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In a recent article published in the DJC Oregon, HBA discussed Portland's decision to greatly expand the scope of the city’s deconstruction ordinance. The City Council recently voted to increase the year-built range for houses that require deconstruction to 1940. Unfortunately, the change will serve to counteract efforts to enhance housing affordability. Greater density naturally requires new infill construction, which in turn leads to the demolition of older dilapidated structures. Demoiltion serves as a critical tool for ensuring that builders can construct new housing in a timely manner. Deconstruction however, dramatically increases the time it takes to remove old structures tenfold from 2 to 21 days. While the city has acknowledged that deconstruction bids are more costly than demolition ones, it has merely examined contractor costs and fails to consider the carrying costs associated with the lengthened construction timeline. Additionally, due to the nascent nature of the market, scheduling deconstruction can sometimes take months, further lengthening the timeline. When considering all of these costs, it is clear that the existing regulations adds $5,000 - $10,000 to the cost of producing new homes. Unfortunately, the new regulations will add thousands more. HBA will continue to push for more reasonable pro-housing regulations in Portland. For more information on HBA’s work in the city, contact Ezra Hammer at ezrah@hbapdx.org. Next Article Previous Article