Oregon Governor Says Affordable Housing Shortage Is Driving the State’s Homelessness Crisis

Oregon’s shortage of affordable housing is the ‘stubborn engine of our homelessness crisis,’ Governor Tina Kotek said yesterday when she ceremoniously signed housing-related bills into law.

The ceremony took place at the Century Commons construction site in Hillsboro, where 18 affordable homes are nearing completion.

Kotek Signs Five Bills Related to Affordable Housing

Kotek signed five bills related to affordable housing. These included House Bill 2138, which is designed to eliminate bureaucratic red tape by expanding allowable middle housing and requirements to include urban unincorporated land. It also expands allowable single room occupancy.

House Bill 2258 will accelerate the approval process with pre-approved building plans for single residential units, townhouses, and duplexes.

House Bill 3031 establishes a program in which the Oregon Infrastructure Finance Authority can offer financial assistance to support housing site development for infrastructure, such as road building.

$25 Million Is Set Aside for Factory-Built Homes

House Bill 3145 allows the Housing and Community Services Department to use money from the Fast Track Program Fund for factory-built housing – $25 million has been set aside for the provision of modular homes.

The other bill signed by Kotek is Senate Bill 684, which directs the Housing and Community Services Department to establish a program to issue low-interest short-term loans for the construction of mixed income housing.

The Governor says creative and practical solutions must be found to increase the supply of affordable homes. She said the state must help cities and counties build the infrastructure needed to address the critical shortage of affordable housing that Oregon is facing.