Single-family zoning bill faces crucial votes in Legislature’s last days

Published 12:00 am Monday, June 17, 2019

The rezoning idea is opposed by some Portland neighborhood activists.

Oregon legislators could cast crucial votes this week on a bill that would require denser housing in single-family neighborhoods around the state.

The measure has largely been kept out of public view for most of the legislative session. But it’s expected to soon move to the Legislature’s budget committee — and then go to showdown votes on the House and Senate floors in the waning days of a session expected to end this month.

House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, the sponsor of House Bill 2001, and her allies see the measure as a crucial part of their efforts to ease a housing crunch that has driven up prices and left many people scrambling for a place to live.

Critics counter that adding density could hurt the livability of existing neighborhoods while doing little to produce affordable housing.

Oregon Public Broadcasting is a news partner of the Portland Tribune. You can read the rest of their story