Issue Position: Housing

Issue Position

We all know someone who has struggled to find appropriate housing in Medford. Many have proposed a range of policy solutions, but little progress has been made.

Restrictive land use laws have limited the supply of buildable land, driving costs up and out of reach of Oregon's working families. As a city, we have outgrown our empty lots. Before we can build on outlying property, we must first gain permission from the state Department of Land Development and Conservation, a process that can take many years. As a member of the Medford city council, Kim is working with the state to obtain this permission. If granted, the additional acres will increase the supply of buildable land, driving land prices down. As we build on this land, we will increase the supply of housing, which will help people find affordable homes.

In the rental market, prevailing wage laws and other government regulations nearly doubles the cost of labor and reduces the number of units that are built. As a Medford city councilor, Kim saw one government-built project cost more than twice what the same project would have cost if done by the private sector. She saw another project not get built at all because of prevailing wages and other regulations. This government intervention has reduced the number of available housing units in Medford.

New laws meant to protect renters instead make it harder and more expensive for people to find housing. Price controls and requirements for landlords to pay relocation fees for evicted tenants make owning and building rental properties unappealing. For example, if renting the apartment in your backyard could potentially cost thousands of dollars in relocation fees because you need the unit for personal use, you will be less likely to offer it as a rental. The best way to increase rental units is to encourage private citizens and small businesses to choose to create rentals

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