SALEM — Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek wants to make it easier for housing developers to identify and build on the more than 3,500 acres of suitable-for-development land the state owns or manages.
The governor revealed an online map on Thursday aimed at making the state inventory of land more transparent. All told, more than 1.7 million acres are under Oregon state control, but about 360 parcels on the nearly 4,000 acres have been identified for possible housing development.
Kotek has staked her political reputation on making housing more affordable in the state.
Much of her administration’s energy has been poured into what the governor once declared a “man-made” and “humanitarian disaster.” Kotek has promised a significant increase in housing production goals; her goal is to move from the historical 22,000 units to 36,000 new housing units per year, an ease in permitting and a push to put hundreds more people into housing. The state has struggled to meet those goals…