DFR holds hearing on temporary insurance premium assistance for affordable housing providers

The Division of Financial Regulation held a public rulemaking hearing Tuesday in Salem and by Microsoft Teams to consider rules establishing a temporary insurance premium assistance program created by Senate Bill 829 (2025), hearing officer Brian Feldheim said.

The program, Feldheim said, would provide “direct payments to eligible affordable housing providers, shelter sites, project turnkey locations, and navigation centers” to offset part of rising property and liability insurance premiums. He said the Legislature provided DFR a one-time general fund appropriation of approximately $2,470,000 to implement the program.

The hearing was a listening session; Feldheim told attendees the division would not respond to comments during the session and that remarks and any Teams-submitted comments would be incorporated into the written record. Written comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. Pacific on March 3, 2026.

Staff and participants introduced themselves at the start of the hearing. John Haworth identified himself as the division’s insurance licensing and retaliatory tax manager, Hunter McClure as the division policy project manager, Karen Winkle as the division rules coordinator, and Brooke Hall as a policy analyst and rules lead coordinator. Sarah Heard said she was attending on behalf of Mid Willamette Valley Community Action Agency and was present to listen; she did not offer testimony.

Feldheim outlined the principal issues rulemaking must address: eligibility criteria for applicants, the financial data DFR will collect to assess relative need or distress, how to prioritize applicants for limited funding, and processes intended to preserve the maximum number of affordable housing units and shelter beds across the state. He said rulemaking is required by SB 829 to implement the temporary premium assistance program.

Feldheim also noted the hearing was held under the Oregon Administrative Procedure Act (ORS 183) and the attorney general’s model rule of procedure. He said the notice of hearing and the statement of need and fiscal impact were published in the Oregon Bulletin on Feb. 1, 2026, and are part of the public record.

DFR staff said a recording of the hearing will be made available after the session. No formal votes or rule adoptions occurred at Tuesday’s hearing; the division left the record open for written comments through March 3 and will consider those comments as it prepares next steps in the rulemaking process.

Meeting participants were told the hearing would conclude at noon Pacific; staff kept the meeting open and muted to allow late participants to join before the scheduled end time.