Rogue Advocates strongly supports the efforts of the Governor and Democratic Leadership to increase the affordability and accessibility of housing for all Oregonians statewide. However, we oppose the strategies laid out in Section 2 of HB 3414 which constitutes a major rollback of environmental protections in the state of Oregon.
As it is currently written, Section 2 of HB 3414, if implemented, stipulates that local authorities must grant housing developers variances (exemptions) to numerous land use regulations, designed to safeguard nature, community durability, and quality of life. This could involve guidelines meant to preserve trees, wetlands, ecological zones, flood plains, and land use designations, along with countless other land use rules prevalent in various communities throughout the state. There would be no limit on the number of such exceptions a developer can seek, nor would they need to prove that their projects will yield any public good, such as providing affordable housing or additional residential units. This effectively opens the door for increased earnings for housing developers at the expense of urban conservation safeguards – a move which disregards decades of efforts by Rogue Advocates to intertwine nature and urban environments. HB 3414 therefore represents one of biggest rollbacks of existing protections in Oregon in recent years.
Today we call upon our fellow community members to contact your local representatives and urge them to vote NO on HB 3414 as it is currently written, and to propose amendments to Section 2 of the bill to ensure that our environmental regulations remain in-tact.
Find your representative and their respective contact information at the link below!