Winterbrook Planning partnered with multiple Oregon communities during the 2023–2025 DLCD Housing Planning Assistance grant cycle to support housing production, compliance with state requirements, and long-range planning efforts. Through this work, our team helped cities navigate complex land use regulations, evaluate growth needs, and develop actionable strategies to increase housing availability, affordability, and choice. The following projects highlight Winterbrook’s role in advancing locally tailored solutions across five communities.

Dayton, OR

Dayton engaged with Winterbrook to prepare recommendations for comprehensive plan amendments to comply with housing-related statutes and facilitate housing production, affordability, and choice. Winterbrook prepared a residential buildable land inventory and conducted an audit of Dayton’s comprehensive plan. A large element of the project was extensive public engagement on housing issues and middle housing options. Winterbrook’s recommendations  laid the groundwork for comprehensive plan updates needed after the 2025 HCA and incorporated information from a buildable lands inventory, middle housing engagement, and input from the public.

Happy Valley, OR

Winterbrook led the creation of a Housing Production Strategy (HPS) for the City of Happy Valley. The HPS is mandated by Oregon law and a significant step in creating new housing opportunities. The final HPS Report – unanimously adopted by Happy Valley City Council in a public hearing – contextualizes housing needs, describes current efforts and factors affecting housing production, and sets out actions the city will take over the following six years.

Balancing the requirements of the state law and collaboration with city stakeholders, Winterbrook engaged in a robust process to finalize the HPS. The process required demographic analysis, public engagement, work with city staff, and the producing of a detailed set of strategies. Strategies address key barriers to housing production and the housing needs in Happy Valley: Clarifying Existing Opportunities, Address Availability and Cost of Land and Infrastructure, Reducing Local Regulatory Barriers, and Incentivizing Affordable and Accessible Housing.

Rainier, OR

Winterbrook supported the City of Rainier in evaluating the feasibility of an Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) swap. Winterbrook conducted a residential buildable lands inventory to determine residential buildable land within the UGB and an alternatives analysis to explore potentially suitable lands for inclusion into the UGB. This analysis provided the context necessary to determine if a swap is a viable option, and provided the foundation for Winterbrook to prepare a UGB swap application consistent with state requirements.

Sweet Home, OR

Winterbrook prepared a locally-tailored housing production strategy in collaboration with the City of Sweet Home Community Development Department and local roundtable participants. The HPS included a “contextualized housing needs analysis,” documentation of an effective community outreach program, and six broad production strategies supported by a series of specific and measurable actions.
A key feature of the Sweet Home HPS included measurable production targets – to be included in the comprehensive plan – for middle housing and multi-family housing. DLCD and housing advocacy groups praised the city’s commitment to providing measurable strategies that affirmatively further fair housing objectives.

Tangent, OR

Winterbrook provided the City of Tangent with analysis to use as the basis for establishing an Urban Reserve. Winterbrook inventoried residential and employment land within the Urban Growth boundary, projected growth over the next 50 years, and analyzed alternative locations for the establishment of an Urban Reserve consistent with State statute. Winterbrook coordinated with the City and City Engineer to provide a public facility analysis for potential urban reserves and informed nearby jurisdictions on planning efforts. Winterbrook presented the analysis to the community at an open house and to the Planning Commission and City Council.

Pendleton, OR

Winterbrook Planning prepared an updated Housing Capacity Analysis (HCA) for the City of Pendleton. The project included a residential buildable lands inventory (BLI) and an update to the City’s 2019 HCA, which had not been adopted, to incorporate current data and ensure compliance with ORS 197.296. These analyses assessed the availability of residential land and the City’s ability to accommodate housing needs over a 20-year planning period. Winterbrook presented the findings in a Planning Commission work session, responding to questions and refining the analysis. The final results were presented to both the Planning Commission and City Council, after which the HCA was formally adopted.