Oregon Watchdog: House passes 4 bill package on housing

OREGON LEGISLATURE
HOUSE MAJORITY OFFICE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 17, 2009
CONTACT: Michael Cox (503) 986-1904

House Passes Housing Opportunity Legislation
Four bills would increase access to affordable housing, create jobs and help rural families

SALEM – The House today passed four bills expanding housing opportunity in Oregon. The bills increase access to affordable housing, create jobs and help rural families. Housing opportunity is a Democratic priority for session, and is part of House Democrats’ 2009 Roadmap for Oregon’s Future.

The center piece of this effort, HB 2436, provides aid to low-income families, seniors and people with disabilities by directing funds to multi-family rental housing, housing development, capacity building, ending homelessness and homeownership assistance to first-time homebuyers.

“Housing gives people an opportunity to build better lives. To succeed, you need a place to call home,” said Rep. David Edwards (D-Hillsboro), who carried the bill on the floor. “This bill increases homeownership opportunities statewide.”

HB 2436 increases the recording fee for transactions affecting the title of real estate from $11 to $26. The change will generate at least $15 million for Oregon Housing and Community Service (OHCS) in the next biennium. The majority of funds in HB 2436 would be used to build affordable housing.

“This bill is a win-win for Oregon,” said Rep. Michael Dembrow (D-Portland). “We can take some of the pressure off the housing crisis while creating good, family-wage jobs in one of the hardest hit sectors of the economy.”

The house passed three other housing opportunity bills today. HB 2256 creates stability for the Oregon Housing and Community Service in the fluctuating housing market and increases the efficiency of the Oregon Housing Council’s review process. HB 2257 allows OHCS to make loans or grants more efficiently by doing away with redundant oversight provisions. HB 2258 helps rural families build wealth through Individual Development Accounts by using additional sources of data when determining the eligibility of low income households, alleviating the “urban bias” inherent in the current rules.

“It is up to us to show strong leadership in these tough times,” said House Majority Leader Mary Nolan. “The four bills passed today represent a commitment by House Democrats to do something about the housing crisis in our state.”
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