House Bill (HB) 2002 expands the definition of publicly supported housing, for the purpose of determining which housing requires notice to local governments and Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) prior to sale. This bill gives local governments and OHCS two years’ notice before publicly supported housing goes on the market or become ineligible for its’ publicly supported status. Local governments and OHCS will have first right of refusal for purchasing the property in order to keep it in affordable housing stock. The bill passed out of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Transportation and Economic Development on June 28 and out of the full Ways and Means Committee on June 30.

House Bill (HB) 2004, the Speaker’s priority housing bill (referred to as the Tenant Protections Bill), passed out of the Senate Rules Committee on June 28. The amended version of the bill extends the period during which a landlord may use a no-cause termination during a month-to-month tenancy from the first nine months of tenancy to the first year. The bill has not yet been scheduled for the floor and it is unclear if it has the votes to pass the Senate.

House Bill (HB) 2377, Representative Brock Smith’s workforce housing bill, passed out of the Senate Finance and Revenue Committee on June 27. The bill was amended to allow property tax abatement on rental developments offered at up to 120 percent of area median family income (MFI). This is an increase from the 80 percent median family income in the original bill. The bill passed out of the Senate on June 30 and the House concurred with the amendments on July 1.

House Bill (HB) 2724 directs Housing and Community Services Department to develop and implement a Rent Guarantee Program to provide incentives and financial assistance to landlords that rent or lease to low income households by guaranteeing payments to landlords for unpaid rent and for eviction and property damage costs within certain limits. The bill passed out of the Ways & Means Subcommittee on Transportation and Economic Development on June 29 and the full Ways and Means Committee on June 30. The bill includes an additional $223,247 into the Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) budget for the program.

House Bill (HB) 2912 establishes Affordable Housing Land Acquisition Revolving Loan Fund Program within Housing and Community Services Department to make loans to eligible organizations – including local governments and housing authorities – to purchase land for affordable housing development and to provide supportive services to residents and low-income households. The bill passed out of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Transportation and Economic Development on June 29 and out of the full Ways and Means Committee on June 30.

Contributed by: Stacy Michaelson | AOC Health & Human Services Policy Manager