The Bottom-Up Revolution Bottom-Up Shorts: How To Remove Barriers to Good Housing Development
Jul 1, 2025
Jesse Russell, a small-scale developer from Bend, Oregon, is on a mission to make housing more attainable. He discusses the transformative effects of Oregon’s House Bill 2001, which promotes diverse housing types and collaborative efforts with community stakeholders. Jesse shares innovative strategies to enhance urban density while combating parking mandates. He emphasizes the importance of community involvement in shaping sustainable housing policies and encourages listeners to engage with local officials to strengthen their neighborhoods.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Jesse's Tiny Houses Challenge
- Jesse Russell started as a tiny house builder but faced zoning restrictions that prohibited multiple tiny houses on a lot.
- This challenge sparked his journey to advocate for housing diversity and better development codes in Bend.
Bend's Progressive Housing Codes
- Oregon's House Bill 2001 required Bend to allow cottages and multiplexes in residential zones.
- Bend chose to go beyond state mandates by introducing multiple new housing types and development alternatives in their code.
Remove Parking Mandates
- Removing parking mandates enabled higher density housing near transit and bike lanes.
- This policy change allowed more units per property and fostered walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods.
