Success Story: Oregon

Local comprehensive plans to establish statewide housing goals. These goals are supported through implementation grants and loan assistance from the state Housing and Community Services Department; to be eligible for this assistance, localities must accommodate affordable housing, including manufactured housing and multi-family units, and zone for housing sustainability.[1]

One Stop Resource Centers. Oregon’s Regional Housing Centers are one-stop resources for low- and moderate-income families seeking affordable rental housing and homeownership in their local areas.  These centers also offer financial education, homebuyer training, closing cost assistance and other homebuyer services.  By centralizing local housing resources and counseling, Regional Housing Centers streamline access to affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families.[2]

Tax Credits. Since 1989, the state has offered tax credits for low-income housing development projects under the Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credit Program (OAHTC).  Through the use of tax credits, lending institutions are able to lower the cost of financing by as much as four percent for housing projects or community rehabilitation programs serving low-income households; the savings generated by the reduced interest rate must be passed directly to the tenant in the form of reduced rents.

Housing Preservation. The state is focused on preservation of affordable housing and utilizes 9 percent tax credits, allocating nearly 1/3 of its total set-aside credits to preservation in 2007, 2008 and 2009.[3]

Statewide Targets for Multi-family Housing. Oregon has made multi-family housing a priority and has set a target of using 25 percent of its funds for multifamily housing, including 10 percent for rental housing properties at risk of losing federal housing subsidies.[4]

Green Housing Incentives. Oregon has established several incentives for the development of green affordable housing, including income tax credits for renewable energy systems, a property tax exemption for renewable systems, favorable loans and grants for green rehabilitation, free municipal assistance to navigate and utilize green programs and renewable energy production incentives.[5]

The Oregon Livability Initiative aims to reinvest in rural and distressed urban economies, revitalize downtowns and main streets, reduce sprawl and provide affordable housing.  This initiative includes the Housing Preservation Community Incentive Fund (HP CIF) Program, which is designed to fund projects focusing on affordable housing development near jobs and transportation.  Other programs to support safe, affordable rural housing include CDBG-funded rural home repair[6] and the Oregon Rural Rehabilitation (ORR) Loan Program, exclusively available for affordable housing for farmworkers.