Published in Capital Press on June 24, 2026.
By Anna Kemper, Great Communities Director, 1000 Friends of Oregon and John Miller, Executive Director, Fair Housing Council of Oregon | 4.5-minute read
We are noticing a worrying trend: Public discourse regarding urban growth boundaries (UGBs), housing, and economic growth highlights real frustration, but often offers the wrong conclusions.
As reported last month by Capital Press, Governor Tina Kotek’s Prosperity Council has made clear that they would like to loosen Oregon’s land use laws. And Oregon’s housing shortages and economic challenges are being incorrectly framed as an issue of land use and UGB regulations in articles such as this Capital Chronicle op-ed by Randy Stapilus and this Oregon Public Broadcasting interview with Central Oregon developer Kameron Delashmutt.
These anti-land-use arguments are not only myths, but also they distract from the actual work needed to house Oregonians, improve livability, and support sustainable economic vitality. We would like to correct the record.
Here are some key facts about land use and housing in Oregon:
Oregon needs more housing now — and we need to keep adding homes over the next 20 years. Long-term projections translate to roughly 29,000 new homes needed annually statewide.
The more important question is not how many homes we build: It’s about what kind of homes, where, and for whom.
Today’s housing shortage most impacts people of moderate and lower incomes, seniors, and young families. Yet historically 70% of Oregon’s residential land has been primarily zoned for single detached houses on moderate to large lots. This is the most expensive and land-intensive form of housing to build and maintain. That mismatch, not lack of land, is the core problem.
Many incorrectly claim that Oregon’s land use system (including UGBs) prevents housing production. In reality, cities already have tens of thousands of acres of available residential land inside UGBs. The real constraint is infrastructure funding.
Across Oregon, many cities have expanded UGBs, but then the land sits vacant because of the prohibitive cost of extending roads, water, sewer, and stormwater systems. For example, Bend added 2,767 acres to its UGB since 2016 to accommodate 8,815+ homes, with only approximately 700 homes built or permitted. McMinnville expanded its UGB in 2003 by 259 buildable acres and in 2020 by 662.4 buildable acres, primarily to meet housing needs. However, today, few of these 924 buildable acres have been annexed into the city, received utility extensions or urban zoning, or begun development.
Infrastructure costs often extend timeframes for build-outs. Bend's 2020 transportation system plan estimated a $101 million funding gap for transportation infrastructure alone. Hillsboro planned for 8,000 homes on land added to its UGB area in 2011, but development is slow and homes in the expansion area have a systems development charge that is $19,000 higher than the rest of the city — from the increased costs of extending infrastructure to this area.
Focusing on land that requires the full suite of new infrastructure does not fix our housing crisis; it worsens it. Building inside cities is cheaper, faster, and produces more homes, for more income levels, than pushing outward.
Although Goal 10 of Oregon’s land use program has long required cities to plan for the housing needs of all Oregonians (by income, household size, and housing type), most cities have failed to do so for decades and the state has largely failed to enforce it.
The good news is that the legislature has passed landmark middle housing reforms requiring most cities to allow duplexes and accessory dwelling units on every residential lot, and larger cities to allow triplexes, fourplexes, townhomes, and cottage clusters. In Portland, middle housing is now the most common housing type built in areas where it was previously illegal. Those homes are more accessible for first-time homeowners because they cost hundreds of thousands of dollars less than new single detached houses.
Advocates, policy leaders, and developers need clear, practical tools to act on real housing policy solutions. That’s why 1000 Friends of Oregon recently launched the Housing Solutions Center, an online resource that translates housing data, policy, and land use laws into accessible guidance that communities can actually use.
The Housing Solutions Center was created in part because myths about housing continue to stall progress. We provide concise information on Oregon’s housing needs, what is legally allowed today, effective infill and redevelopment strategies, and tools for engaging communities in real conversations about growth. We also share six key strategies for approaching housing policy at the local level, including streamlining permits, building workforce capacity, and expanding housing options for all family sizes and income levels.
Oregon’s housing crisis will not be solved by weakening land use laws or through overly simplistic plans. It will be solved by building the housing Oregonians actually need, where they need it, at affordable prices—and by investing in the infrastructure that makes it possible.
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