Showing Support for SB 974, a Major Bill to Expedite Housing Production and Lower Housing Costs

A hugely impactful bill - SB 974 - is on the legislative docket for Monday, March 17 at 1 p.m.! It is set to go before the Senate Housing and Development Committee and we're encouraging everyone to show their support by testifying, either remotely or in writing.

Passage of this bill would have a profound impact on expediting housing production by requiring that local governments make decisions on land use applications for single family homes within 45 days and for multi-family units within 100 days.

Of all of the thousands of bills that are in front of the state legislature this session, this one can make a major difference - and it’s right in line with our Q1 Policy Agenda! 

See below for all you need to know to testify - instructions to submit, talking points, and a letter you can copy and paste for written testimony.

Instructions for Submitting Testimony in Support of Senate Bill 974

1. Visit the Oregon Legislative Information webpage for SB 974.

2. Click on the arrow next to “Measure History.”

3. If you are able to attend virtually:

   1. Click “Register to Testify” and fill out the form. Select “Remotely” under “Location When You Testify.”

   2. Add an event to your calendar to open the virtual meeting link on Monday, March 17 at 1 p.m.

   3. Keep the link open in the background until you are called.

   4. When called, voice your support for SB 974.

4. If you are unable to attend:

   1. Click “Submit Testimony.”

   2. Fill out the form. Select “Text Testimony” and copy and paste the letter below.

   3. Complete submission.

Talking Points in Support of SB 974

• I am here today as a concerned resident and supporter of the Partners for Affordable Housing coalition in Central Oregon. 

• Optimizing the housing production approval process is a core mission of Partners for Affordable Housing as outlined in our adopted Q1 2025 Policy Agenda.

• Expediting the decision process for land use applications will increase housing supply and affordability.

• We also support the inclusion of the 120 day requirement for completing engineering and other technical review processes to ensure projects are moved ahead with all deliberate speed. 

• The housing approval process can currently take up to two years, which is hurting Oregonians through a lack of available and affordable housing.

• We need to reduce the costs incurred during lengthy approval processes, which are then passed on to homeowners and renters. 

• This bill will have a profound impact on housing production and closing the deficit of tens of thousands of housing units in our state.

Letter to Submit for Text Testimony

Dear Chair Senator Pham and Members of the Senate Committee on Housing and Development,  

I am writing today to express my support for Senate Bill 974. A lack of housing and soaring costs are hurting families and harming our economic prosperity throughout Central Oregon. Updating policies that reduce the time it takes to build housing will lead to an increase in both housing production and affordability. 

Partners for Affordable Housing coalition members share a vision that housing will be available and affordable to everyone. We are a diverse coalition of impacted people and organizations developing and educating on bold solutions that increase housing supply and lower housing costs. Supporting solutions like this - optimizing the housing production approval process - is a core mission of our organization. We are grateful to the Legislature for bringing forward bills such as SB 974. 

We specifically support the passage of SB 974 in order to:

• Reduce the time it takes to bring housing units online from land use to planning to engineering to construction to move-in. 

• Reduce the prohibitive costs incurred by lengthy approval processes, which are then passed on to homeowners and renters.

• Improve affordability as supply is available more quickly to meet demand.

• Increase production in order to provide more homeownership and rental opportunities.

• Eliminate barriers to development. 

• Draw down the housing deficit of hundreds of thousands of units.

I also wish to explicitly support the -1 Amendment to the bill introduced by Senator Anderson, which would also require engineering processes to be completed within 120 days. Currently jurisdictions, including many in Central Oregon, have no clock to ensure timely processing of applications. Ensuring housing applications are moving with deliberate speed is critical to lowering building costs and increasing supply. We encourage the inclusion of this amendment in the final bill.

Expediting the decision process for land use applications will increase housing supply and affordability. This will benefit our communities with a more sustainable future and more places for all Oregonians to call home. Thank you, again, for your leadership on this difficult challenge facing us all.