Public comment sought on draft permanent administrative rule for Temporary System Development Charge Exemption for Residential Housing Projects
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Source: Public comment sought on draft permanent administrative rule for Temporary System Development Charge Exemption for Residential Housing Projects ↗ Last modified: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 19:57:26 GMT
Introduction
In July 2025, the Portland City Council adopted an ordinance ↗ that temporarily exempts newly created housing units from System Development Charges (SDCs) in most circumstances. The goal of the ordinance is to promote the creation of 5,000 new housing units over a three-year period. In conjunction with the ordinance, a temporary administrative rule, ENB-13.29 - Temporary System Development Charge Exemption for Residential Housing Projects ↗, was adopted to provide guidance for the public.
Because the original administrative rule was adopted as temporary, Permitting & Development and other City bureaus are providing a draft of the permanent rule for public review and feedback.
The proposed permanent rule draft only includes minor updates to rule language clarifying references to city code. No policy changes are proposed from what is currently in effect through the temporary administrative rule.
How to provide public comment
The public is invited to provide testimony on the draft rule prior to its permanent adoption. A copy of the draft rule language, with changes indicated, can be downloaded from the link below.
Written comments will be accepted until noon on Monday, May 11, 2026. Please contact Alice Nielsen at 503-823-2728 or Alice.Nielsen@portlandoregon.gov with questions or to submit written comments.
What comes next
Following the closure of the public comment period, Permitting & Development staff will consider any further changes to the proposed text and submit it to the deputy city administrator for community and economic development, who will approve and begin implementing the final administrative rule no later than Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.