Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek’s priority housing bill quickly moved through the Senate on Wednesday, clearing the way for cities across the state to expand their urban growth boundaries to build more manufactured homes or housing reserved for seniors.

State Sen. Dick Anderson, R-Lincoln City, spoke in favor of the bill, noting even though it came from the Democratic governor, it was consistent with his values of more local control, less regulatory red-tape and more housing options.

“In my district and across Oregon, manufactured homes are not a fallback, they are often the only realistic path to home ownership,” Anderson said. He noted that older Oregonians “deserve a place they can age in place.”

Cities, such as Philomath, Newport, Florence and Coos Bay, Anderson said, don’t have enough land to build manufactured parks.

The measure, House Bill 4082, garnered little discussion on the senate floor and was given near-unanimous support. It previously moved through the lower chamber on Feb. 17.

The measure allows cities with populations of 25,000 or more to bring in 100 acres and those with smaller populations to bring in up to 50 acres to capitalize on a one-time urban growth boundary expansion. There are certain restrictions on the tool, including a requirement that the land be used to benefit people 55 and older. The bill expires in 2033.

Oregon’s growth has long been controlled through the use of urban growth boundaries, lines drawn on planning maps that designate a city’s future growth plan. The idea behind the boundaries was to ensure the state was making intentional decisions when it comes to growth — with an eye toward preserving farms, beaches and forests and keeping cities dense. The UGB expansion process is often a years-long process and requires citizens and government participation.

Conservationists have hailed this process as ensuring Oregon has avoided much of the sprawl other states have seen. Others have claimed it’s too rigid and contributed to the housing crisis the state is currently facing.

At the start of the 2026 legislative session, Kotek argued the land-use system has never been static.

“In my years in the Legislature, there were bills session [after] session to make adjustments to make exemptions to some degree take a little bit of the pressure off the system to have some very targeted changes,” she said during a legislative preview with the media “And that’s what I’ve been trying to do with housing.”

Kotek pointed out that the number of Oregonians who are 55 years old and older without housing is growing. According to 2024 figures, one in four Oregonians who were homeless was older than 55. That’s higher than the national average.

“We are seeing way too many older Oregonians showing up on the streets and in shelter[s],” said Kotek, who is running for reelection.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/03/04/oregon-governor-tina-kotek-housing/