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Lawmakers open discussion on using state land for affordable HomeStart homes
Summary
House Bill 2316 would create a HomeStart Lands program to identify state and locally designated lands for development of homes for first-time buyers; sponsors described the bill as the start of a broader conversation about publicly owned land for housing.
The committee opened a public hearing on House Bill 2316 on Feb. 10, a proposal to designate certain state and locally identified lands for development of affordable homeownership opportunities aimed at first-time buyers. Sponsors framed the bill as an initial framework to inventory publicly owned parcels and to speed housing development on land that may be underused.
Representative Kevin Mannix, the bill sponsor, said the measure is intended as “the opening round of a discussion” to make state property available for housing and acknowledged the draft includes elements that will change as stakeholders provide feedback. Mannix said the bill would direct agencies to identify state‑owned parcels — inside or adjacent to urban growth boundaries — and make them available for housing programs targeted at first‑time homebuyers, with rules intended to avoid speculative flipping (the bill would, for example, require five years of Oregon residency and a five‑year occupancy requirement for buyers, subject to limited exceptions).
Representative Court (sponsor’s co-sponsor) and witnesses from housing and planning organizations generally supported the concept of inventorying public land for housing. Mary Kyle McCurdy of 1000 Friends of Oregon said an inventory of publicly owned land inside urban growth boundaries is a logical first step and noted past local successes where park or school district surplus properties were reused for affordable housing.
Builders and property‑owner groups signaled conditional support. Jody Hack of the Oregon Home Builders Association and Dave Honeycutt of Oregon Property Owners said more developable land is needed to address the state’s housing deficit; they praised the bill’s intent but noted particulars — such as what lands qualify and the review process — would require more work.
Sponsors and witnesses emphasized this is the start of a policy conversation rather than a final plan. The committee closed the hearing and invited further technical discussions and written input.
