Earlier this week, Portland City Council passed historic housing reform known as the Residential Infill Project, which re-legalizes middle housing like triplexes and fourplexes and incentivizes building more dense and affordable housing throughout the city.
The ordinance also makes the construction of driveways optional and removes on-site parking requirements, essentially removing mandated parking minimums city-wide.
This is a major victory in reversing racist and exclusionary zoning laws that were specifically written to displace people of color from living in lower-cost homes in much of the city.
It’s also a victory that was fought and won by grassroots activism. Council was flooded with testimony primary organized through Portland Neighbors Welcome and Anti Displacement PDX, who in turn were supported by countless other local organizations and activists.
We’re still deep in a housing crisis, but this is a major step in the right direction—and further proof that coordinated progressive activism gets results.