Committee advances multiple housing bills to the House floor, adopts technical amendments

The House Housing and Homelessness Committee on Feb. 12 advanced several housing measures to the House floor with due-pass recommendations and adopted committee amendments.

On House Bill 4,035 (one-time UGB expansion clarifications), staff and DLCD provided a legal interpretation of the term “developed” for UGB expansion reviews and the committee adopted a dash-3 amendment clarifying 'net buildable acre' language and adding an emergency clause. Representative Anderson voiced caution about repeated one-time UGB exceptions, saying that incremental exceptions can cumulatively change Oregon land-use policy.

House Bill 4,037, the housing omnibus bill, had a dash-10 amendment combining prior changes; staff described minimal fiscal impact, the committee adopted the amendment and voted to send the bill to the floor with a due-pass recommendation.

House Bill 4,108 was amended to create a pilot limited to the City of Eugene (changing mandatory annexation language to a limited 'may' for Eugene) after sponsors cited municipal and special-district complexity; that dash-2 amendment was adopted and the bill advanced to the floor.

House Bill 4,128, which would regulate certain large-scale investor purchases of single-family residences and add disclosure and a civil-action enforcement window, prompted debate over a private right of action. Several members opposed private enforcement on litigation-risk grounds, but the dash-2 amendment as described (including disclosure requirements and DOJ posting) was adopted and the bill was moved to the floor.

Chair Marsh indicated additional work will continue on bills not ready for this short session and the committee adjourned.