Looking Back on Oregon's 2024 Legislative Session
Over just 32 days after it began, Oregon’s 2024 legislative session delivered a mixed bag for environmentally-minded housing and land use advocates. Here’s our take on what went well, what could’ve been better, and what we’ll be working on next.
Front and Center: Housing Production Bills
Oregonians from every walk of life, in communities large and small, are all impacted by our housing crisis and in many different ways. Given that reality, it makes sense that a significant portion of Oregon’s 2024 legislative session was focused on housing production bills.
What Went Well:
Funding and financing for affordable and moderate-income housing infrastructure and projects will increase housing quantity, choice, and affordability in Central Oregon communities.
Overall, the multi-pronged approach in the Emergency Housing Stability and Production Package passed by Oregon legislators this session will help meet a wide array of our Central Oregon community’s housing-related needs, from unhoused community members, to those struggling with unstable housing and high utility bills, to people seeking affordable and middle housing.
LandWatch’s top priority for the 2024 legislative session was moving affordable and middle housing infrastructure funding forward. We strongly support many parts of the Emergency Housing Stability and Production Package (SB 1537 & SB 1530) that addresses this issue, including the Revolving Loan Fund that allocates $75M to finance the production of affordable housing and moderate-income housing infrastructure and projects.
What Could’ve Been Better:
“Quickie” Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) expansions were reduced, but this ineffective approach to housing was never needed.
As originally written, SB 1537 would have allowed for UGB expansions of 75 acres for cities with a population of less than 25,000 and 150 acres for cities with a population of 25,000 or greater.
After hundreds of people submitted comments and testimony that pushed for improvements to Governor Kotek’s housing production bill to better uphold Oregon’s land use system, lawmakers showed us that they took our concerns seriously. The version of the bill that ultimately passed reduced the large UGB expansion provisions by one-third to 50 acres and 100 acres, respectively.
Oregon’s land use system and Urban Growth Boundaries are vital tools for preserving statewide livability.
Along with the acreage reduction, cities have to adopt a ‘complete community’ concept plan for the area, as well as demonstrate a need for both housing and land to be eligible to use this tool. So, this provision of the bill isn’t as bad as it could have been. Still, this isn’t a necessary or effective housing policy: it further dilutes scarce infrastructure funds and distracts from more effective housing approaches.
We learned a lot from the pilot projects in Bend and elsewhere around the state that tested the ‘expedited UGB expansions’ concept; seven years later, none of those projects have delivered housing yet. And having the infrastructure funding and financing in place is often one of the most significant barriers to moving those projects forward. Many policies can help urgently tackle our housing crisis without eroding our livability, human health, and environment. Allowing expedited, ‘quickie’ UGB expansions isn’t one of them.
For communities that want to manage rapid growth well and with intention, Oregon’s land use laws and UGBs are vital tools. Our land use system has proven, decade after decade, to be flexible enough to meet our changing needs and challenges, while still being strong enough to protect Oregon’s livability and way of life.
More resources are needed for Central Oregon
Moving in tandem with the Housing Package was HB 4134 which included additional, direct, one-time infrastructure investments that help deliver affordable and middle housing in cities throughout Oregon.
However, Central Oregon — one of the fastest growing regions in the country with some of the most stark affordability challenges in the state — didn’t receive any resources. And that is a big miss for our city, region, and state to urgently move the needle on our housing crisis.
Two projects on the table that would have made a big impact on ramping up affordable and middle housing while creating Complete Communities, the Central Interceptor Project and the Southeast Area Plan Sewer Project, weren’t included for funding in the myriad infrastructure bills passed and funds allocated this session.
What’s Next?
Bend’s Expansion and Opportunity areas within the Urban Growth Boundary.
LandWatch will continue to focus on moving infrastructure funding forward in our City and State policy, legislative, and funding work to increase housing quantity, choice, and affordability in Central Oregon.
Right now, Bend has available land within its UGB that can become much-needed housing if it is served with infrastructure. During a July 2023 City Council presentation by the city’s growth management team, staff noted Bend has “plenty of land” — and that Bend’s 2023 buildable land inventory identified current capacity for over 23,000 housing units.
Numerous Expansion and Opportunity Areas have been designated in our city to help us grow well and with intention. Infrastructure investments in these key areas, such as the Bend Central District, will unlock critical housing potential and help create the complete communities we need. These places can accommodate more of Bend’s rapid growth and deliver new affordable housing options close to essential services with options for biking, walking, and rolling. When we can secure transformative infrastructure investments in these places, we can help address Bend’s most pressing housing issues and deliver multiple livability, climate, and health benefits to our community.
Let’s make the most of what we have!
Other Key Issues: Wildlife and Water Bills
While housing was both the legislature’s focus and ours, housing production bills weren’t the only bills we weighed in on.
House Bill 4148 – known as the Wildlife Package, introduced by Rep Helm – would have addressed key wildlife issues affecting Oregon. Of particular interest to LandWatch was a section that would have strengthened the Oregon Department of Transportation’s program to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions across the state.
Unfortunately, for the second legislative session in a row, this policy language was left on the cutting room floor. LandWatch is dedicated to ensuring Oregon continues to invest in state programs to address wildlife-vehicle collisions on Oregon’s roadways and we will be working with partners to ensure the 2025 legislature takes the necessary steps toward establishing a permanent, dedicated funding source for improving the safety of motorists and wildlife in Oregon.
Planning for Central Oregon’s livable future
Our members make it possible for Central Oregon LandWatch staff to bring your needs and interests to legislators’ attention. Thank you for your support!