Middle Housing Code Changes | HB 2001 

The City of Eugene is partnering with Portland-based nonpartisan, nonprofit, Healthy Democracy, to assemble a Planning Review Panel that is composed of 30 random Eugene community members. The immediate question before the Review Panel is how the City should comply with  HB 2001.  Eugene has until 2022 to comply with the law, but it’s not quite that simple. The City could comply with it in a number of different ways. The Review Panel is one of several ways that Eugene residents will be able to engage with the City, to advise the technical staff on how they should proceed.

Over nine online meetings on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturdays in November and December of this year, 2020, the Panel crafted a list of principles, which will help guide the City’s technical staff and consultants in how they write the legal zoning language to comply with HB 2001. Then, in early 2021, the Panel will reconvene to review the City’s work and offer two rounds of final recommendations. At the same time, the Panel will explore how its experience in this process may inform the City’s future public engagement efforts.

The Equity Roundtable held their first two meetings on November 19, 2020 and December 8, 2020. The Roundtable includes participants from organizations representing underserved communities and serves to provide an equity lens to the project. During the first meeting participants were asked about worst outcomes and best outcomes of allowing more housing types in more places. Themes and highlights from this group include participants’ experiences with housing discrimination, racial profiling, accessibility concerns, needs for multigenerational households, and giving renters more housing options they can afford.

Boards and Commissions RoundTable

The Boards and Commissions Roundtable held their first meeting on October 28, 2020. The Roundtable consists of representatives from the Planning Commission, Sustainability Commission, Human Rights Commission, Historic Preservation Board, and the Housing Policy Board and serves to provide a city-wide policy lens. During the first meeting participants were asked about worst outcomes and best outcomes of allowing more housing types in more places. Themes and highlights include planning for equity, affordability, and sustainability for all residents as we implement the House Bill, as well as going beyond the regulatory requirements to consider incentives and programs that could help more people achieve housing stability. Meeting summaries from all three of the RoundTables will be posted on the website and discussed at the Commission meeting. 

Local Partners RoundTable

The Local Partners Roundtable held their first meeting on October 29, 2020. The Local Partners Roundtable includes a variety of local stakeholders including Better Housing Together, the Eugene Chamber of Commerce, Better Eugene-Springfield Transportation, 1000 Friends of Oregon, Walkable Eugene Citizens Advisory Network (WECAN), Lane County Homebuilders, AARP, and the Neighborhood Leaders Council and serves to provide a community stakeholder lens. During the first meeting participants were asked about worst outcomes and best outcomes of allowing more housing types in more places. Themes and highlights included equity, affordability, and sustainability, along with a desire to innovate and communicate the benefits of more housing options to the broader community. This group also expressed a hope to go further than the requirements of the House Bill in responding to the housing crisis.

The Planning Team has partnered with University of Oregon's Real World Eugene class to work on public engagement of young adults. Real World Eugene is a class offered to undergraduate students that pairs students with City staff to work on actual City projects. This year, the class is working on four projects, including shaping Eugene's housing outreach strategy: middle housing public engagement. Planning staff have been working with students Darian, Brianna, Cody, and Camryn as they have conducted focus groups, sent out a survey, and developed a proposal for how the City can better reach young adults in the community. The students received a total of 137 survey responses from young adults living in Eugene – a relatively high number for a short period of time. The survey results highlighted themes of environmental conservation and safety as housing solutions are considered by the City. The students’ recommendations for reaching young adults will inform outreach methods for the next phase of the project.