She stayed mum on whether she supports a Salem payroll tax or intends to sign a bill to expand self-serve gas

The Oregon Legislature made progress this year on addressing the state’s housing crisis with new policies and $1.2 billion in new spending on housing and homelessness but more work needs to be done, Gov. Tina Kotek said Thursday.

Flanked by state legislators and homeless advocates, Kotek hosted a ceremonial bill signing for four housing bills – two of which she already signed into law earlier this month – and pledged to continue working to address the state’s housing shortage and affordability crisis. At least 18,000 Oregonians were homeless on a single night in 2022, and state analysts predict Oregon needs to build at least 500,000 homes over the next two decades to keep pace with demand.

“Whether you’re on the coast, in the valley or out in the beautiful Wallowa mountains, every community is wrestling with how they provide more housing for their community,” Kotek said. “Whether it’s land, whether it’s bureaucratic barriers, whether it’s the workforce that has to build it or how you finance these projects, all of these things are top of mind in communities across our state.”

Two of the new laws are intended to provide predictability to renters. House Bill 3042, which Kotek signed Thursday, prohibits owners of formerly publicly supported affordable housing from ending leases with tenants for the three years after affordability restrictions end. It also requires...

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