PDX Real Estate EP153: How New Land Use Regulations Help & Hinder Development—with Ezra Hammer & Jamie Howsley of Jordan Ramis

The Portland Real Estate Podcast

The Portland region needs 60,000 housing units to resolve the current housing shortage.

What new land use laws are helping close the gap? And what legal developments make it even harder for developers to keep up with demand?

Ezra Hammer and Jamie Howsley are attorneys at Jordan Ramis, a firm that serves the businesses of Pacific Northwest.

Ezra and Jamie have expertise in land use and development, environmental and natural resource permitting and government affairs.

On this episode of The Portland Real Estate Podcast, Ezra and Jamie join hosts Joe Fustolo and Steve Nassar to discuss what’s behind the moratorium on new development in Washington County and why it’s so challenging to build in Multnomah.å

Ezra and Jamie explore the benefits of a new law promoting the adaptive reuse of old commercial buildings into residential units and explain how residential infill projects give property owners the freedom to build ADUs and attached homes.

Listen in for Ezra and Jamie’s take on cities banning natural gas in new construction and learn what we can do to support thoughtful real estate development and alleviate the growing housing crisis.

Key Takeaways

What’s behind the moratorium on new development in Washington County

How the Washington County moratorium will impact the housing market

The benefits of a new law supporting the adaptive reuse of old commercial buildings into residential units

Why developers might be slow to take on adaptive reuse projects

Why the City of Portland expanded the opportunity to build senior housing in residential zones

How residential infill projects make it easier for residents to build ADUs and attached homes and why that’s still not enough fix the housing shortage

Why it’s so challenging to build in Multnomah County and what’s being done to change that

How short-term rentals affect the housing landscape and recent court cases to restrict STRs

How Ezra & Jamie think about cities mandating what you can and can’t use for power (and why municipalities go after new construction vs. retrofitting existing stock)

Why the growth Portland has seen over the past several decades is likely to continue and increase

Ezra & Jamie’s take on where the next annexations or developments will be

Connect with Esra & Jamie

Jordan Ramis

Connect with Joe

Soldera Properties

Joe on LinkedIn

Connect with Steve

Steve’s Team at Premiere Property Group

Steve on LinkedIn

Resources

Masters in Real Estate Facebook Group

Ezra on Portland Real Estate Podcast EP127

Renaissance Homes

Riverside Homes

‘Empty and Unwanted, the Iconic Buildings of Portland’s Skyline Are in Trouble’ in Willamette Week

City of Portland Residential Infill Project Report

‘Milwaukie Becomes Second-Largest Oregon City to Pass Natural Gas Ban Resolutions’ on KGW8