Housing Ceremonial Bill Signing Remarks
April 22, 2026
Good morning and thank you all for being here in Woodburn. Thank you to the City of Woodburn for hosting us here at Woodburn City Hall.
Today we are highlighting and celebrating six bills that continue our statewide effort to remove barriers to building more housing in Oregon. These bills represent another significant dose of progress on one of the most pressing issues we face as a state: the cost of housing.
We know that too many Oregonians are faced with an impossible choice – staying in the communities they love or finding a place they can afford. And for some, that choice pushes them out of their homes and jobs altogether, and on to the street. Affordability is a relentless contributor to the issue of homelessness in Oregon.
And housing affordability is directly related to housing supply.
Since the start of my administration, we have taken action to add over 50,000 future housing units to the production pipeline – which makes up the deficit of the three previous years of underproduction in the market. In 2025, year-over-year production of new permitted housing units in Oregon was up 5%, while the United States was down 3%. This includes a 25% increase in multifamily units, filling a critical gap for working families in Oregon.
More than 17,000 housing units will be opened or financed from the start of my administration to the end of 2027. We’re outpacing what anyone thought was possible, and all of you here today have helped to make it possible. Thank you.
The bills I’m signing today take the next steps.
House Bill 4082 and House Bill 4035 expand options for local governments to add land to urban growth boundaries for housing – this includes market rate and affordable housing, manufactured and prefabricated dwellings, and affordable housing for older adults. This will make it easier to build the housing we actually need, in the places where people want to live.
House Bill 4036 establishes the Housing Opportunity, Longevity and Durability Fund – the HOLD Fund – a new program to preserve affordable housing that’s at risk of being lost. We can’t just build new housing projects – we must also protect the affordable housing we already have.
House Bill 4037 cuts red tape for new housing units by expanding self-certification of plans and reducing lengthy processes for projects that meet clear and objective standards. In addition, this bill modifies the moderate-income revolving loan program so that additional cities and counties will be able to fund local housing projects.
House Bill 4128 prohibits private equity firms from purchasing single-family residences unless they’ve been listed for sale to the general public for at least 90 days. Families should have a fair shot at buying a home before corporate investors swoop in.
Senate Bill 1567 authorizes the state to fund mixed-income housing through a new construction loan fund. Mixed income housing projects provide the potential to boost overall state unit production, filling a gap in financing options available today.
These new laws will make a positive impact in the lives of everyday Oregonians. They’re about seniors who deserve to age in the communities they’ve called home for decades - near their friends, families, and businesses they love.
They’re about young families who want to live near good schools and safe neighborhoods where their kids can grow up.
They’re about teachers, healthcare professionals, and essential workers who deserve to live in the communities they work in, without spending half of their paycheck on their rent or mortgage.
We have more work to do, but this is another moment of success to inspire us to go further. We must keep building, removing barriers, and pushing for affordability. Together, we are building an Oregon where everyone can afford housing, and no one sleeps outside.
Thank you to the legislators who championed these bills. Your leadership and commitment to solving the crisis is seen and appreciated.
To the advocates who have pushed us to do more and do better: thank you for never letting up.
And to the Oregonians who are struggling to find affordable housing right now: I see you. I’m working for you. And I won’t stop until everyone in this state has a safe, stable, affordable place to call home.
Let’s keep building. Let’s keep fighting. And let’s build an Oregon that works for everyone. Thank you.