Portland Fee-Waiver Program Has Not Substantially Increased Housing Development

Bend, OR, October 19, 2026 —

A city report in Portland, Oregon, found that a program waiving fees for new housing construction has not led to a substantial increase in development. The finding indicates that the fee waiver, though identified as an important factor by developers surveyed, has not been enough to produce a marked rise in construction.

The report also points to broader market conditions and permitting challenges as factors that continue to affect construction rates. The summary of the report does not provide further detail on those conditions or identify which parts of the permitting process developers cited as challenges.

Developer surveys identified the fee waiver as a key factor, but the report’s overall finding distinguishes that consideration from the program’s measured result: development did not increase substantially. The information provided does not specify how many developers were surveyed, how they ranked the waiver against other considerations, or what period the report covered.

The report’s summary also does not state the amount or type of fees waived, when the program began, or the number of housing projects that used it. It does not provide a numerical comparison of construction before and after the waiver or an estimate of the program’s effect. Those details were not included in the information available for this article.

The stated findings point to a gap between a factor developers consider important and a substantial change in development activity. The report summary does not say whether the city plans to revise the program or take other steps. It also does not provide specific recommendations or a timeline for future action.

Story summarized from the original created by Alex Zielinski on www.opb.org, see more information here.

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