The housing industry, affordable housing advocates and other stakeholders convened to generate ideas for meeting affordable housing needs in Oregon. They worked toward consensus on funding, minimizing costs, reducing permitting obstacles to private and public housing, encouraging the availability of land for housing, and promoting home ownership.
Issues and Challenges
Housing stakeholders have disagreed during numerous legislative sessions about the amount and sources of funding for affordable housing. Industry stakeholders have also expressed concern about the impact of fees and taxes on housing costs and the need for a strategic perspective on costs over time.
Results
Agreements of the group, formalized in a Memorandum of Understanding, will serve as the basis for affordable housing legislation in the 2009 Oregon Legislative Session. Participants agreed on funding levels for affordable housing, support for a document recording fee to increase funding, and agreed to oppose a real estate transfer tax and mandatory inclusionary zoning. They developed a description of how they would work collaboratively in the Legislature to support the group’s decisions. The group agreed to work together to promote housing options by keeping costs down, encouraging regulatory efficiency, and working with green building codes and funding sources to support rehabilitation of existing affordable housing units. The participants have agreed to continue meeting quarterly to support ongoing collaboration, and to work toward long-term strategic solutions to housing issues.
Key Contributions
Oregon Consensus provided information about conducting a collaborative process, developed participant working agreements, guided meeting design,and facilitated constructive discussions that focused on the issues, interests, a range of potential solutions, and a plan for ongoing collaboration.
Participants
Affordable Housing Advocates; Oregon Bankers Association; Oregon Home Builders Association; Oregon Association of Realtors; State of Oregon Housing and Community Development Services
Project Lead
Laurel Singer
Mediator
Michael Schnee, Michael Schnee Consulting, LLC
