Courtesy – Office of Gov. Tina Kotek
MEDFORD, Ore — In a major push to tackle Oregon’s housing crisis, Gov. Tina Kotek signed five bills today aimed at accelerating construction and expanding access to affordable housing across the state.
Kotek said during the signing ceremony “we want more people to own their homes and live in places they can afford. The bills I’ve signed today are going to provide more guarantees that we can get there.”
The legislative package includes House Bills 2138, 2258, 3031, and 3145, as well as Senate Bill 684. Together, the measures are designed to lower construction costs, streamline approval processes, and invest in critical infrastructure needed to expand housing supply.
What the Bills Do:
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House Bill 2138: Legalizes and accelerates the production of “middle housing,” such as duplexes and triplexes, in an effort to lower housing prices through increased supply.
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House Bill 2258: Creates pre-approved building plans to simplify and speed up local approval processes. It also removes barriers to building small apartments, single-unit dwellings, duplexes, townhomes, and other middle housing options.
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House Bill 3031: Creates the Housing Infrastructure Project Fund to help overcome infrastructure challenges that blocks housing development. The fund offers loans, forgivable loans, and grants to cities, counties, special districts, and federally recognized tribes to support transportation, water, wastewater, stormwater, and site development projects that are directly connected to housing construction.
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House Bill 3145: Provides $25 million in bonding to support factory-produced modular housing. The funding is part of the Local Innovation and Fast Track (LIFT) initiative and aims to lower construction costs and accelerate home delivery. These modular homes can be built faster and at a lower cost than traditional construction, positioning them as a crucial tool to urgently meet the state’s housing goals.
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Senate Bill 684: Creates a revolving loan fund to offer long-term financing for mixed-income residential developments, expanding access to financing for developers focused on affordable housing.
“That extra $25 million—we’re gonna get more of those homes out in communities and it’s not a one-size-fits-all. We need modular, we need traditional stick, we need more middle housing. We need all of those things, and these five bills together will get us there.” Koted said.
HB-3145 was introduced by Representative Pam Marsh (D-Southern Jackson County). It also creates opportunities for local developers to test new housing strategies that could help overcome long-standing production challenges.
Kotek emphasized that while the legislation marks an important milestone, the work is far from over.
“Today’s not a victory lap. I believe in celebrating, but it’s just for a day. Then we’re going to get back to work because we have a lot to do.” she said.