Committee adopts amendment and advances bill limiting some large investor purchases of single‑family homes
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Summary
The committee adopted the Dash A5 amendment to HB 4128A — narrowing private civil enforcement to the state Attorney General — and moved the measure to the floor with a do-pass recommendation after testimony that investor purchases can concentrate geographically and raise rents.
House Bill 4128A would restrict certain large institutional real-estate investors from acquiring single-family residences unless the residence was publicly listed for at least 90 consecutive days before the purchase; the Dash A5 amendment considered by the committee replaced an earlier private right of action with enforcement by the state Attorney General.
Will Anderson of the House Democratic Office presented the bill on behalf of a legislative leader, saying the measure aims to protect first-time homebuyers and working families from having to compete with deep-pocketed investors for homes. Anderson cited federal and academic sources (a U.S. Government Accountability Office summary of large investors’ holdings and an Urban Institute study on investor effects on rents) to argue the problem is unevenly distributed and that proactive limits are warranted.
Cameron Harrington of the Oregon Housing Alliance testified in support and said the bill complements other supply-side and down-payment measures under consideration. With no additional public testimony signed up, the committee adopted the Dash A5 amendment (granting enforcement authority to the attorney general) and moved HB 4128A to the Senate floor with a do-pass recommendation.
The clerk called the roll; members present recorded 'Aye' and Chair Pham announced the motion passed. Senator Narrow Mislan volunteered to carry the bill on the floor.
