Housing Advisory Committee October 22, 2026

The Washington County Housing Advisory Committee meeting on October 22, 2026, covered Housing Services finances, affordable-housing funding and a proposed limited partnership framework. For the fiscal year, revenues were $9.6 million above budget and expenditures $1.8 million below budget; the presentation attributed major variances to Section 18 public-housing home sales and developer fees. Real-estate development developer-fee revenue was $3.3 million versus $146,000 budgeted, while capital outlay was $8.3 million against a $10.5 million budget, partly because construction at the Cornell Road hotel project was delayed. Staff also reported that the county selected a new audit firm through an RFP; the prior auditor did not submit a proposal.

Staff presented Metro Affordable Housing Bond interest earnings of about $5.498 million for stabilizing eligible projects, including Landbeck Gardens, Woodland Hearth, Hartwood Commons and Aloha 209; the Board of County Commissioners had approved project allocations on October 6, but specific award amounts were not stated in the transcript. The committee also reviewed a limited partnership framework proposing streamlined approvals for up to 300 currently non-exempt units annually, with affordability and market-comparability requirements and reduced fees for nonprofit partners. A motion to recommend the framework to the advisory board passed with no opposition; members discussed further implementation safeguards, including project size, local tax impacts and a possible time limit, without recording those as adopted changes. Staff additionally reported active design work for a five-unit permanent supportive housing project in Forest Grove. No specific construction contract award was reported.