Portland extends housing emergency for three more years

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The City Council in Portland, Oregon, voted unanimously to extend the citywide housing state of emergency for three more years. KOIN-TV reports the housing state of emergency declaration gives the city flexibility when it comes to zoning. Portland’s zoning code does not allow mass shelters on industrial property, but with the extension the city says it can bypass those zoning laws to build shelters​. The decision comes as the city tries to figure out a more permanent solution to the housing crisis. Portland’s housing and homeless crisis has been exacerbated during the pandemic.