ARTICLE
In September, the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners directed staff to remove a construction excise tax from a list of housing proposals. The tax emerged as one of the Housing Affordability and Homelessness Task Force’s recommendations to fund affordable housing. Following HBA’s testimony, the Commission decided to implement other recommendations in a variety of ways, including through its Land Use Housing Strategies working group, as well as Metro’s 2018 Affordable Housing Bond and 2020 Supportive Housing Services Bond. HBA supports the County’s desire for more affordable housing, and thanks the County Commission for prioritizing multiple avenues for affordable housing that distribute the cost broadly across the community and not simply to new construction. HBA will continue to support Clackamas County in pursuing zoning-code issues that can increase housing supply and decrease cost. To learn more about HBA involvement in Clackamas County, contact Roseann Johnson at roseannj@hbapdx.org.