From Oregon Journalism Project: Oregon’s housing supply increased only about 5% between 2020-2025

U.S. Census Bureau data released May 14 shows the number of Oregon housing units climbed to 1.9 million, up from 1.8 million, over the five years, an increase of 5%. The state’s population rose only 0.7%, but Oregon still faces a housing crisis after years of underdevelopment.

From 2024-2025, builders constructed only 14,000 new units, according to the newly released estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau. That output fell far below the goal of 36,000 units a year that Gov. Tina Kotek established in 2023 after declaring homelessness a state emergency.

“Year after year in Oregon, we didn't build enough homes, and we see the consequences of that on our streets, in our forests, in our lives, in our spare bedrooms,” says Michael Anderson, a director at Sightline Institute, a nonprofit think tank studying the Pacific Northwest.

Housing scarcity leads to higher rents, which can contribute to financial insecurity, lower job migration, and more homelessness. OJP previously reported that nearly half of the renters in the state are “rent-burdened,” meaning they pay more than 30% of their income for housing.

The census data pointed to some bright spots. In Central Oregon, Deschutes and Crook counties have the highest rates of housing supply growth since 2020 — 11.6% and 10.6%, respectively. Crook County’s housing supply growth matches its estimated population growth.

Housing growth in large cities, including Portland, was outpaced by growth on their outskirts as well as within midsized cities.

Lincoln and Wheeler counties, which have two of the state’s oldest populations, saw population growth under 1%. But their numbers of housing units climbed by 3.8% and 4.6%, respectively.

Some of the new units in Lincoln County are for seniors who cannot afford market rate housing and face homelessness, says Karen Rockwell, executive director of the Lincoln County Housing Authority.

“We cater our development to that population,” Rockwell says, noting a new apartment building in Lincoln City “was made with homeless seniors in mind.”

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This story was produced by the Oregon Journalism Project (oregonjournalismproject.org), a nonprofit investigative newsroom for the state of Oregon.