Hillock

I’m responsible for the creation of House Bill 3317, not the other Wallowa County commissioners. I take all the blame or the pat on the back, depending on how you feel about it.

For more than four years, I’ve been hearing from our businesses, health care professionals, government agencies, loggers, farmers and school districts that they can’t hire people because we lack housing and that we need to do something about. I figured let’s try to fix the problem.

What is workforce housing?

Workforce housing is housing that’s affordable to households earning between 60% and 120% of the area median income. Workforce housing targets middle-income workers, which includes professions such as police officers, firefighters, teachers, health care workers, retail clerks, etc.

Based on U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) guidelines, Wallowa County households with total earnings before taxes between $41,600 and $88,200 would fall into the range for workforce housing. But most of the homes available today, or being built, in Wallowa County are unaffordable for our workforce.

I found a possible solution in policy advanced by then-state Rep. Cliff Bentz, a Republican, and then-Speaker of the House Tina Kotek, a Democrat, that in 2017 helped Malheur County compete with Idaho for businesses and jobs. The so-called “Border Bill,” (House Bill 2012) created a new district focused on economic development, housing, workforce training and land-use challenges. Since 2017, the Border Board has brought $10 million into Malheur County from the Oregon Business Development Department. To learn more, visit the Border Board’s website at eoborderboard.org.

While the causes are different, we face similar economic, workforce, and housing challenges as Malheur County. We live in a beautiful, safe and supporting place, and a lot of people would like to own a place here, or at least visit and experience it. According to a 2021 HUD report, high amenity locations along the Oregon coast, and in the mountains, are all experiencing a shortage of workforce housing.

I took my idea to state Rep. Bobby Levy and asked her to sponsor a bill similar to the Border Bill to help Wallowa County raise money, and provide new land-use tools, to respond to our housing crisis. She agreed, and I worked with Rep. Levy’s staff and with the Wallowa County Planning Department for several months to come up with the proper wording. If you read the Border Bill and HB3317 you’ll see we lifted most of the work they did and put it in our bill. (What’s wrong with copying a success!)

Who would be on the board? If established, board members would be recommended by elected county and city leaders, and appointed by the governor. If established, this board would join the likes of the Tourism Commission, Oregon Growth Board, Oregon Solutions, Regional Solutions, etc. These boards are considered some of the powerful economic agencies in state government and all these boards are funded by state government.

Where the funding would go? The appointed board would make those decisions. Where do I see the funding going? To workforce housing, training and education, and a county-owned industrial park. The bill references a potential role for a housing land trust to ensure that the land is retained for workforce housing. I think this could be important to solving the problem, but the appointed board would make those decisions. This bill would bring more authority to a locally appointed body accountable to the citizens of Wallowa County.

There is a mistake in the bill: When we asked for an additional 50 acres of residential land, we didn’t specify that those acres would be used for workforce housing. This can be fixed when the board is formed and the charters are written.

I know some people don’t want anything to do with state government. As written, the bill could bring additional funding and capacity to advance our county’s economic well-being and ensure that we have housing that is affordable for people that live and work here.

The bill is well-liked in the Legislature and passed unanimously in the House Small Business and Economic Development Committee. It now is sitting in the Ways and Means committee waiting for a hearing and funding.

I did this work to benefit our community. I’m here to serve the people of the county. I’m always open to your suggestion and comments. No, I won’t come to fill your potholes, but I will pass the message along to the right department. Feel free to call me with questions or concerns.