City Manager Ron Whitlatch testified in the House Committee on Housing and Homelessness in support of HB 3031, Gov. Tina Kotek’s housing development legislation, on Feb. 26.
The bill would stand up a $100 million fund to support infrastructure projects that tie directly to housing development.
Whitlatch, Mayor Ken Jackola, Public Works Director Jason Williams and Community Development Director Kelly Hart worked with representatives from the governor’s office since before this year’s session began to advocate for system-level solutions to be permitted under the bill.
After sharing Lebanon’s successes with attracting development and eliminating its rent-burdened status, Whitlatch addressed the need for a state partnership across multiple levels of infrastructure improvements.
“To continue our support of housing production, we need the state’s support on infrastructure,” Whitlatch said before the committee. “We strongly support the flexibility HB 3031 provides in facilitating site development and prioritizing affordable housing within cities….Equally important is a comprehensive approach to infrastructure investment with a strong focus on water and wastewater systems, which are fundamental to sustaining long-term housing growth and community well-being.”
Lebanon was part of a panel and a range of cities that were invited to provide perspectives on HB 3031 from metropolitan and suburban areas to small, rural communities.