Housing

Every Oregonian deserves abundant and affordable housing options.

Like many parts of the nation, Oregon is currently experiencing a housing crisis, with a statewide shortage of nearly 96,000 units for our population. Our Goal 10 | Housing work means we work hand-in-hand with community members, planners, decision-makers, and partner organizations in cities and towns statewide to pursue policies that will allow us to close this gap without creating sprawl development. 

We assist communities in dealing with unaffordable housing, housing instability, and housing challenges by advocating for greater abundance and diversity of housing options. We work to create better policy, and to see that policy equitably implemented across Oregon. We also help communities understand the impact of state and local policies on their bottom line and work to ensure growth in sustainable development patterns.

Our work ensures that cities conserve Oregon’s natural resources and create inclusive communities through:

  • Conserving resource land through involvement in the urban growth boundary process
  • Enhancing community livability through input to city comprehensive plan and zoning policies
  • Implementing SB 1051 to allow accessory dwelling units in all Oregon cities with populations over 2,500
  • Implementing HB 2001 and HB 2003 to restore "missing middle" housing options to the fabric of our towns and cities
  • Advocating for stronger missing middle housing policy nationwide
  • Urban reserves planning and growth monitoring
  • Reversing decades of discriminatory zoning practices

Oregon for Everyone: A new program to build a more inclusive Oregon

Oregon for Everyone will build a coalition to promote inclusive zoning, affordable homes, and thriving communities – led by the new Oregon for Everyone Manager.

Our housing work is vital for Oregon as it touches on our collective responsibility to decide how we live together, protect natural resources, welcome our neighbors, and address historical inequities.

By working with Oregonians to create more livable communities, we can reduce our ecological footprint, live active lives in healthy and walkable neighborhoods, support a strong agricultural economy, and build local food systems.

For more information, contact Mary Kyle McCurdy.


 

More on our housing work
Jake Harder stands in a shared central area outside his home that's part of a cottage cluster
Housing choices that blend into neighborhoods give people options

From La Grande to Eugene and beyond, housing is in short supply, but developers that know their communities are key to creating housing choices Oregonians can afford – an approach that’s also innately climate smart.

Duplex
Oregon for Everyone: A new program to build a more inclusive Oregon

Oregon for Everyone will build a coalition to promote inclusive zoning, affordable homes, and thriving communities – led by the new Oregon for Everyone Manager.

A row of townhouses
Oregon’s next big thing in housing policy is here

DLCD adopted the Oregon Housing Needs Analysis in December 2024. We supported its rulemaking along the way, putting our heads together with other advocacy groups to create a set of guiding principles on effective housing production.