On May 6th, Governor Tina Kotek hosted a signing ceremony for a package of bills that passed during the 2024 session that are aimed at addressing the housing and homelessness crises.

“Across the state — from big and mid-size cities to small, rural towns — Oregonians are straining under the pressure of an increasingly unaffordable housing market,” Governor Kotek said. “But the actions we’re taking today – and will continue to take in the coming years – will be key to creating healthier and safer communities and supporting economic growth.”

Governor Kotek ceremonially signed Senate Bill 1537, Senate Bill 1530, Senate Bill 1564 and House Bill 4134. Speakers at the ceremony included Rep. Tawna Sanchez (D-N/NE Portland), Senators Kayse Jama (D-East Portland, Damascus, Boring) and Dick Anderson (R-Lincoln City), Rep. David Gomberg (D-Lincoln and Western Benton & Lane Counties), Portland Commissioner Carmen Rubio, Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis, Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency executive director Jimmy Jones, and NAYA interim CEO Oscar Arana.

"Cities across Oregon are excited to implement the historic investment in housing infrastructure made possible by the legislature in Senate Bill 1530, helping to deliver on Governor Kotek’s annual housing production goal,” Mayor Vinis said. “In Eugene alone, the funding from SB 1530 will support the development of 1,200 new housing units, across all income levels.”

“Services alone are not enough. We must also have supply side answers,” Jimmy Jones said. “Our best path forward to a tomorrow where no child, no family, no person sleeps outside, is the construction of thousands of safe and affordable units in the coming decade. Senate Bill 1537 is the beginning of our efforts to rebalance the housing supply in Oregon.”

The ceremony took place in North Portland at the construction site for Tistilal Village, a 57-unit affordable housing development owned by NAYA Family Center that is currently being redeveloped to serve Native American families, including those experiencing homelessness.

“NAYA was a strong supporter and advocate of the housing bills being signed here today,” NAYA interim CEO Oscar Arana said. “We know these programs and funding sources are desperately needed to create more housing opportunities, like Tistilal Village, for our community.”

The following is a description of the bills Governor Kotek ceremonially signed today:

Senate Bill 1530: Provides $278 million total, including funding for infrastructure projects that support housing development ($100 million), emergency shelters ($65 million), homelessness prevention ($40 million), recovery housing projects ($18 million), land acquisition for affordable housing ($10 million), the Healthy Homes Repair Fund ($7.5 million), and more.

Senate Bill 1537: Provides a menu of tools to encourage more housing production across Oregon, including the creation of the Housing Accountability and Production Office, the allocation of $75 million to establish the Housing Project Revolving Loan Fund, the allocation of $3 million to establish the Housing Infrastructure Support Fund (HISF), and a provision allowing cities that meet specific criteria the ability to make a one-time expansion of their urban growth boundary with a requirement that at least 30% of new housing is affordable, and more.

Senate Bill 1564: Directs the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) to adopt model ordinances that cities may use in order to implement housing-related statewide land use planning goals.

House Bill 4134: Provides $21.3 million for grants to specified cities for infrastructure projects that support housing developments in which at least 30 percent of the units are affordable to households earning 130 percent or less of the county median income.