PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) – The 2024 legislative session is in full swing, and Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek’s proposal to address the state’s housing shortage with a multi-million dollar boost is starting to gain momentum.
Senate Bill 1537, the only legislation the governor says she’s introducing in 2024, aims to improve housing production amid the state’s “worsening” homeless crisis with a $500 million investment package from existing state resources.
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Gov. Kotek testified before the Senate Committee on Housing and Development during a Thursday morning hearing along with 150 stakeholders who submitted their testimonies in support of the bill.
“This coalition has spoken loud and clear: the status quo is not working for Oregon families, workers, employers, and households that are struggling with housing insecurity,” Kotek said.
When the governor first announced the bill, she said it was in response to “decades in under-building” that has driven up home prices and worsened the homelessness crisis.