March 8, 2023 3:00 a.m.

Governor Tina Kotek has announced her appointments to the Housing Production Advisory Council.

A release said on her first full day in office, Kotek signed an executive order than sets a housing production goal of 36,000 homes per year and established a council of leaders charged with developing an action plan to meet the new construction targets.

Kotek said, “I know too many Oregonians are struggling to find stable housing or are on the verge of losing it”. Kotek said, “Employers, particularly in rural and suburban areas, are struggling to hire and keep staff because there is nowhere for them to live or they are commuting from hours away. This is not sustainable. We must build more housing”.

The release said members of the council include a range of housing leaders, local government representatives, bipartisan legislators, a Tribal member, and relevant state agency directors.

The list of members includes two from southern Oregon: NeighborWorks Umpqua CEO Erica Mills and Daniel Bunn, a Director at ACCESS, the community action agency in Medford.