Social Housing Study for Portland

Background and City Council Resolution

Like many cities across the country, Portland faces high housing costs and a shortage of affordable housing, making it difficult for people to live and work here. In April 2025, Portland City Council adopted a landmark resolution directing the city to deliver a plan for how the city could implement social housing.

“Social housing” is a broad term encompassing various housing models, which tend to share the traits of being non-market or limited profit, affordable, and owned and managed by a public or non-profit entity. The goal of social housing is to provide high-quality, permanently affordable, environmentally and socially sustainable housing for households at various income levels.

Resolution 37703

Social Housing Study Timeline

What will be in the study

The study will summarize research, analyses, and evaluation of social housing and other alternative housing financing and ownership models for feasibility and potential adaptability in the City of Portland.

The study will explore the following areas directed by City Council in Resolution 37703, including: 

• Models and Approaches – Explore non-market, limited profit, and other publicly or non-profit owned housing and financing models, including domestic and international examples, that may be adaptable to the city.
• Funding and Land Banking Strategies – Identify potential permanent funding sources, alternative financing models, options for land banking, and analyses of how alternative models would impact affordability.
• Impact Analyses – Analyze affordability outcomes, potential barriers (zoning, permitting, financing), and pilot zones available for implementation, including within the Albina Vision and N/NE Preference Policy areas and in the City’s four districts.
• Governance and Implementation – Evaluate potential needs and considerations related to staffing, funding, compliance, administration, and legal issues.
• Policy Recommendations – Develop actionable policy and program proposals for Portland.

Timeline 

The study will be completed and presented to City Council no later than May 31, 2026. Development of the study will occur in four stages from May 2025-2026.

Why is this study important? 

Portland faces a persistent and deep housing crisis, marked by a shortage of affordable homes, severe rent burden, and stark disparities to housing access across communities. By studying social housing, Portland can learn from the innovation and successful models in other cities, expand its housing toolkit, and identify new ways to create and preserve affordable homes and build stronger communities. 

Social Housing Resources