Oregon Unveils Comprehensive Housing Report: Challenges and Solutions Ahead
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — On Thursday, Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) released its inaugural State of the State’s Housing Report, which delves deeply into the pressing issues surrounding housing availability and affordability across the state. The report, rooted in extensive data covering housing markets, economic factors, and demographic changes, underscores the hurdles Oregonians face in securing quality housing.
Andrea Bell, executive director of OHCS, emphasized the importance of reliable data for enhancing community life. "Data enables us to identify where our efforts are making an impact and where improvements are needed," she stated, highlighting the utility of these metrics in addressing housing deficits.
Since 2004, Oregon’s population has surged by over 753,000 residents, a growth of 21%, but housing construction has lagged behind. To remedy this, the state needs to create approximately 500,000 new housing units within the next two decades. Alarmingly, while home prices have soared—outpacing wages at a rate of $7.10 for every dollar earned between 2013 and 2022—communities of color suffer from significantly lower homeownership rates.
The report reveals that over half of all renters and a third of homeowners in Oregon face housing cost burdens, spending more than 30% of their income on housing. Currently, there are about 242,000 extremely low-income households in need of affordable housing, yet only 113,000 units are available, highlighting a shortfall of 128,000 units.
Megan Bolton, OHCS assistant director of research, remarked that addressing the complexities of housing stability will require collaborative efforts across various government levels and agencies. Moving forward, OHCS plans to release the housing report biennially, aiming for continual improvement in housing initiatives.
For more information on OHCS and its mission to promote affordable housing, visit oregon.gov/ohcs.
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