A new progress report on middle housing production in Portland indicates that recently adopted regulations, known as the Residential Infill Project (RIP) and the Residential Infill Project Part 2 (RIP2), have accelerated the development of more diverse and affordable homeownership opportunities in single-dwelling residential zones.
The City permitted over 1,400 Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and middle-housing units between Aug.1, 2021, and June 30, 2024, in single-dwelling zones. Middle housing is now the most prominent housing type being built in single-dwelling zones, with the majority of production happening in inner east Portland.
These new rules have allowed for more housing production during a time of reduced development activity in commercial and multi-dwelling zones.
“The Residential Infill Project is delivering on its purpose,” said Patricia Diefenderfer, Chief Planner of the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. “We are seeing a meaningful expansion of housing options in some of Portland’s most desirable neighborhoods, making it easier for Portlanders to find homes that meet their needs.”
Middle housing production has also resulted in more affordable homeownership opportunities. The report finds that in 2023-24, the average sales price of a new market-rate middle-housing unit was $250,000 to $300,000 less than that of a new market-rate single detached house.
A complete summary and the full progress report can be found on the City’s website.
RIP, first adopted by Portland City Council in 2021 and then expanded in 2022 as RIP2, was developed as a tool to help address the rising costs of housing in Portland by allowing for multiple smaller homes on individual single-dwelling lots at lower price points. This project created new allowances for middle housing - such as duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, ADUs and cottage clusters - in most of Portland’s single-dwelling residential zones.
Source: Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability