ARTICLE
In 2019, responding to our unprecedented housing crisis, Speaker Kotek and the Oregon Legislature passed a robust package of pro-housing measures. Included within the package was Senate Bill 534, which reaffirms the right to build homes on legally platted lots. The bill has the effect of opening up thousands of lots for new homes in Portland neighborhoods and was a direct response to the 2017 call from City Hall to effectively ban housing on lots under 3,000 square feet or less than 36 feet wide. These so-called “skinny homes” are the quintessential Portland starter home, often selling to those making less than the area median income. In response to the bill, the Bureau of Development Services has been working diligently to craft administrative rules which will fully implement the new state requirements on March 2, 2020. HBA thanks Portland for their diligent work on this critical piece of rule-making to fully legalize smaller homes. To learn more about HBA's work with the City of Portland, contact Ezra Hammer at ezrah@hbapdx.org. Next Article