housing. Oregon economists say the state needs 29,500 new homes a year, while Kotek has set a goal of 36,000. (ktvz.com) A second land bill, House Bill 4082, lets cities with at least 25,000 residents add up to 100 acres for housing for people 55 and older, manufactured homes, prefabricated homes or manufactured dwelling parks; smaller cities can add up to 50 acres. (ktvz.com) The package also reached into financing and permitting. Senate Bill 1567 authorizes the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department to fund mixed-income housing and create a new loan program, and House Bill 4036 creates the Housing Opportunity, Longevity and Durability Fund to preserve affordable units at risk of disappearing. (oregon.gov 1) (oregon.gov 2) House Bill 4037 changes the approval process for some projects by limiting plan review for housing with two or fewer units and creating a local process for projects judged under “clear and objective” standards. House Bill 4128 bars covered private-equity-style buyers from purchasing a single-family house until it has been listed publicly for 90 days. (legiscan.com 1) (legiscan.com 2) Kotek tied the bills to a wider housing shortage that has outlasted her first three years in office. She said Oregon has financed or added 17,000 housing units with state support and taken action expected to add 50,000 future units, though the state has not yet reached her annual production target. (ktvz.com) The pressure is not only about rent and home prices. An Oregon Journalism Project analysis of newly released U.S. Census data found residents ages 30 to 50 left Oregon in 2024 faster than same-age peers moved in, and economist Aditya Gadkari said housing costs are one reason the state is losing prime-earning workers. (oregonjournalismproject.org) Supporters cast the bills as a supply-and-preservation package aimed at seniors, working families and farmworkers. Laura Golino de Lovato of the Northwest Pilot Project said older adults with the lowest incomes face extremely limited housing options, and Kotek said the state needs to make it easier for people to “age with dignity.” (kgw.com) The next test is whether the laws change what gets built on the ground. Oregon’s housing debate has increasingly shifted from setting targets to finding land, financing and faster approvals that can turn those targets into actual homes. (ktvz.com)