Construction

Oregon is facing a significant housing shortage, needing to construct about 29,500 additional homes annually, primarily in the Portland region and Willamette Valley.

At issue is whether the state should require union labor on big construction projects.

The U.S. is short approximately four million homes. Wharton economist Ben Keys traces the beginning of the housing crisis to the 2008 financial meltdown — and says climate change is making things worse.

More women and people of color are working in construction related jobs than a decade ago. But there’s still significant work to be done.

The Deschutes River through Bend will look unusually low again this fall and winter

Experts say there isn't a quick fix to undo decades of underbuilding. But there are steps policymakers and Oregonians can take.

A recent city poll of local housing developers identified some new building requirements — ranging from mandatory bicycle parking spaces to bird-safe windows — as policies the city should suspend to accelerate housing development in Portland.

A new Oregon State University study shows an increased number of traumatic injuries on the job as the temperature rises, with rates higher among agriculture and construction workers.

The audit found projects in need of permit approval are routinely hit with longer-than-expected wait times. According to the audit, the city has not reached its timeliness goals for initial review once in the last five years. In 2019, the city provided an on-time review for 27% of new commercial construction projects. For new residential projects, that figure was 7%.

The bureau raises nearly all its own revenue — 98% of its funding comes through construction permit fees. But in the midst of a pandemic, demand for big commercial projects like office buildings or hotels, which are capable of generating sizable permit fees, has plummeted.