2027-29 Agencywide Technical Fix Proposal
In addition to program-specific legislative concepts, OHCS has one bill that combines statute fixes and changes into an agencywide technical fix bill.
Remove reporting requirements for Housing Choice Advisory Council
In 2013, the Legislature prescribed a list of requirements to support the oversight of the Housing Choice Voucher Program. It has been years since this program received its funding, and the committee assigned within ORS 456.390 has stopped meeting. Currently, there is a reporting requirement at the beginning of each long legislative session, but nothing is included because the program and committee no longer receive funding. This is no longer a productive use of program staff time.
Tribal Inclusion – Shelter Program
Relating to the definition of regional coordinator to allow for Tribal governments to serve members of their own communities, this incorporates technical fixes to the Statewide Shelter Program established by HB 3644 (2025), such as including Tribes in the definition of eligible entities who can be regional coordinators and clarifying that a Tribe’s service area can be the Tribal area instead of the current limitation that states a service area can’t be smaller than a county.
Housing Choice Landlord Guarantee Program (HCLGP)
OHCS seeks to amend ORS 456.378 (1) (b) to remove the reference to HB 5019 (2023) and replace that with language allowing HCLGP to cover tenants placed under OHCS state-funded rehousing initiatives irrespective of the appropriation bill that funds those programs, which was the intent of the HCLGP.
Home Ownership Assistance Program (HOAP)
The last administrative rule update to Division 44 clarified the legislative updates from the 2021 session to the Home Ownership Assistance Program (HOAP). OHCS amended OAR 813-044-0005(8) to include a definition of “Veteran Family.” While Senate Bill 79 (2021) allowed for this resource to serve survivors and other federally recognized family members, the department interpreted this to mean “Veteran Family” would be defined further within administrative rule.
Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credit (OAHTC)
The Legislature has expanded the scope of preservation activities allowed with OAHTC (HB 2087) in various ways while keeping the statutory definition of preservation the same. As currently written, it is limiting and reflects an outdated understanding of affordable rental housing preservation.
Human Resources – Criminal Background Checks
ORS 456.569 requires an amendment to be considered compliant with the FBI criteria for compliance with Pub. L. 92-544. Under guidance received from the FBI Office of General Counsel (OGC) Criminal Justice Information Law Unit (CJILU), ORS 456.569 contains language that indicates fingerprinting for a national criminal history check is discretionary, as opposed to compulsory. Under Pub. L. 92-544 criteria, statutes authorizing fingerprint-based background checks must require that the subject individual submit fingerprints and that those fingerprints are forwarded to the FBI.