When it comes to affordable housing, no state is tackling the issue as aggressively as Oregon. This past week, the Beaver State passed a law that will effectively enact a state-wide ban on single-family zoning, which has come under scrutiny as housing costs have soared and housing shortages have grown worse since the 2008 financial crisis.
The new law also legalizes duplexes in cities of more than 10,000, including the Portland metro area. In cities of more than 25,000 and within the Portland metro area, it would legalize triplexes, fourplexes, attached townhomes, and some “cottage clusters.” The bill leaves few towns in the state where single-family zoning is still operable. The idea is to allow more density in housing developments in towns and cities where single-family zoning is contributing to a housing shortage. Unlike most bills, this one has picked up rare bipartisan support.
The effective ban on single-family zoning isn’t the only major housing bill passed in Oregon. In March, the state passed a rent control law that caps annual rent increases at 7 percent and also bans so-called “no-cause” evictions. With the passage of the new zoning bill, Oregon has addressed housing affordability from both the demand (rent) side and supply (zoning) side, a promising approach, since affordable housing experts believe there’s no one policy that can solve the problem.
