Action Alert: Stop HB4079 From Eroding Our Quality of Life
Tell Oregon Legislators to Vote No on HB 4079
Currently, a bill is moving quickly through the Oregon State Legislature that threatens our quality of life under the guise of providing affordable housing.
Oregon's visionary land use system requires every city to provide a 20-year supply of land zoned for the residential needs of all. HB 4079 would set a precedent of allowing two cities to avoid this responsibility. Rather than provide different housing types where people want and need to live, near schools, stores, and jobs, the bill allows affordable housing to be located at the edge of UGBs, making access to those critical services difficult.
HB 4079 allows two “pilot project” cities to expand their urban growth boundaries by 50 acres each for residential use without showing that they need more land. The bill also allows that expansion to go first onto farm and forest lands and natural areas. In exchange, an unspecified portion of the 50 acres would be available for affordable housing – the definition of “affordable,” the percentage that would be “affordable,” and other terms are yet to be determined.
HB 4079 just passed through the House -- but only by one vote! Now it is in the Senate and needs your input!
Contact these senators to tell them to vote no on the anti-land use bill HB 4079 because it is not a true affordable housing solution.
Sen. Ginny Burdick
Email: sen.ginnyburdick@state.or.us
Sen. Arnie Roblan
Email: Sen.ArnieRoblan@state.or.us
Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward
Email: Sen.ElizabethSteinerHayward@state.or.u
Dear Senator,
Affordable housing solutions should be designed to actually increase affordable housing in a manner that works with the needs of low income families, and solutions must respect the processes critical to the success of Oregon’s land use planning system. HB 4079 puts Oregon's protections for farms and forests at risk and places limited affordable housing at the edges of cities, where access to services is limited.Vote no on HB 4079.
Sincerely,
Your name
Your address
Thank you to 1,000 Friends of Oregon for providing description of this bill.