Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Legislative Session topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
State session narrows deficit; OHCS avoids program cuts, wins preservation and rental dollars
Summary
OHCS staff told the Housing Stability Council that the Legislature narrowed an anticipated $750 million shortfall to roughly $128 million, requiring vacancy and administrative savings but leaving program funding intact; lawmakers added $75 million for rental assistance and $25 million in Article 11(q) bonds for preservation.
Interim Chair Mary Lee and Director Bell opened the March 6 Oregon Housing Stability Council meeting with agency news and session takeaways.
Jill Gray, OHCS government relations manager, told the council that the Legislature initially faced a potential $750 million shortfall but that a February economic forecast and tax-code changes narrowed that gap to about $128 million. "There were reductions and most state agencies had to take reductions," Gray said, but "there were no programmatic reductions to OHCS," meaning the agency's program funding streams remain intact even as vacancy savings and administrative cuts were required.
Tanisha, a government relations colleague, said advocates secured two additions in a short reduction session: about $75,000,000 for rental assistance and $25,000,000 in Article 11(q) bond authority aimed at preservation and manufactured-park preservation. She described the Article 11(q) allocation as a new resource that will require careful implementation and reporting by OHCS staff.
Council members praised staff advocacy and flagged concerns about administrative capacity. Acting Chair Lee and several members cautioned that new programs must be paired with operational support: "We can't expect these projects to be financed in the way that we have currently," Lee said, urging the agency to reconsider underwriting and administrative assumptions.
Director Bell said the agency will share regulatory notices that could affect program flexibility and will continue to brief the council as rulemaking and budget planning proceed. The council asked for a one-page session wrap-up to be posted publicly so partners can review changes and next steps.
