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At HBA’s monthly Portland Building and Urban Development (PBUD) Council meeting, members connected with Portland City Commissioner JoAnn Hardesty and heard presentations from city staff on housing and development initiatives. Commissioner Hardesty shared updates on the city’s response to COVID-19, including efforts taken to support the homeless and other vulnerable populations, assistance for small businesses, and how the city will use federal relief dollars to support the community. Dory Van Bockel with the Portland Housing Bureau presented development incentives for building affordable housing, including financial incentive programs and density bonuses. Through these incentives, builders can receive economic relief and additional floor area ratio when building affordable housing projects. You can find Dory's presentation here. Sandra Wood with the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, informed attendees about the city’s Expiration Date Extension Project, which, in response to the COVID-19 ciris, extends the expiration date for land use reviews and preliminary plans approved between July 2017 and January 2021. The program also extends the expiration date for some pre-application conferences to two years, allows final plats a year of inactivity before they are voided, and permits neighborhood contact meetings to be held via video. You can find Sandra's presentation here. HBA’s PBUD Council meets monthly, and is comprised of professionals in residential development, construction, and associated industries who work in the City of Portland. The council reviews upcoming policy changes that impact our industries serves as a sounding board for Portland staff and decision makers on land use, zoning, and development issues. The council also provides an opportunity to engage with your peers and learn about important changes impacting your industry. For more information, contact Ezra Hammer at ezrah@hbapdx.org.