Why focus locally?
Each city has the responsibility and authority to shape how their community grows and develops, and well-organized residents have the potential to exercise a great deal of influence over their local government. We need people in every community who care about people and homes to ensure we get the policies we need in order to build a future we can be proud of.
These are some things local governments can influence through policy choices
- Where new homes can be built and rebuilt
- What types of homes can be built in which areas
- How difficult the permitting process is
- What types of building is incentivized or disincentivized
- How infrastructure is planned and funded
These are factors local governments (mostly) can’t influence
- Broader economic conditions
- Interest rates and access to financing
- Costs of construction materials and other supplies
- Workforce availability and wages
- State-level building codes and other regulations
How to get started
Step 1: Email your local officials
If you don’t know what’s happening in your city, it's important to get context before beginning your advocacy. The contact information for your elected officials and planning staff is available on their website. Start by asking questions or asking them to meet with you. You can use and edit this email template as a starting point:
Dear [Councilor_____],
My name is ____ and I am a resident of _______. I am writing to introduce myself and learn more about our city’s housing policy.
[If you feel comfortable, share a little bit about yourself and why you care. Your personal story is very important and powerful.]
I support policies that create more home choices, especially homes that meet the needs of low- and moderate-income residents, close to schools, jobs, and stores. I am excited about the possibility of our city allowing more shapes and sizes of homes in our community, but there is still more work to be done to reduce barriers and delays to needed housing.
I would like to hear more about what the city has done and plans to do to encourage more homes in our community. Would you be willing to meet with me to discuss this further? My availability is ______.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Any affiliations/roles you want to share]
Step 2: Attend a meeting
The planning commission and the city council are your city’s key housing decision makers. You’ll need to find out where and when they meet. The schedule for city council and planning commission meetings, and the formats of meetings (including whether there is an online/hybrid option), should be listed on the city’s website. Additionally, the city may have an option to subscribe to an email list for meeting notifications.
You should be able to track the meeting agendas to find out when topics related to housing are coming up. Most public meetings have an option to submit written comments or offer verbal comments before deliberations. There will likely be an option to participate both in-person and remotely.
A good way to build relationships with your city officials is to comment in favor of new housing projects that will benefit the community (even if they’re already likely to pass). Public servants often hear about when things go wrong, so they love to hear when they’re doing something right.
Meeting one-on-one with your elected city council person or someone on your city’s planning staff is usually the best way to learn what you need to know. Email them to request a meeting and come with specific questions or topics you want to discuss.
Below are some examples of questions you could ask your public officials. These are just ideas to get you started—but remember to focus on the issues that are most important to you and your community.
Consider asking:
- What has the city done to increase home choices for people in our community, especially low- and moderate-income residents?
- What housing policies are being considered by the city right now?
- Have you found any barriers to homebuilding that are unnecessary or could be streamlined?
- Has the city considered policies to increase homebuilding flexibility related to lot sizes, design requirements, and attached/detached styles?
- If applicable: As a city between 2,500-25,000 in population, ADUs and duplexes are already allowed on every lot zoned for single family detached housing. Are you seeing those housing types getting built?
- If applicable: As a city larger than 25,000 in population, ADUs, duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, cottage clusters, and townhouses are already allowed on every lot zoned for single family detached housing. Are you seeing those housing types getting built?
- Do you think there is anything else the city could do to encourage more use of these options? (The city should be aware of the Housing Production Strategy Toolkit, which provides a list of possible policies, attributes, and sometimes gives examples of other cities that have enacted those policies.)
- Has the city considered making permit-ready ADU or middle housing plans that homebuilders could easily access? Are you familiar with the new Oregon Homes program that the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) is starting to craft standardized plans for a variety of housing types?
- Has the city considered any innovative funding structures, such as private-public partnerships? Has the city adopted a construction excise tax (CET), which must be spent on affordable housing (ORS 320.192-.195)?
- What opportunities exist for residents to engage in the decision-making process?
- Who would you recommend I talk with to get more information on this issue?
Step 3: Advocate for a change
If you have identified a housing issue that can be addressed through local policy, you may need to step up and organize to make it happen.
Here are a few steps to get started:
- Do your homework: Research your topic and organize your findings well. You don’t have to be an expert, but you need to know enough to present a compelling argument and articulate the benefits and tradeoffs. If possible, identify other cities that have enacted similar policies, and take note of the outcomes outcomes (contact us if you need help with this step). Collect success stories and statistics—both will be helpful for winning over your audience.
- Ask local officials: When you’re trying to get your local government to make a change, it’s important to involve the decision makers and implementers in the conversation as soon as possible. Present your idea and ask them in detail what they think. If they are hesitant or resistant, pay close attention to their reasoning – whether you agree or disagree with their point of view, it's important to understand their concerns. It might cause you to modify your idea for the better.
- Talk to potential allies: Regardless of whether officials are on board with your campaign, you will still need political will to make it happen. Get in touch with other organizations in your community and ask for their support. Remember to think outside the box—sometimes the strongest supporters are not the ones you expect.
- Contact us: If you are considering starting a housing policy campaign, please contact our Great Communities Team. We can offer community organizing training, resources, and advice.