WASHINGTON, D.C. — As Oregon continues to face one of the nation’s most severe housing shortages, two housing bills led by U.S. Rep. Janelle Bynum have passed the U.S. Senate, bringing new tools to increase home construction and address workforce gaps that contribute to rising costs.
The bipartisan Accelerating Home Building Act and Appraisal Industry Improvement Act are designed to tackle key barriers to housing production and access, issues that have significantly impacted communities across Oregon.
Oregon ranks near the bottom nationally in housing affordability and is projected to need more than 140,000 additional single-family homes by 2030 to meet demand. Lawmakers say delays in permitting, restrictive regulations and workforce shortages have all contributed to the state’s housing crisis.
“Affordable housing is out of reach for so many Americans. To fix this, we need to build more homes and strengthen the housing industry’s workforce,” said Rep. Janelle Bynum. “My bills provide easier and faster pathways to homeownership. I am so proud that two of my bills are one step closer to seeing the president’s desk, and I will continue to fight in Congress for affordable housing.”
One of the bills, the Accelerating Home Building Act, focuses on speeding up housing development by helping local governments adopt pre-approved building designs. The legislation would authorize the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to award grants to cities, counties and other entities to create pattern books, a collection of standardized housing plans that meet local zoning and permitting requirements.
By allowing developers to use pre-reviewed designs, the process of approving new housing projects can move more quickly and at lower cost. The approach is intended to support the construction of “missing middle” housing, such as duplexes, triplexes and small multifamily units, which are often in short supply in Oregon communities.
Housing experts say regulatory barriers and lengthy permitting timelines have played a major role in limiting housing supply. Nationwide, those challenges have contributed to a shortage of nearly 5 million homes.
The bill also prioritizes funding for rural communities, a key consideration in Oregon, where many smaller communities face limited resources to expand housing development.
Bynum co-led the legislation with U.S. Reps. Bryan Steil, Chris Pappas and Brian Fitzpatrick, with companion legislation introduced in the Senate by U.S. Sens. Lisa Blunt Rochester and Bernie Moreno.
The second measure, the Appraisal Industry Improvement Act, addresses another issue affecting homebuyers: a shortage of licensed appraisers that can delay home sales and financing.
The legislation would allow state-licensed appraisers to conduct appraisals for mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration, provided they meet education and competency requirements. Expanding eligibility is expected to increase the number of available appraisers, particularly in areas where shortages have slowed transactions.
The bill also aims to strengthen the appraisal workforce by adding trainee appraisers to the national registry, expanding education and training opportunities and supporting workforce development through grants.
Together, the two bills target both the supply of housing and the systems that support homeownership, areas lawmakers say must be addressed simultaneously to improve affordability.
The legislation now moves closer to final approval as Congress continues to weigh solutions to housing shortages in Oregon and across the country.
