Planning commission approves fair-housing policy amendment, forwards recommendation to city council

The Lake Oswego Planning Commission on Sept. 8 voted to tentatively approve a proposed amendment to the city’s Comprehensive Plan to adopt an affirmatively furthering fair housing policy and to direct staff to prepare findings, conclusions and an order for the commission’s next meeting.

City planning staff described the amendment, LU25-0001, as a policy addition to the Complete Neighborhoods and Housing chapter that would add a new Policy B5: “employ strategies to affirmatively further fair housing by fostering inclusive communities, overcoming disparities in access to community amenities, enhancing housing choice for populations including, but not limited to, people in classes protected under federal and state fair housing regulations.” Eric Olson, the staff presenter, said the proposal was meant to create an explicit policy lens rather than to immediately change land use or production levels.…