ORS 197A.025: Policy; rulemaking principles.

(1) In adopting rules under ORS chapter 197A and statewide planning goals relating to housing or urbanization, or administering the rules or statutes, the Land Conservation and Development Commission and Department of Land Conservation and Development shall be guided by the following principles:

      (a) Housing that is safe, accessible and affordable in the community of their choice should be available to every Oregonian.

      (b) Building enough equitable housing must be a top priority.

      (c) The development and implementation of the housing production strategy should be the focal point by which the department collaborates with local governments to address and eliminate local barriers to housing production.

      (d) Expertise, technical assistance, model ordinances and other tools and resources to address housing production should be provided to local governments, using cooperative planning tools embodied in ORS 197A.103 and 197A.130, but not to the exclusion of the expedient use of enforcement authority, including compliance orders under ORS 197.319 to 197.335.

      (e) Housing production should support fair and equitable housing outcomes, environmental justice, climate resilience and access to opportunity.

      (f) Housing production should not be undermined by litigation, regulatory uncertainty or repetitive or unnecessary procedures.

      (g) Local governments, to the greatest extent possible, should take actions within their control to facilitate the production of housing to meet housing production targets under ORS 184.455.

      (2) Each public body, as defined in ORS 174.109, shall use its authority to remove barriers to, and to create pathways for, the development of needed housing and shall collaborate with the department and local governments to identify and implement strategies to support housing production where there is insufficient housing production and choice.

      (3) In adopting rules implementing ORS chapter 197A and statewide land use goals relating to housing and urbanization, the commission may approve a range of methodologies, policy options or assumptions that a local government may adopt in determining:

      (a) Needed housing;

      (b) Housing production strategies or housing coordination strategies;

      (c) Buildable lands or housing capacity;

      (d) Amendments to urban growth boundaries, including under ORS 197A.215, 197A.270 (5)(a), 197A.285, 197A.300 to 197A.325, 197A.350 (6)(a) and 197A.362; or

      (e) Adoption or amendments to urban reserves or rural reserves under ORS 197A.230 to 197A.250.