Do they make it easier to grab cheaper land for housing outside the growth boundaries? Do they work even harder to pack more homes of all kinds in existing communities? A modern McCall in spiritĬlimate change and gigantic housing shortages weren’t problems that Tom McCall faced. In her new position, Hallovà is also facing another urgent problem: Oregon faces a huge housing shortage that is among the worst in the nation.Ī lot of that shortage is unrelated to our growth system.īut state leaders do have to make big decisions about Oregon’s land controls. And there are more determined efforts to revamp Oregon’s existing communities to squeeze in more housing. There are more apartments and smaller lots for single-family homes. Over time, Oregonians have learned that living more compactly changes the look and feel of cities. However, publicly at least, he didn’t focus on how keeping development off so much of Oregon’s land would change lives within the cities and suburbs. Tom McCall oversaw the creation of the revolutionary system of state growth controls a half-century ago, he promised to fight for the landscapes that he feared the state was in danger of losing to sprawling development. In the last installment, I’ll talk about where the system is headed. In previous stories, I’ve chronicled the history of Oregon’s land-use system, and how it affects the state we live in today. “Just like we were a leader in thinking about preserving farmland forestland,” she tells me, “I believe that in the future, we’re going to be a leader in housing equity.” She’s the panel’s first Black member, and she’s passionate about providing housing - including for marginalized Oregonians.

She chairs the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission, which oversees the state’s growth system. Hallovà has a big stake in how cities - and the state - grow. “A big focus of what I’m interested in,” she says, “is how do we unlock the potential of a lot of the vacant land in our cities.” She imagines denser urban areas less divided by race and income. She wants to grow more homes in existing neighborhoods - lots of them. It doesn’t matter if it’s a backyard or a weedy empty lot. Hallovà seems to see opportunity everywhere she looks. It frees up older buildings to essentially start reducing their pricing because they have competition from new buildings.” “The deal is, the more supply we have, the more affordability. She even defends an old apartment building that’s seen better days.Īnyeley Hallovà chairs the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission, which oversees the state’s growth system. She praises a new eight-unit apartment building that is set back from the street so it doesn’t overwhelm the single-family homes on either side. She sees a lot more on the walk that pleases her. “It’s set in the back, beautiful architecture, well-scaled has a beautiful garden in front of it.” “You might not have noticed it if we walked by,” Hallovà says. She says she’s impressed by how seamlessly the new house was added to the existing property. She’s periodically stopped by as a second house was under construction in the backyard.

Anyeley Hallovà and I are walking in her inner Northeast Portland neighborhood on a drizzly spring day.

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