Housing Options Project

Accessory Dwelling Unit located on corner of lot behind main home.
Side-by-side, two-story duplex with car parked in the driveway.
Cluster of small cottage homes.
Street lined with two rows of exactly the same style of townhouses.

The Housing Options Project will determine where and how additional housing types, including accessory dwelling units, duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, sixplexes, townhomes, cottage clusters and small courtyard apartments, will be allowed in Beaverton’s residential areas.

We’ll have a lot of housing questions for you soon

Beaverton wants to provide housing choices to meet the needs of a lot of different people who live in Beaverton or want to live in Beaverton.

A new state law also requires that cities like Beaverton allow more different kinds of housing in neighborhoods where we allow only one house per lot now. Some background information:

In March, we provided the City Council a preview of different ways to allow housing variety. Watch the video and see our alternatives explanation.

Our next step is to ask you and your neighbors to help us figure out what new city rules regarding housing variety should look like.

Look for more opportunities to share your ideas in May and June.

Project Description

The project is considering where and how these additional housing types could be allowed to:

  • Provide more places to live for people with different housing needs, preferences and income levels.
  • Encourage diverse housing options so people can stay in their neighborhoods as their needs change.
  • Give property owners more choices and flexibility over what types of housing they can build on their land.
  • Assist with affordability by allowing more units and smaller units in existing neighborhoods.

Project Timeline

The project consists of four phases. The first phase began in July 2018. The fourth phase is anticipated to end by Winter 2021. Public engagement is ongoing, but will be modified in light of the COVID-19 public health emergency and social distancing guidelines.  Below is more information about each phase:

Complete

Phase 1
Identify Issues
  • Study existing neighborhood patterns
  • Research opportunities that allow more housing
  • Collect public input on community priorities

Spring/Summer 2021

Phase 2
Explore Alternatives
  • Develop goals
  • Consider alternative solutions
  • Collect public input on potential alternatives

Fall 2021

Phase 3
Select Alternatives
  • Select preferred solutions
  • Collect public input on preferred solutions
  • Finalize preferred approach

Winter/Spring 21-22

Phase 4
Implement Strategy
  • Develop new city rules for housing variety
  • Collect public input on the new rules
  • Ask City Council to adopt changes