Requires the Housing and Community Services Department to develop a housing stipend pilot program to provide housing stipends to individuals to move to a city where their labor is expected to benefit economic development of the city.

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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
House Bill 2655
Sponsored by Representative EVANS (Presession filed.)
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced. The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: This Act makes OHCS create a housing stipend pilot program in three counties. (Flesch
Readability Score: 76.5).
Requires the Housing and Community Services Department to develop a housing stipend pilot
program to provide housing stipends to individuals to move to a city where their labor is expected
to benefit economic development of the city. Establishes an advisory board to consult with the de-
partment on the development of the program.
Requires the department to report to an interim committee of the Legislative Assembly on the
program on or before September 15, 2028.
Appropriates moneys from the General Fund to the department for the program.
Sunsets on January 2, 2031.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to a strategic housing stipend pilot program.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
Sections 2 and 3 of this 2025 Act are added to and made a part of ORS
chapter 458.
SECTION 2. (1) The Housing and Community Services Department shall develop a stra-
tegic housing stipend pilot program to provide housing stipends to individuals whose labor is
expected to meet the needs of a city’s economy as established by criteria that have been
developed by an advisory board described in section 3 of this 2025 Act.
(2) The department shall select three cities to participate in the pilot program, including
one city with a population greater than 55,000, one city with a population greater than 10,000
and not more than 55,000 and one city with a population of 10,000 or less.
(3) Individuals qualifying for stipends under this section must:
(a) Agree to move to the city from outside the city;
(b) Have skills or a career that benefits the economic development or other goals of the
city;
(c) During the period for which stipends are awarded:
(A) Reside in the city;
(B) Be employed within the city full time; and
(C) Have a household income between 60 percent and 120 percent of the area median in-
come; and
(d) Meet any other qualifications adopted by the advisory board under section 3 of this
2025 Act.
(4) Housing stipends provided under this section:
(a) Must be given on a monthly basis;
(b) May not be given to the same individual or family for a period of more than 18
NOTE: Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [ italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 3307
HB 2655
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months; and
(c) May not exceed $300 per month.
(5) The department may contract with one or more nonprofit organizations to administer
the pilot program or a portion of the pilot program.
SECTION 3.
(1) In developing the strategic housing stipend pilot program described in
section 2 of this 2025 Act, including the qualifications and employment sector targets for
each city, the Housing and Community Services Department shall consult with an advisory
board.
(2) The advisory board consists of seven members, appointed as follows:
(a) The Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries shall appoint one member
to represent the Bureau of Labor and Industries;
(b) The Director of the Employment Department shall appoint one member to represent
the Employment Department;
(c) The Director of Veterans’ Affairs shall appoint one member to represent the De-
partment of Veterans’ Affairs;
(d) The Director of the Housing and Community Services Department shall appoint one
member to represent the League of Oregon Cities; and
(e) The governing bodies of the three pilot cities selected under section 2 (2) of this 2025
Act shall each appoint one member to represent economic development policy of the city.
(3) The Housing and Community Services Department shall staff the meetings of the
advisory board. The advisory board shall meet at times established by the department.
(4) Members of the advisory board are not entitled to compensation for service as a
member.
(5) If there is a vacancy on the advisory board for any cause, the appointing authority
shall appoint a replacement.
(6) A majority of the members of the advisory board constitutes a quorum.
SECTION 4.
On or before September 15, 2028, the Housing and Community Services De-
partment shall provide a report to an appropriate interim committee of the Legislative As-
sembly in the manner provided in ORS 192.245 on the strategic housing stipend pilot program
developed under section 2 of this 2025 Act.
SECTION 5. In addition to and not in lieu of any other appropriation, there is appropri-
ated to the Housing and Community Services Department, for the biennium beginning July
1, 2025, out of the General Fund, the amount of $10,000,000, for carrying out the purposes of
sections 2 and 3 of this 2025 Act.
SECTION 6.
Section 3 of this 2025 Act is repealed on January 2, 2027.
SECTION 7. Section 2 of this 2025 Act is repealed on January 2, 2031.
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