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5/28/2019 Member News

The HBA Continues to Support Housing Affordability in Oregon City


The Oregon City Commission is currently moving through its comprehensive update of the City’s zoning code and development standards. Unfortunately, recently approved amendments will increase the cost of new housing. The HBA opposed these amendments, which include: restrictive lot size averaging, required alleys and historic design standards in residential and mixed use zones within all concept plan areas, and a new annexation review factor for significant site grading or tree removal. Such regulatory encumbrances directly reduce housing affordability in the City. 

The City’s efforts over the last year and a half was funded through a Metro Equitable Housing Grant, yet several of the most impactful amendments were not fully vetted through the grant’s public engagement process. As such, the City acted improperly by classifying these amendments should not be categorized as part of the results of the Oregon City Equitable Housing Project. Moreover, the HBA believes that these changes are incompatible with the conditions of approval contained in Metro’s grant as well as the City’s own goals and objectives.

Despite this, the HBA appreciates the City's efforts to support other amendments including: eliminating alleyway requirements in medium density residential, mixed-use and neighborhood commercial zones, improving opportunities for accessory dwelling units, and streamlining the development review process. To learn more about the HBA’s efforts in Oregon City contact Roseann Johnson at roseannj@hbapdx.org.

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