In June, wide, bipartisan majorities of Oregon’s legislature re-legalized duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes in cities across the state. Ever since, Sightline’s affordability policy team has fielded one question over and over: How did this happen?
So, we’ve been gathering lessons to share!
It took top-brass leadership backed up by years of careful coalition-building, supporter activation, and education. From Habitat for Humanity to AARP of Oregon to Lane County NAACP to Sunrise PDX to Portland Public Schools, a robust coalition made the case that middle housing makes it easier to age in place, starts to undo some of the ways racism has undermined housing affordability for all, fights climate change, and helps reduce school segregation.
Oregon reformers consistently emphasized what’s to gain by lifting bans on modest homes like duplexes and backyard cottages, shifting the debate away from fearmongers’ claims about what would be lost.
Sightline circulated this talking points memo to fellow supporters as soon as the bill was introduced and we have shared a few top recommendations already. But today we’re making the full memo available.
Below is our cheat sheet for framing dos and don’ts. Find links to more tips and our full messaging memo, here.