Middle Housing in Wilsonville Project

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Update on Project Adoption by City Council

Ordinance No. 851, adopted by Wilsonville City Council on October 18, 2021, implements the policy decisions made through this project.

Project Explanation

Part of what makes Wilsonville a desirable community is its history of thoughtful and innovative residential planning.

As the City updated its residential code to comply with Oregon House Bill 2001, we again took a thoughtful approach to also answer the question: ‘how can our regulations serve as a catalyst for an array of housing types that meet pressing current and future needs?’

In finding our answer, we sought to

Update on Project Adoption by City Council

Ordinance No. 851, adopted by Wilsonville City Council on October 18, 2021, implements the policy decisions made through this project.

Project Explanation

Part of what makes Wilsonville a desirable community is its history of thoughtful and innovative residential planning.

As the City updated its residential code to comply with Oregon House Bill 2001, we again took a thoughtful approach to also answer the question: ‘how can our regulations serve as a catalyst for an array of housing types that meet pressing current and future needs?’

In finding our answer, we sought to address the past and consider the future while also enhancing the look, feel, and function of our neighborhoods.

What motivated this work?

Increasing Housing Costs. Many who chose to live in Wilsonville even 5-10 years ago may not make the same choice today due to cost. Rent and home prices have increased at a much greater rate than incomes, pushing some of our friends and neighbors out of Wilsonville. Nearly 1 in 4 families spend more than a third of their income on housing, and the number is climbing. Many kids growing up in Wilsonville are not likely to be able to afford to live here as adults.

Changing Households. Household compositions are changing, and the trend is accelerating. Future housing inventory must match the community’s needs, which may include housing for smaller, young households and more seniors living with their adult children.

Addressing Systemic Injustices. Housing rules and regulations have historically been powerful tools of racial exclusion. How the City’s housing rules and regulations have been (or could be) tools of racial exclusion must be carefully examined.

The Growth of “Middle Housing”?

Middle Housing – which consists of housing of all types that land between detached single-family homes and apartment complexes – help address these concerns.

State law defines middle housing to include duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, townhouses, and cottage clusters. Some middle housing types include a few units on one lot (duplex, triplex) while others feature homes on separate lots that share a common wall (townhouses). Though middle housing is already present in many Wilsonville neighborhoods, the demand is higher than the supply.

We appreciate the community members who joined the conversation with questions, comments and ideas throughout our public process. You helped identify solutions that can help effectively address our current challenges.

Page last updated: 03 Nov 2021, 12:29 PM