Social Policy

In 2023, it became clear that the housing crisis is now a statewide issue. In communities throughout Oregon people are living on the street and many of those who are housed are at risk of losing their homes because they can’t afford to pay their rent.

SB 1089 (changed from SB 704) Sets up a Governance board for Universal Health Care. The board would create a plan to finance and administer Universal Health Care for Oregonians.

On June 6, the Legislative Fiscal Office and the Joint W&Ms issued their recommended budget to the Transportation and Economic Development Subcommittee on SB 5511, the Housing and Community Services Department (OHCS) budget: Legislative Fiscal Office's analysis.

At the urging of newly-elected Governor Kotek, the Oregon Legislature invested more than $215 million in the Early Session Housing Package.

The continued Republican walkout has prevented 17 floor sessions from being held, with 150 bills waiting to be worked on by the Senate after significant effort and gaining bipartisan support.

Fortunately, many critical housing policy bills and funding passed earlier in the session, but some are still under consideration or awaiting Senate action.

Republican walkouts have prevented the full Senate from considering key housing bills that passed out of Senate Housing and Development and are ready for floor votes. In better news, the full House adopted SB 702, which will require racial justice and implicit bias training for home appraisers.

Despite the controversy over sensitive bills and the walkout by Senate Republicans since last May 3, legislators continue to hold committee meetings with the intention of meeting their constitutional obligation to adjourn after 160 days, which is Sunday, June 25 at midnight.

To address the state’s Homelessness State of Emergency Governor Kotek launched earlier this year an emergency response initiative made up of seven regional multi-agency coordinating groups (MAC). On April 28, the Governor and Oregon Housing and Community Services announced that the funding agreements have been signed and are being sent to the regional MAC groups to effectively distribute this critically needed emergency resource.

Governor Kotek created the Housing Production Advisory Council to develop comprehensive recommendations to build 36,000 homes per year. On April 25, the Council released its Framework for Action Plan, which gives priority to solutions that will have the greatest impact in addressing the state’s housing shortage, and inequity and racial injustice. 

April is Fair Housing Month. This year marks the 55th anniversary of the passage of the 1968 Fair Housing Act.

SB 216 Passed out of SCHC 3/1, Now in House Behavioral Health and Health Care.

The Senate and House Judiciary Committees made their way through their backload of bills in work sessions on April 3 and 4.

It has been another busy week for the Legislature as it works to meet a first-chamber deadline of April 4, when bills must be sent out of committee, either to the floor for a vote or to another committee for further consideration.

Three key gun safety bills were heard together in a combined informational and public testimony hearing in House Judiciary on March 22.

“Unprecedented” is frequently quoted if the Legislature passes Governor Kotek’s comprehensive $200 million funding request.

SB 551, a bill that directs OHA to provide information on safe storage of firearms and prescription drugs to school districts for dissemination on their websites and social media, was heard in Senate Education on March 7.

The League submitted supportive testimony on two bills, both heard on February 27 in the House Judiciary, related to programs at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.

The Legislature is introducing bold and innovative bills to address critical issues facing our state, including homelessness, evictions, social inequities, and a severe affordable housing shortage.

Governor Kotek has underscored the need to address the state’s housing emergency, and the legislature is coalescing around bills to serve communities around the state in sheltering the unhoused, providing low- and extremely low-income housing, and serving those experiencing economic inequality. 

Oregon’s housing crisis demands a wide variety of tools aimed at keeping people who are housed in their homes and helping people with inadequate or no shelter into safe and stable housing.

Action is converging around Governor Kotek’s priority to address the state’s housing emergency.

The League submitted testimony in support of SB 529, heard in Senate Judiciary on January 31. The bill modifies alternative incarceration programs to specifically address the chronic disease of addiction.

It is difficult to predict what will take place during the 2023 Legislative Session about issues related to reproductive rights in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health.

Debbie Aiona and Nancy Donovan attended the Oregon Housing Alliance’s membership meeting to learn about proposed legislation under consideration for its 2023 legislative agenda. LWVOR is an alliance member.