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Springfield Affordable Housing News
Camping Code Update Public Hearing
The Council is working to update the City’s camping code to comply with recent federal court rulings (Martin v Boise and Blake v Grants Pass) and State legislation (House Bill 3115, 2021) that restrict local governments’ ability to regulate or prohibit sleeping on public property when people experiencing homelessness do not have a shelter bed available to them. Springfield’s camping code must be revised to allow camping on public land, including rights-of-way, but can set reasonable limits on time, place, and manner. Time restrictions are when or for how long a person may camp in a particular location. Place establishes where people may and may not camp. Manner describes how people may camp such as not allowing open fires or number of people in a camp. 

The Council has held several work sessions to discuss the code updates which can be viewed here. On Monday, April 17th at 7:00PM the first public hearing on the code changes will be held in the Springfield Council Chambers at 225 5th Street. Community members can attend in person or virtually. The Council Meeting agenda is released the Thursday afternoon prior to the meeting and may be viewed here. Once posted, the agenda will include a link to register to participate virtually.
Housing Diversity Tax Exemption
The Council is considering adopting a property tax exemption to incentivize the development of multiple-unit housing in certain areas of Springfield that are close to transit. The Housing Diversity Tax Exemption (HDTE) would allow developers of new multiple-unit housing in HDTE exemption areas to apply to have their property taxes exempt for the first several years of operation. The HDTE would incentivize development by lowering projects’ operating costs during their first years, helping to make more projects financially viable to build. The exemption can encourage higher quality and/or denser development than may be feasible without it and can be leveraged to help the City achieve other local objectives. The Council has been considering implementing this incentive since 2017.   

In a March 13th work session, the Council provided direction to staff on the design of the HDTE program. The Council will discuss more details of the HDTE program, including eligibility requirements for applicants, at an upcoming work session on Monday, May 1st at 6:00PM. Community members can attend in person or virtually. The Council Meeting agenda is released the Thursday afternoon prior to the meeting and may be viewed here. 
Credit: Habitat for Humanity of Central Lane
Support for Fischer Village
Habitat for Humanity of Central Lane is working on an affordable home ownership project that, when completed, will provide opportunities for twelve low-income households to purchase homes in Springfield. In 2021 Representative Lively allocated one million dollars in State general funds to address housing insecurity, lack of affordable housing, and homelessness in Springfield. The funds were awarded by the Oregon Legislature, and Springfield’s Council directed staff to allocate $300,000 of those funds to Habitat for Humanity to support construction of two homes at Fischer Village. 

In addition to construction funds to support the project, this March the City approved Habitat for Humanity for waivers of the City’s system development charges (SDCs) for two of the Fischer Village homes through the recently adopted SDC Waiver for Affordable Homeownership Program. The approved SDC waivers will save Habitat approximately $10,000 in development fees for each home. 
Ann's Heart Women's Shelter Funding
During the 2021 legislative session, Representative Lively allocated $620,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, which were awarded to the City by the Oregon legislature, to support Ann’s Heart Women’s shelter with the purchase of a home and to support affordable homeownership. Ann’s Heart is a local non-profit with a mission to provide unhoused women with safe space to heal from the trauma of being without safe shelter and to rebuild their lives. Their goal is to purchase a home in Springfield to provide transitional housing for up to six women. 

In 2022, the Council directed staff to allow Ann’s Heart to use up to $500,000 of the ARPA funds toward the purchase of a home. In recognition that housing costs in Springfield have continued to increase and to help facilitate the success of Ann’s Heart, at its April 3rd meeting, the Council directed staff to increase Ann’s Heart’s budget to up to $600,000 for the purchase of a home.  
SHOP Loan Issued to First-Time Home Buyer
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The Springfield Home Ownership Program (SHOP) was created to encourage home ownership in Springfield by assisting low-income households with the first-time purchase of a home through an interest-free loan. The City made several changes to the program last fall after several years during which the City was unable to issue a SHOP loan due to market conditions making it more challenging for low-income buyers to purchase a home. 

In addition to increasing the maximum loan amount from $7,000 to $25,000, the City expanded the types of home purchase expenses the funds can be used for and partnered with a local non-profit, DevNW, to help administer the program. In March, the City issued the first SHOP loan under these new changes and is hopeful the updates to the program will help more households in Springfield access homeownership.
Land Sought for Affordable Housing
Springfield receives an annual allocation of federal funds to help increase the supply of affordable housing. But we can’t build more housing if we don’t have land to build on. If you have vacant land that would be suitable for multifamily housing or a cottage cluster development and are interested in selling it at fair market value, or want to learn more, please get in touch! Contact Erin Fifield at 541.726.2302 or efifield@springfield-or.gov.
225 Fifth Street
Springfield, OR 97477
541.726.2302