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Committee advances a package of housing bills; work sessions move measures to the floor or ways and means
Summary
Following public hearings, the House Committee on Housing and Homelessness held work sessions and advanced multiple bills to the floor or to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means. Items included loan‑guarantee and first‑time buyer proposals, planning commission composition changes, dashboards, tenant protections and factory‑built housing funding.
After a series of public hearings, the House Committee on Housing and Homelessness conducted work sessions and voted to advance several bills with recommendations to the House floor and, where required, referral to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means.
Key outcomes the committee moved forward by voice or roll call include:
- House Bill 3188 (dash 3 amendment): Establishes a Welcome Home Assistance Program to allow low‑down‑payment, no‑private‑mortgage‑insurance home loans supported by a loan‑loss reserve administered by Oregon Housing and Community Services. The amendment shifted administration to OHCS, broadened eligible financial institutions to include banks, and set a pledge cap at up to 5% of purchase price for the guarantee. The committee adopted the amendment by general consent and moved the bill to the floor with a due‑pass recommendation and prior referral to Ways and Means.
- House Bill 3136 (dash 2): Restores a partial restriction on planning‑commission composition for small commissions (no more than two voting members principally engaged in real‑estate development) and the committee moved the bill to the floor with a due‑pass recommendation.
- House Bill 2698 (dash 1): Establishes a publicly available homeownership goal dashboard and removes provisions adding that dashboard to the statewide housing production dashboard; the committee moved the bill to the floor and rescinded a prior referral to Ways and Means due to minimal fiscal impact.
- House Bill 2134 (dash 2): Amends tenant termination rules for fixed‑term tenancies when a landlord gives notice of nonrenewal; the committee adopted the amendment and moved the bill to the floor with a due‑pass recommendation.
- House Bill 2968: Establishes a state program to recover unpaid system development charges from developers by transferring collection responsibility to the state; moved to Ways and Means with a due‑pass recommendation.
- House Bill 3144: Invalidates certain recorded restrictions that prohibit accessory dwelling units, manufactured homes or prefabricated structures; the committee moved the bill to the floor with a due‑pass recommendation.
- House Bill 3522 (dash 1): Allows property owners and landlords to reclaim premises from squatters after a 24‑hour written notice to vacate and the amendment clarified landlord ability to take possession; advanced to the floor with a due‑pass recommendation.
- House Bill 3145 (dash 2): Directs OHCS to use $50 million from the local innovation and fast‑track housing fund for factory‑based housing in up to five locations, designates a contractor (Network for Oregon Affordable Housing) and strengthens advisory selection; the committee adopted the amendment and moved the bill to Ways and Means with a due‑pass recommendation.
Committee members generally adopted amendments and advanced bills by voice vote or roll call. Several members signaled support but noted outstanding questions about fiscal impacts and local implementation details. Where the committee identified a minimal fiscal impact, the Legislative Fiscal Office recommended rescinding additional referrals to Ways and Means and sending bills directly to the floor.
Because many work sessions were procedural or technical in nature, the committee did not hold extended policy debate on these items during the March 24 meeting. Several measures were referred to Ways and Means for funding decisions and implementation details.
