Housing

Cohousing has its own merits, but now has a Napa County case study to demonstrate its uses in curtailing homelessness

For the last decade, only one Oregon county has tracked the deaths of people experiencing homelessness. That’s about to change with a new law that took effect Jan. 1.

Oregon’s foreclosure moratorium ended December 31. Beginning in January, homeowners who used this protection may be expected to resume mortgage payments and catch up on those missed.

A new Oregon law could increase locations where affordable housing can be built at a time when many communities are grappling with the pressures of too few homes. It’s one of many Oregon laws that will take effect in the new year but, according to one city planner, it could clash with local land use rules.

Politics often get in the way of building homeless shelters. But because of recent wildfires and the pandemic, Southern Oregon saw an unusual amount of growth in shelters this year.

Last week, an unhoused man died in Medford after being exposed to the elements during a cold night. In response, housing advocates are asking the city to halt its controversial “prohibited camping, lying and sleeping” ordinance.

More than a dozen chronically homeless people in Grants Pass will soon have a warm, dry place to stay. Spearheaded by the non-profit Rogue Retreat, the Foundry Village project will provide sixteen tiny houses for homeless people in the area.

The Brookings City Council voted unanimously to limit the number of free meals churches can serve. They say zoning codes allow them to enforce these restrictions after neighbors complained.

A letter signed Wednesday by more than 50 organizations and local jurisdictions from across Oregon urged legislative leaders and Gov. Kate Brown to step in on behalf of 12,000 households facing the threat of eviction.

When the Almeda Fire tore through Southern Oregon last year, manufactured home parks were among the developments that were damaged most. More than a year later, assistance for these communities is slowly starting to appear.

A letter drafted Wednesday by legislative housing committee chairs Rep. Julie Fahey and Sen. Kayse Jama outlines the need for intervention as the state continues to chip away at a massive backlog of applications for rental assistance.

In overheated real estate markets, personal letters from buyers to sellers can help tip the scales. Now, Oregon is restricting them because they may violate federal fair housing laws.