Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br />Draft Summary Report: Eugene Housing Tools & Strategies 1 <br /> INTRODUCTION <br />Enabling quality housing at a range of price points is a high priority for the City of Eugene. In May 2018, <br />the Eugene City Council passed a motion to have staff implement a process to identify barriers to <br />housing affordability, availability, and diversity, and to suggest, evaluate, and recommend possible <br />strategies and tools to address the barriers. In support of that process this summary report provides <br />findings from an evaluation of a range of housing tools and strategies. The tool evaluation was <br />conducted in conjunction with the Housing Tools and Strategies Working Group, which is making <br />recommendations to City Council on options to improve housing affordability, availability and diversity <br />in Eugene. This summary report highlights key findings from the evaluation and will be followed by a <br />full report including additional background information, analytical results and assumptions. <br />Following this introduction, this summary report summarizes population and household <br />characteristics within the City of Eugene, provides an overview of recent trends in market rate rents <br />and sales prices and construction permits, and provides background information on affordable <br />housing and housing affordability in Eugene. The summary report also provides key findings from the <br />evaluation of accessory dwelling units and construction excise tax. Note that this summary report is <br />based on data and information available at the time of writing in December 2018, including <br />published data sources, interviews with property owners and developers, and City of Eugene <br />provided data. Additional, updated information and results may be provided in the full report. <br /> BACKGROUND INFORMATION <br />Population and Household Characteristics <br />This section summarizes demographic and housing characteristics for Eugene and other places in <br />Oregon. Figure 1 summarizes key population and household characteristics for Eugene, Lane County, <br />and Oregon as a whole. Figure 2 provides an overview of how Eugene has been growing compared to <br />select cities in Oregon. <br />Compared to other places in Oregon, Eugene is characterized as follows: <br /> Higher share of individuals aged 18 to 24 years old. Young adults in the typical college-age <br />range account for 19 percent of Eugene’s total population. The 23,500 students enrolled at <br />the University of Oregon make the largest contribution to Eugene’s share of this age group. <br /> Larger share of nonfamily households and people living alone. Thirty-three percent of <br />households are householders living alone while 15 percent are other nonfamily households, <br />which includes households made up of non-related housemates or roommates. Seniors make <br />up one quarter of householders living alone. The share of seniors among total one-person <br />households has grown from 21 percent since 2000. <br /> Relatively low income. At just under $45,000, median household incomes in Eugene are lower <br />than those in Lane County and in Oregon as a whole. <br /> Higher overall poverty rate. Eugene’s overall poverty rate is 23.1 percent, compared to a rate <br />of 13.2 percent for Oregon as a whole. Family households account for about half of the people <br />living under the poverty line in Eugene. College students living in off-campus housing account <br />December 12, 2018, Work Session - Item 2