By Elliot Njus, The Oregonian, June 30, 2019
“The Oregon Senate on June 30 gave final legislative approval to a bill that would effectively eliminate single-family zoning in large Oregon cities.
“House Bill 2001 passed in a 17-9 vote. It now heads to Gov. Kate Brown to be signed into law.
“It will allow duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and ‘cottage clusters’ on land previously reserved for single family houses in cities with more than 25,000 residents, as well as smaller cities in the Portland metro area. Cities with at least 10,000 residents [presumably those outside the Portland metro area] would be required to allow duplexes in single-family zones.
“The bill, sponsored by House Speaker Tina Kotek, aims to address rising housing costs by increasing the supply of smaller homes, particularly in desirable neighborhoods.
“Though the bill contains an emergency clause, only elements of the bill intended to prepare for the density mandate would take effect upon its passage. The bulk of the provisions won’t take effect until 2020, to allow city planners to revise their zoning codes.”
(According to Rachel Monahan, writing in Willamette Week, “Larger cities will have until June of 2021 to officially revise their plans for allowing diverse housing types, and smaller cities will have an extra year.”)