Springfield offers 2 plans to help address affordable housing crisis in Oregon
As the housing shortage continues, Springfield officials approved two measures meant to increase options for temporary and affordable housing.
Councilors Monday unanimously approved a free registration program for people living in recreational vehicles on private property and a program to waive up to $300,000 in development fees for affordable housing projects.
The registration program will allow the city to figure out how many people are living in RVs under suspended enforcement of a ban on RV occupancy on private property.
Staff will report back in the fall on data collected through registrations and an anonymous survey.
The fee waiver will reduce available funding for capital projects for transportation, stormwater and local wastewater systems but could incentivize affordable housing developments as the region faces a housing crisis.
That program is limited by a cap on waived fees and an end date of Dec. 31, 2025.
RVs allowed on private property since late 2020
The city suspended enforcement of its ban on RV occupancy on private property in October 2020 in response to people being displaced by the Holiday Farm Fire, coronavirus pandemic and the regional housing shortage, all of which have limited affordable, temporary housing options.
That move by City Council allows people to use RVs as temporary housing when parked on private property as long as the property owner and the person living in the RV follow certain guidelines.
Officials extended the program in May 2021 and asked staff to track complaints and try to figure out how many people are living in RVs under the program guidelines.
In September, councilors directed staff to come up with a registration program.
Read more:Springfield to require people living in RVs on private property to register
Staff briefly presented that program Monday night and provided an updated version of guidelines that will include a link to register.
The program requires registration for RVs on private property but exempts campgrounds, RV parks and similar places as well as locations taking part in the city’s overnight parking program, said Katie Carroll, the city’s housing analyst.
It’s up to property owners, not the people living in the RV, to register, she said.
The city is asking property owners to provide contact information for the RV dwellers so the city can send an anonymous survey that will ask about access to water and electricity, whether they’re paying rent and other data points officials asked staff to gather.
Staff originally planned to report back on the program next spring, but officials OK’d delaying that until early fall to allow for more data collection.
Pilot program to waive development fees
Springfield also will pilot a program meant to encourage developers to build affordable housing.
Officials unanimously approved the pilot, which will waive systems development charges, which local governments and agencies impose to help develop sufficient infrastructure for new development, for affordable housing.
Under the pilot, the city will waive fees up to a $300,000 overall cap or until Dec. 31, 2025 — whichever comes first — for housing people making up to 80% of the area median income can buy.
The federal government sets AMI figures, and 80% is $44,600 for an individual and $63,700 for a family of four in the Eugene-Springfield area.
Springfield will offer some waivers and grants and others as forgivable loans.
The waiver only includes city SDCs, Carroll said, so developers will still pay the charges related to Willamalane Park and Recreation District, the Springfield Utility Board and the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission.
Staff will report back at the end of the three years or once the city has waived 90% of the capped amount.
Contact city government watchdog Megan Banta at mbanta@registerguard.com. Follow her on Twitter @MeganBanta_1.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Springfield OKs 2 programs meant to help with housing crisis
