News

ARTICLE
Date ArticleType
4/6/2022 Member News

Staff Participating in Middle Housing Ordinance Updates Across Metro Region


Although HBA has been active in the HB 2001 and SB 458 adoption process across jurisdictions since early last year, the efforts have taken on a new sense of urgency due to the June 30, 2022 deadline for all jurisdictions to have completed their work. As each jurisdiction presents their local proposals, the HBA is working diligently to ensure our members have a clear, sustainable, and cost-effective approach to these middle housing opportunities.

In 2019 the State issued new provisions around housing and land division process requirements under House Bill 2001 and Senate Bill 458. What does this mean for our members? It means opportunity.

With the housing crisis in the forefront of the conversation, the State is looking for opportunities to provide more housing by increasing density in allowing “middle housing” wherever single family dwellings are currently approved; in turn allowing more housing types to be approved by local jurisdictions. The law also requires that the approval process be no more difficult than that of a single family dwelling. Add to that, SB 458 which allows for a faster and more approachable process to land division, and the door to opportunity opens.

What is middle housing? Middle housing is defined by the State as “duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, townhouses (attached and detached) and cottage clusters”. With this new State mandate, our members will soon have the opportunity to include more middle housing opportunities in their portfolios.

The HBA is currently participating in planning commission and city council meetings and having conversations with local staff and officials to ensure our industry voice is heard.

Would you like to know more about HB 2001 or SB 458? Reach out to your GA team, ryanm@hbapdx.org or stacim@hbapdx.org, to learn more and be part of the discussion.