Portland Streamlines Permits to Boost Economic Growth

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Portland, Oregon-Today, Portland's City Council took action on how it handles building permits. After decades of attempts, Council President Dunphy and his co-sponsors are holding the City accountable for performance, ensuring its permitting timelines and customer service are competitive with its Metro neighbors.

City Council voted unanimously to adopt a resolution supporting the Code Alignment Project 2. This resolution, co-sponsored by Councilors Avalos, Morillo, Novick, and Ryan, will reestablish a Permitting Improvement Team to begin the work of streamlining the City's permitting codes, regulations, and development review processes.

This resolution aims to improve timelines while ensuring consistency and predictably throughout the permitting process. Specifically, it will:

• Improve code clarity and simplify regulations for increased permitting efficiency.
• Reduce costly delays and fees for housing development, business investments, and home improvement projects.
• Solidify coordination between City bureaus.
• Provide a permanent framework to deliver accountability, consistency and transparency throughout the permitting process.
• Strengthen Portland's competitiveness as a place to build, invest, and work.

This policy marks a major step towards modernizing the City's permitting system, making it more predictable, timely, and accessible for homeowners, developers, and small businesses everywhere.

"As Chair of the Housing and Permitting Committee, I've heard repeatedly from applicants, architects, housing providers, and community organizations that navigating our permitting system can be one of the biggest barriers to getting projects built," said Councilor Avalos. "CAP 2.0 will make that experience and our government work better. I'm grateful for the support of my colleagues and staff as we continue to build a permitting system that is more efficient, more accountable, and better serves both the public and the City."

Every unnecessary permitting delay drives up housing costs, increases expenses for homeowners and small businesses, discouraging people from investing in Portland. That's why the Permitting Improvement Team will lead in identifying and resolving conflicts between City codes and driving continuous improvement to Portland's development review process to resolve these costly delays.

Despite numerous prior attempts to make it more responsive to customer needs, Portland's permitting system has largely remained a patchwork of multiple bureaus operating independently with limited coordination, a system where everyone has control but no one is responsible for the whole. Decades of siloed operations has created layers of complexity, resulting in increased cost and confusion for people trying to build housing, improve their homes, open businesses, or invest in our city.

"When permits take too long, they hold up housing, slow economic growth, and raise costs for everyone," Councilor Morillo said. "We need to make sure our city builds a permitting system that is quicker, better organized, and more responsive. This is a smart way to improve how our government works and supports residents, small businesses, and everyone who helps our city thrive."

By improving permitting timelines and increasing consistency, Portland can make it faster and more affordable to build homes, reduce regulatory burdens on renovation projects and small businesses, and demonstrate that Portland is serious about becoming a place where people can confidently build and invest.

"With today's passage of the CAP 2.0 resolution, we're bringing a true customer service focus back to Portland Permitting & Development with the reestablishment of the Permitting Improvement Team (PIT)," said Councilor Ryan. "We need action and results to demonstrate that economic development is a key priority for Portland. CAP 2.0 is an essential step forward for both."

The resolution also requires regular public reporting to Council and the public on implementation progress, ensuring transparency and accountability as these changes move forward. Rather than waiting years for improvements, code updates will come before Council as they are ready so meaningful progress is made in real time.

"Passing the CAP 2.0 resolution is not the finish line, but rather the starting point. My office is not taking its foot off the gas. We will continue working alongside the City Administrator, bureau staff, industry professionals, and community members to ensure these reforms are implemented, measured, and improved upon over time," Council President Dunphy said.

Today's vote represents meaningful progress. Now, the focus shifts to implementation and ensuring these reforms deliver real results for the people who rely on our permitting system.