Planning commission hears kickoff for Tualatin's new housing‑need and capacity studies

Consultants working with city staff presented the scope and timeline for Tualatin’s contextualized housing needs (CHN) and housing capacity analysis (HCA) at the Planning Commission’s July 15 meeting. The work, led by Echo Northwest, will separate demand‑side analysis (CHN) from supply‑side mapping (HCA) and feed a later housing production strategy. "The CHN really is the demand study," consultant Matt Curry said, explaining the team will identify needed housing types, affordability levels and accessibility requirements.

Mary Chase, introduced as Echo Northwest’s project manager, said the HCA is the companion supply analysis that estimates buildable land capacity and inventories constraints such as slopes, wetlands and existing development. "This is where we'll be really digging into the supply of land," Chase said. Consultants said they will present CHN findings to the commission in August and return with draft buildable‑lands and development‑ready lands inventories in October, with city‑council adoption anticipated in spring 2027 if further policy changes are required.

Commissioners pressed consultants for comparisons to Tualatin’s last HNA (2019) and asked for a clear breakdown of dwelling‑unit allocations by area‑median‑income (AMI) and for historical development performance. The team agreed to return next month with a side‑by‑side comparison and explained the housing allocation numbers derive from the state’s ONA methodology. The consultants also committed to targeted outreach — including tribal consultation and focused engagement with low‑income and disabled communities — as part of the CHN’s qualitative component.

Next steps: Echo Northwest will run engagement activities this summer, present CHN results in August and provide the spatial analyses later this year. Commissioners asked staff to provide historical context and methodological details at the next briefing.