Oregon House advances legislation to grow tiny home industry
(Salem) — The Oregon House approved bipartisan legislation directing the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS) to establish standards for building "tiny homes" in Oregon. HB 2737 is intended to provide tiny home manufacturers and purchasers with certainty surrounding building codes and regulations, and allow the industry to continue to grow and expand.
"In just a short amount of time, the tiny home industry has brought family-wage jobs and affordable housing to communities across Oregon," said Representative Greg Barreto (R-Cove), who cocarried the bipartisan legislation, "However, due to a change in the way the state regulates tiny homes, this industry has faced significant challenges to its continued growth. With HB 2737, we have an opportunity to make progress toward providing a more practical and workable regulatory framework that allows this market to continue to thrive."
HB 2737 was brought forward after it became clear that the tiny home industry would have a difficult time growing under the current regulatory framework. Tiny homes were previously classified by the state as recreational vehicles (RV’s), but were later subjected to building codes reserved for traditional homes. These regulations were largely unworkable for tiny homes, leaving the industry with few options for continued growth. HB 2737 seeks to correct this problem by requiring DCBS to establish buildings standards that specifically apply to homes with fewer than 400 square feet of living area.
"Finding ways for the tiny home industry to be successful here in Oregon seems like a great opportunity to attract new jobs and make housing more accessible for Oregonians," continued Rep. Barreto. "I’m proud to support this bipartisan legislation and hope it will be signed into law this session."
HB 2737 passed the House by a vote of 43-16. The bill now moves to the Senate for further consideration.
Source: Representative Greg Barreto Oregon House Of Representatives House District 58
