The Oregon Legislature has introduced several housing bills that support and complement housing opportunity. We’re posting the most recent summaries and will be keeping you updated as the bills move through the legislature. You can also keep tabs on bills with our Housing Opportunity Agenda page.
Housing Relief Act
The proposed Housing Relief Act (HB 4001) will include:
Statewide tenant protections:
- Increase notice period for no-cause terminations from 60 days to 90 days after the first year of occupancy
- Require a landlord to pay the tenant one month’s rent with the no-cause termination, after the first year of occupancy, to help with relocation costs and the security deposit on their next rental
- Restore the presumption that an eviction was retaliatory if a landlord evicts a tenant for no cause within six months after a tenant complains about the condition of their unit
- Increase notice period for rent increases from 30 days to 90 days
- Prohibit rent increases during the first year of tenancy
Tools for cities:
- Inclusionary zoning: Remove the state ban on inclusionary zoning and allow local governments to require that up to 30 percent of new housing development, including single family or multifamily housing, for sale or rental) is set aside for affordable housing in exchange for developer incentives
- Allow local governments to declare a state of emergency and waive building code and zoning requirements to site emergency housing
Co-chief sponsors of the Housing Relief Act are Representative Alissa Keny-Guyer, House Speaker Tina Kotek, Senate President Pro Tempore Diane Rosenbaum, and Senator Michael Dembrow.
Housing Alliance priorities are included in the following bills:
- $40 million for the Local Innovation and Fast Track (LIFT) development program to build affordable housing for families (LC 97)
- Extend the sunset on property tax exemptions for affordable housing owned by nonprofits (LC 237, sponsored by Rep. Paul Evans)
- Funding for the Emergency Housing Account (EHA) and State Homeless Assistance Program (SHAP), preservation, and foreclosure counseling will be included in budget bills – we will have bill numbers later in session.
- Inclusionary zoning (SB 1533/LC 241, sponsored by Sen. Michael Dembrow): lift the state ban on inclusionary zoning and allow local governments to require a set-aside
Other housing and housing-related bills to Watch
- Document recording fee and capital gains tax exemption (LC 280, introduced as a committee bill by House Human Services and Housing)
- Increases the document recording fee by $10, designated for affordable housing
- Provides for a capital gains tax exemption when market rate buildings are sold to housing authorities or nonprofit community development centers
- Establishment of a pilot program for local governments to site and develop affordable housing (LC 146, sponsored by Rep. Duane Stark)
- Pilot project for two cities to expand their urban growth boundary up to 50 acres to allow for mixed-income housing development. More information on this bill is available here.
- Affordable Housing Mortgage Loan Fund (HB 4064/LC 92, co-chief sponsors Representatives Brad Witt, David Gomberg, and Gene Whisnat)
- Establish the infrastructure for a revolving fund managed at the state level that leverages mortgages affordable to very low-income Oregonians so affordable homeownership developers can serve more families
- General Assistance (LC 96, House Human Services and Housing Committee bill
- Restore General Assistance services. Eligible individuals will be those determined by the Department of Human Services to be experiencing a disability and homelessness. DHS will contact these individuals, offering housing and financial assistance, and help them apply for federal Social Security disability benefits.