A decade ago, Portland’s increasing population and escalating home prices had led to a rising demand for affordable market and rental housing.

Like Vancouver, there was a mismatch between smaller, affordable homes favoured by first-time buyers and what city building codes allowed – typically large-lot, single family homes.

This meant limited options for first-time and trade-up buyers, while downsizing seniors had nowhere to go.

Now, as a result of state legislation and amended city bylaws and official community plans, Portland is in a better position to encourage missing middle market and rental housing.  

Here’s how this happened.

Portland begins looking at ways to densify single-family residential neighbourhoods to accommodate the growing population and increase housing affordability. 

Oregon Legislature passes Housing Bill 2001 requiring larger cities to allow up to four homes on single-family zoned properties by 2022. This bill ends single-family zoning in most areas of the state, except for small towns, and opens the door to duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, backyard laneway homes and cottages, and basement suites.  

Portland passes a residential infill project to update single-family zoning rules to legalize the construction of up to four units and accessory dwelling units such as granny flats. The new rules eliminate the requirement for new homes to have off-street parking. The goal: to encourage smaller, less expensive, mixed-density and multi-family homes, making more efficient use of land. This new zoning lifts a ban enacted in 1924 prohibiting duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes in single-family neighbourhoods. 

Portland council unanimously adopts a new residential infill project. These changes to zoning further encourage smaller, more affordable market and rental homes such as cottage clusters and sixplexes on single-family lots. The city also adopts an expedited land division process to simplify home ownership options for missing middle housing. Developers can build up to six homes on any lot if at least half are available to lower-income households. The city also enacted an anti-displacement action plan to ensure tenants are not left homeless when new units are being built. 

On September 12, Vancouver council has scheduled a public hearing on proposed amendments to the Zoning and Development By-law to allow missing middle housing – up to six units on single family lots throughout the city.

Portland went through this process and amended bylaws, land-use procedures, and official community plans to permit missing middle housing.

Here are lessons for Vancouver from Portland’s experience.

1. Portland’s 2020 residential infill project caused concern because it shrank the minimum allowable structures for single-family zones. However, Portland city council’s second residential infill project in 2023 rectified this by increasing the maximum size to accommodate larger families. The new project also made it easier for owners to divide individual lots into multiple properties and sell the lots.
2. Results aren’t rapid. Since August 2021, only 100 additional units have been produced. This could be the result of labour shortages and supply chain issues.

If you have questions on how Portland legislated missing middle housing, contact Harriet Permut, director of government relations at hpermut@rebgv.org.

Read the Oregon Administrative Rule for Missing Middle Housing in Medium and Large Cities.