Portland Council advances housing exemption and EV-charging funding ordinances
Portland City Council advanced two ordinances to a second reading scheduled for July 29, 2026: a temporary affordable-homeownership exemption measure and a proposal to create a city code chapter for electric-vehicle charging-system funding.
The actions at the council’s July 22-23 meeting were procedural advances, not final enactments. The official council agenda identifies second-reading proceedings for both measures on July 29.
Housing ordinance would temporarily remove specified requirements
Ordinance 2026-205 would temporarily remove income requirements for certain affordable-homeownership units covered by specified system-development-charge exemptions. Mayor Keith Wilson introduced the measure.
The proposal concerns a defined set of affordable-homeownership units associated with the listed exemptions. The agenda record does not establish that the ordinance would remove income limits across all affordable housing, nor does it establish that the change has taken effect.
Council considered two proposed amendments to the housing ordinance before moving it forward. One amendment failed on a recorded 2-10 vote, and another failed 4-8. Following those votes, the ordinance passed to the July 29 second reading.
The Housing Bureau is identified in the July 29-30 council agenda as a relevant city department for the second-reading proceedings.
EV measure would add a funding code chapter
Ordinance 2026-209 would add Portland Code Chapter 26.11 for electric-vehicle charging-system funding. Councilor Eric Zimmerman introduced the ordinance, which is tied to the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund.
Like the housing measure, the EV-charging ordinance passed to a July 29 second reading rather than being recorded in the cited agenda as finally passed. The Bureau of Fleet and Facilities is identified as a relevant city department in the July 29-30 agenda.
The agenda materials establish the proposed code chapter and its connection to EV charging-system funding, but do not specify an exact fiscal allocation under the proposed funding code.
What happens next
The next identified step for Ordinances 2026-205 and 2026-209 was the July 29 second-reading proceeding. A second reading is distinct from final passage; the agenda records supplied for these measures do not by themselves show final approval, implementation or enforcement.
If enacted after the required council process, the housing ordinance could change eligibility rules for the specified affordable-homeownership development context, while the EV measure could establish a municipal code framework for charging-system funding. Those potential effects remain contingent on final legislative action reflected in a later record.
Sources
- July 22-23, 2026 Council agenda, City of Portland
- July 29-30, 2026 Council agenda, City of Portland