Legislative Policies for the 2007 Oregon Legislative Session

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City of Eugene Legislative Policies for 2007 Oregon Legislative Session City of Eugene Legislative Policies for 2007 Oregon Legislative Session administrative cost which is ultimately counterproductive. Eugene has met or exceeded ~ Supportlegislation which renews and/orexpands taxcredits forproducts and target processing timelines and anticipates continuing to meet this standard. practices which achieve energyconservation orothersusfainable development goals. Recommendation ~ Support time lines that protect plan quality and do not unnecessarily expand work B. HOUSING ' volume orincrease administrative costs while ensuring timeliness. There remains a growing housing crisis for Housing crisis those who need low-cost housing or A6. Building Code Division Oversight (F;yures~ntn~sse~tronarebasedon2ooo emer enc shelter. The need for census data.) 9 Y In 1995, legislation required an operating plan for each jurisdiction and expanded state emergency shelter is documented in the oversight of local programs. Additional rules continue to increase the State's oversight of Eugene's 5s,ooo households, 25.7 percent adopted Eugene-Springfield Consolidated and the complexity of the operating plan requirements. Legislation may be introduced springfi lid owe zo 00o nou enobds n veh .Plan, the United Way's State of Caring which would restrict local programs or affect local authority. There is concern that the incomes at or below 5o°i° of the area median. study and Community Solutions Plan, and administration and oversight of the codes is becoming encumbered by regulations to detailed data collected by Lane County from su ort s ecial interests and trade rou s. Additional reforms are needed to reduce the Fewerthanx,500 of the 20,000 eligible pp p g p households receive housing subsidies, due to a a variety of social services agencies. "bureaucratic" nature of the system. shortage of resources. Despite a variety of shelter and homeless assistance programs (including Family Recommendation Local counts of homeless people indicate that at Shelter House Interfaith Emer enc least 1,250 and perhaps as many as 3,500 ~ g Y ~ Oppose legislation that would restrict local programs or restrict local authority. homeless people can be found in Eugene on any Shelter Program, Station 7 Youth Shelter, given night. One third of these are children. Lindholm ServlCe Station, and New Roads) A7. Shelter for Homeless Persons Many populations are in housing crisis or have and an ordinance that allows churches, Building codes can create barriers to providing temporary shelter to homeless people in become homeless. For instance,l2%of Lane businesses, government entities and the community. The City supports legislation to give communities increased flexibility in county's ss,ooo veterans are homeless (4,560) residents to invite homeless people to camp`` administering and enforcing building codes to establish local standards that protect the on their property, people are still turned health and safety of homeless persons while meeting their needs for shelter. away nightly from overcrowded emergency shelters. The rental vacancy rates in A8. Sustainable Development Eugene are. near zero; despite the construction of new housing. units. The average As part of the building permit process, the Ciry is increasingly encountering residents, monthly cost of an older, two-bedroom rental in Eugene is $626 per month, not including: builders, architects, and developers who seek to improve their properties in a way that utilities. A household relying on minimum wage can only afford $390.00, including utilities'. results in less impact on the environment. The standards most seek to attain have been developed by the United States Green Building Council, Leadership in Energy and This area's most pressing need remains the creation of new, low-cost housing for very- Environmental Design (LEED). The City of Eugene should foster public policies that low-income households. Based upon the data from the 2000 U.S. Census, evidence of sustain natural resources and minimize the impact of the building environment on the this housing crisis abounds: Out of nearly 37,500 renter households in Eugene and natural environment. Springfield, 15,600 (42%) have incomes below 50% of median income (defined as very- . low-income. Over 70% ofvery-low-income families pay more than 30% of their income for. Recommendations housing.. Thirty-seven percent pay more than half of their income for housing. A majority ~ Supportlegislation thatpromotes sustainable andgreen building practices, ofvery-low-income families are headed by single women. Eighty percent of these families promotes research into the effectiveness ofgreen building and establishes pay more than 40% of their income for housing expenses. The Lane County Housing economicincentives forbuilders ofsustainable andgreen buildings. Authority closed its Section 8 waiting list earlier this year when it reached over 7,000 ~ Support legislation and policies that promote sustainable development that improve names and a longer than. three-year wait. environmental standards and the regulatory process that provide incentives and financial measures forpreservation ofnatural resources and thatpromote The adopted HUD Consolidated Plan, which guides local federal low-income housing sustainable energypolicies. funding, lists three top priority activities: 1) increasing the rental supply of permanent ~ Supportlegislation and policies that expand efforts to promote water efficient affordable housing; 2) enhancing shelter support services for homeless households; and practices and ensure a clean, affordable watersupply, including, butnotlimited to, 3) increasing the supply of transitional and permanent housing for specialized populations. adopting graywater use regulations thatfacilitate reduced waterconsumption in The cities of Eugene and Springfield and Lane County examine low-income housing needs urban households through safe and effective graywater use. through an intergovernmental Housing Policy Board, whose primary focus is to develop ~ Supportlegislation which renews and/orexpands energy tax credits forbuildings additional housing for very-low-income families. built to LEED standards, whether residential or commercial. ~ Support legislation eliminating restrictions that prevent private sectorinsta/lation of The City also supports broadening the eligibility requirements for housing assistance, waterless urinals consistent with manufacturers'specifications. without compromising the existing low-income assistance requirements. 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