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Oregon’s 2024 short legislative session has officially drawn to a close. Perhaps most notable was the comprehensive focus on housing, achieved without a walkout. While the industry had several priority bills that we supported, few were as critical as Governor Kotek’s priority housing package that made it through both chambers of the legislature last week. With OHBA’s support, this legislation paved the way for meaningful changes to Oregon’s land use system, as well as record investments in housing and infrastructure. Additionally, another of HBA’s priority bills passed the legislature just before the session ended—a new act to prevent UGB expansion decisions from being referred to the ballot is on its way to the Governor’s desk. SB 1537. This was the Governor’s priority housing bill and one we, and our State Association (OHBA), had been actively working on and lobbying since the start of session. The bill passed the legislature with bipartisan support on March 4th. While it is just a start, it does contain several key provisions that will help make it easier to build new housing across the state.
HB 4026. Weeks of direct lobbying in Salem have delivered a real success for Oregon’s housing industry in Washington County. This last summer, North Plains City Council adopted Ordinance 490, which aimed to expand the city’s Urban Growth Boundary by 800 acres and could create up to 1,000 new homes. However, in mid-October, several farmers submitted enough signatures (roughly 240 in sum) that set in motion a referendum on that UGB vote. While the legality of such a referendum on a land-use decision remains in question, HBA and our partners succeeded in getting the legislature to pass a bill that effectively blocks all UGB expansion votes from being challenged by referendum. This bipartisan bill is retroactive, meaning it will likely remove the referendum from even appearing on voter’s ballots. While we do expect a legal challenge in this case, we are thrilled with the last-minute victory which should help protect future Urban Growth Boundary decisions from further contests. Now it heads to the Governor’s desk where we expect her signature within days. A special thanks to OHBA’s Jodi Hack, Oregon Property Owners Association, and Dave Hunnicutt and Samantha Bayer for shepherding this bill over the finish line.