Salem, OR—On her first full day in office, Governor Tina Kotek signed an executive order that set an ambitious housing production goal of 36,000 homes per year and established a council of leaders charged with developing an action plan to meet the new construction targets. Today, less than 60 days later, Governor Kotek announced her appointments to the Housing Production Advisory Council (HPAC).

“I know too many Oregonians are struggling to find stable housing or on the verge of losing it,” Governor Kotek said. “Employers, particularly in rural and suburban areas, are struggling to hire and keep staff because there is nowhere for them to live or they are commuting from hours away. This is not sustainable. We must build more housing.”

The HPAC will bring robust experience in a broad set of disciplines and represent Oregon’s diverse demographics and geography.

“We had an incredible list of qualified Oregonians interested in serving on the Council, which reflects not only a shared concern about our housing crisis, but more importantly, the dedication to solve it,” Governor Kotek said. “I am grateful for their willingness to serve and look forward to their recommendations.”

The order established an annual housing production goal of 36,000 additional housing units at all levels of affordability across the state to address Oregon’s current housing shortage and keep pace with projected population growth. That’s an ambitious target – about an 80 percent increase over current construction trends – and would set Oregon on a path to build 360,000 additional homes over the next decade. This goal was accompanied by the establishment of the HPAC to help get the job done.

The members include a range of housing leaders, local government representatives, bipartisan legislators, a Tribal member, and relevant state agency directors:

Gubernatorial Appointments:
• Co-chair J.D. Tovey - rural Oregon and an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation - land use, building codes and housing development
• Co-chair Damien Hall - Metro- land use, and affordable and market housing development
• Daniel Bunn - Southern Oregon - land use and financing market housing
• Thomas Cody - Metro area - affordable and market housing development
• Deborah Flagan - Central Oregon - market housing development and construction
• Ernesto Fonseca - Metro area - affordable and market housing development and financing affordable housing
• Elissa Gertler - Oregon Coast - land use and financing affordable housing
• Riley Hill - rural Oregon - land use and market housing development
• Natalie Janney - Willamette Valley area - land use, market housing development
• Robert Justus - Metro area - affordable and market housing development
• Joel Madsen - Columbia Gorge - affordable housing development and financing
• Ivory Mathews - Metro area - affordable housing development and financing
• Erica Mills - Southern Oregon - financing affordable and market housing
• Eric Olsen - Willamette Valley area - construction, market housing development
• Gauri Rajbaidya - Metro area - affordable and market housing development
• Karen Rockwell - Oregon Coast - affordable and market housing development
• Margaret Van Vliet - Metro area - financing market and affordable housing, and affordable housing development
• Justin Wood - Metro - construction and market housing development

Legislative appointments and agency members:
• Senator Dick Anderson (R - Lincoln City)
• Senator Kayse Jama (D - Portland)
• Representative Jeff Helfrich (R - Hood River)
• Representative Maxine Dexter (D - Portland)
• Director Andrea Bell, Oregon Housing and Community Services
• Director Brenda Bateman, Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development

The Council will convene for the first time on March 10 and is scheduled to provide a recommended framework for their action plan by April 1, 2023. View the council’s webpage here for more information.