Housing is being added in Albany at a steady pace and in many variations of type and size, and the planning for more continues.
Albany is working on changing its development code to allow more “middle housing” as demanded by the legislature, but some on the city council doubt that it’s a good idea or that it’ll work.
There’s no sign in Albany that developers are waiting for the new state housing law to kick in, the law that seeks to encourage more people to live closer together and start using the bus instead of their car.
The 2019 Oregon legislature wanted more “middle housing” to be built in areas zoned for single families, but so far in Albany there’s no sign it’s getting its wish.
When it passed House Bill 2001, the 2019 legislature outlawed the kind of zoning that allows only single-family houses in Oregon cities above 10,000 population. But as the Albany City Council was reminded Monday, it did not restrict the construction of single-family houses.
The legislature wants Albany and other Oregon cities to allow more housing, and different kinds of housing, to be built in the space available, which makes sense. But instead of easing up on Oregon’s insanely convoluted land-use laws, it has added new complications with House Bill 2001.
Look around and watch housing grow
Criss-crossing Albany on a bike, I often stop and look at construction sites, especially those where new housing has just been finished or is still being built.
Tags: Albany housing, apartments, bicycling, construction, duplexes, middle housing, new housing