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Earlier this month, the Tigard City Council approved an ordinance to waive parks and transportation system development charges (SDCs) for accessory dwelling units (ADUs). With support from the HBA, the Council extended the waiver from three to four years. Doing so sends a strong signal to homeowners and developers that the City is committed to supporting naturally occurring low cost housing. Tigard is facing a severe housing shortage and has seen rental and for sale prices increase dramatically in recent years. The City found that since many ADUs are constructed using home equity lines of credit, even moderate SDCs serve as a significant roadblock to homeowners looking to build on developed lots. Buoyed with recent studies that show up to twenty percent of ADUs are rented for free or below market value, the City moved aggressively to reduce the cost of constructing new ADUs. The HBA applauds the City’s efforts and will continue to champion ADUs as useful tool to create infill housing as part of a broader strategy to reduce high housing production costs. To learn more about our efforts in Tigard, and to participate in future conversations with the City around housing affordability, contact Ezra Hammer at ezrah@hbapdx.org. Next Article