Oregon Governor Tina Kotek signed four bills intending to address the housing and homelessness crisis Thursday.
In a news release, Kotek described how each bill takes on the issue from different angles.
“These bills are about progress toward making sure every Oregonian has a place to live, safely and securely,” Kotek said. “We have work to do. There isn’t one solution to our housing crisis, and it won’t be solved overnight. So let’s keep going.”
Back in March, Kotek signed two other bills to address the crisis, which included funding to fight the state of emergency she declared on homelessness.
The list and descriptions of each bill from the news release is below.
SB 611: Provides predictability and stability for renters by limiting rent increases to no more than 10% each year, while maintaining exemptions for new construction to support housing development.
HB 3042: In the unfortunate circumstance where affordable housing is not preserved and the owner chooses to transition the property to market rate, this bill provides predictability for current residents by expanding notification requirements, preventing certain types of evictions and limiting rent increases for a period of time.
HB 3395: An omnibus policy and funding bill that includes funding to help low income college students access affordable housing options; grants to develop housing projects for agricultural workers; grants to cities, counties, and tribes to aid in housing and community development initiatives; funding to establish programs that guarantee loans for affordable housing projects; and more.
SB 5511: The budget bill for the Housing and Community Services Department, which includes $130 million to further critical investments the state has made in the homelessness response, including maintaining Project Turnkey sites, navigation centers, and the shelters being built now through the Governor’s emergency declaration on homelessness; $55 million to expand the state’s homelessness response by preventing homelessness for more households; $5 million in direct funding to tribes to prevent and address homelessness, $12.5 million to support homeownership for low income families; $6 million for tenant services; and more.
