House Bill 2001

House Bill 2001, the “housing choices” bill, aims to provide Oregonians with more housing choices, especially housing choices more people can afford. The law, passed by the 2019 Oregon Legislature, lets people build certain traditional housing types, like duplexes, in residential zones. These housing types already exist in most cities, but were outlawed for decades in many neighborhoods. These limitations contribute to increased housing costs and fewer choices. House Bill 2001 requires updates to local laws that currently limit the types of housing people can build.

The City of West Linn, with the help of the consultant team from MIG, Inc., has completed the technical exercise of Phase 1. The work consisted of an audit of the City’s comprehensive plan and development code to find sections that do not comply with the state rules, development of code concepts to illustrate the basic form and character of differing housing types, and recommended comprehensive plan and code changes the City will need to implement to comply with the state rules.

The consultant work on Phase 1 was completed in June 2021.  We are currently in Phase 2 and hope to engage the community on the recommended comprehensive plan and code changes. This will be an opportunity to define the City’s policy stance on either providing the minimum to meet state rules or going further and adopting additional changes to better promote and encourage the development of differing housing choices within the community.  Ultimately, the City Council will have the final say during adoption of plan and code amendments.