On Tuesday, Nov. 8 the Planning and Sustainability Commission (PSC) voted to recommended that City Council adopt the Shelter to Housing Continuum – Part 2 (S2HC2) Proposed Draft along with new code amendments. These new amendments refine the original Shelter to Housing Continuum (S2HC) code amendments, which were adopted in 2021 to address the crisis of houseless Portlanders. The vote follows a public hearing on the proposal held on October 11. The proposal contained only relatively minor code updates, and there was little public testimony on these changes.
What's in the S2HC2 proposal?
The S2HC2 Proposed Draft includes clarifying code changes that address several issues that arose during implementation of the S2HC, including:
- Outdoor Shelter Standards: These amendments clarify the development standards that outdoor shelters must meet and clear up a technical issue regarding the size of industrially zoned sites that can be used for outdoor shelters.
- Temporary Activities Rules: For shelters allowed using the Temporary Activities chapter of the Zoning Code, these amendments clarify that new permanent structures or alterations are not allowed with a temporary activity, and outdoor shelters can temporarily occupy a parking area on a site.
- Conditional Uses: The amendments clarify when a conditional use land use review is triggered for changes on sites with an existing conditional use.
Next steps
With the PSC recommendation, the proposal heads to City Council for a hearing on Feb. 8, 2023. Portlanders will be able to testify on the Recommended Draft, which includes the proposed changes at that time or in writing via the Map App.