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Earlier this month, Clackamas County Board of Commissioners adopted HBA-championed code changes representing significant housing wins in certain Clackamas County urban unincorporated commercial zones. Following two years of HBA stakeholder involvement, a series of four HBA letters, and joint HBA-Realtor public testimony, Phase I of the Land Use Housing Strategies Project increased by-right residential density from 25 to 60 units/acre with additional density bonuses of 50% and 20% for subsidized affordable and mixed-use housing, respectively. Importantly, the Board passed HBA’s proposed flexible siting standard amendment to further incentivize development that includes both commercial and residential on the same site. Furthermore, acknowledging the tradeoffs between required parking and space for additional housing units, the county reduced required parking by .25 parking spaces per tiered bedroom unit, with an additional 40% reduction for residential units within ¼ mile walking distance from a light rail station. This means for sites close to transit, the county can accommodate more households while ensuring that new mixed use development maintains adequate parking for business patrons. The county did not pass one proposed amendment to further reduce required parking for subsidized affordable housing. With its adopted code changes, the county has the ability to accommodate approximately 25% of the county’s 5,000 urban unincorporated housing unit deficit documented in its 2019 Housing Needs Analysis. Phase II of the project will implement HBA-championed House Bill 2001 and Senate Bill 458 requirements for middle housing in urban unincorporated areas of the county, along with Senate Bill 1051 requirements for clear and objective standards regulating the development of housing. To learn more about HBA involvement in Clackamas County, contact Roseann Johnson at roseannj@hbapdx.org.