Two new laws that passed in the Oregon Legislature are pushing the state toward what other countries have done to address housing: state-level zoning laws. As Sightline Institute reports, HB 2258 and HB 2138 seem to give the state much more authority and the power to override local zoning codes. Oregon has been making changes to zoning laws since 2017, and this new approach follows countries such as Japan and Australia. Micheal Andersen is the director of Cities and Towns at Sightline Institute. He joins us to share more on what these new laws could mean for the future of home development in the state.
