Tina Kotek#

Tina Kotek is Oregon’s 39th Governor, serving since January 2023. Before becoming governor, she represented the 44th district in the Oregon House of Representatives from 2007 to 2022 and served as Speaker of the House from 2013 to 2022—the longest-serving speaker in Oregon history. Housing has been a central focus throughout her political career.

Key Housing Actions#

As Speaker of the House (2013-2022)#

HB 2001 (2019): Kotek’s signature housing achievement as Speaker. She personally championed this “middle housing” bill that ended exclusive single-family zoning statewide, making Oregon the first state to do so. The law requires cities over 25,000 to allow duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, townhomes, and cottage clusters in residential zones.
HB 2003 (2019): Introduced alongside HB 2001, this bill requires cities to develop Housing Production Strategies to plan for their housing needs.
SB 608 (2019): Supported as Speaker, this established Oregon’s statewide rent control and “just cause” eviction protections.

As Governor (2023-present)#

Homelessness State of Emergency: Declared on her first day in office (January 2023) and extended twice since. Under the emergency order, Oregon has created or preserved over 6,250 shelter beds, housed more than 5,500 homeless Oregonians, and prevented nearly 26,000 households from becoming homeless.
Housing Production Goal (EO 23-04): Set an ambitious target of building 36,000 new homes per year—nearly double Oregon’s recent annual average. By 2026, secured approximately $1.5 billion for affordable rental and homeownership projects and financed or opened nearly 14,000 affordable homes with state support.
HB 2138 (2025): Signed into law, this bill streamlines middle housing rules and prevents local governments from blocking duplex and triplex construction on single-family zoned land, building on her earlier HB 2001 work.
HB 3644 (2025): Signed into law, establishing Oregon’s first permanent statewide shelter program with $204M in funding.