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Middle housing could help ease Portland housing crunch

Policy is just one piece as housing production overall slows.

Real Estate

Portland has been held up nationally as a model for building more affordable &quot;middle&quot; housing units, but recent data suggests a sharp slowdown in construction — a sign that policy is just one remedy for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="easing the city&#x27;s housing crisis" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/01/28/portland-housing-unaffordable-middle-income" data-vars-content-id="eb89a1cb-fb61-4d2b-b89e-ca3bf5fea816" data-vars-headline="Middle housing could help ease Portland housing crunch" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/01/28/portland-housing-unaffordable-middle-income" target="_self">easing the city&#x27;s housing crisis</a>.The big picture: A recent <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Washington Post report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/03/18/portland-housing-infill-ratio-duplexes/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzc0MzI0ODAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzc1NzA3MTk5LCJpYXQiOjE3NzQzMjQ4MDAsImp0aSI6ImYyOGEzOGExLTY1ZDUtNGMwNS1hNTE1LWQwYWQzOTUyNmZmNiIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9idXNpbmVzcy8yMDI2LzAzLzE4L3BvcnRsYW5kLWhvdXNpbmctaW5maWxsLXJhdGlvLWR1cGxleGVzLyJ9.t6_eWGOgooL-IHqkzQK0VznNvYD9r3k6-0IFrlowZAc" data-vars-content-id="eb89a1cb-fb61-4d2b-b89e-ca3bf5fea816" data-vars-headline="Middle housing could help ease Portland housing crunch" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/03/18/portland-housing-infill-ratio-duplexes/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzc0MzI0ODAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzc1NzA3MTk5LCJpYXQiOjE3NzQzMjQ4MDAsImp0aSI6ImYyOGEzOGExLTY1ZDUtNGMwNS1hNTE1LWQwYWQzOTUyNmZmNiIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9idXNpbmVzcy8yMDI2LzAzLzE4L3BvcnRsYW5kLWhvdXNpbmctaW5maWxsLXJhdGlvLWR1cGxleGVzLyJ9.t6_eWGOgooL-IHqkzQK0VznNvYD9r3k6-0IFrlowZAc" target="_blank">Washington Post report</a> highlighted Portland&#x27;s success in spurring middle housing units (duplexes, fourplexes, accessory dwelling units and &quot;cottage clusters&quot;) through its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Residential Infill Project" data-vars-click-url="https://www.portland.gov/bps/planning/rip" data-vars-content-id="eb89a1cb-fb61-4d2b-b89e-ca3bf5fea816" data-vars-headline="Middle housing could help ease Portland housing crunch" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.portland.gov/bps/planning/rip" target="_blank">Residential Infill Project</a> (RIP), which loosened local zoning laws to incentivize denser development on a single lot.

Thousands expected in Portland No Kings rallies

Organizers expect millions to join nationwide protests, with dozens planned locally.

News

Organizers across the U.S. are planning more than 3,000 local events Saturday for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="No Kings" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/17/trump-no-kings-protest-safety-tips" data-vars-content-id="fbe76952-bedd-4b5c-852b-10d3e28673eb" data-vars-headline="Thousands expected in Portland No Kings rallies" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/17/trump-no-kings-protest-safety-tips" target="_self">No Kings</a> Day of Nonviolent Action, including protests and rallies in and around Portland.The big picture: Progressive political groups, labor unions and human and civil rights organizations expect Saturday&#x27;s demonstrations to surpass last year&#x27;s No Kings rallies in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="June" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2025/06/14/photos-no-kings-protests-downtown-chicago-trump" data-vars-content-id="fbe76952-bedd-4b5c-852b-10d3e28673eb" data-vars-headline="Thousands expected in Portland No Kings rallies" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2025/06/14/photos-no-kings-protests-downtown-chicago-trump" target="_self">June</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="October" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/18/no-kings-protests-october-18-turnout" data-vars-content-id="fbe76952-bedd-4b5c-852b-10d3e28673eb" data-vars-headline="Thousands expected in Portland No Kings rallies" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/18/no-kings-protests-october-18-turnout" target="_self">October</a>.

What Portland homeowners do for a living

Rising costs reshape who can buy homes in Portland, with educators leading.

Those in the education and social services sectors are most likely to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="own homes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/19/affordable-homes-metro-income" data-vars-content-id="424fc0ab-e71f-494b-88fe-e4aedea7cd6a" data-vars-headline="What Portland homeowners do for a living" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/19/affordable-homes-metro-income" target="_self">own homes</a> in Portland, according to a new analysis shared exclusively with Axios.Why it matters: Who can afford to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="own a home" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/01/27/home-down-payment-time-2025" data-vars-content-id="424fc0ab-e71f-494b-88fe-e4aedea7cd6a" data-vars-headline="What Portland homeowners do for a living" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/01/27/home-down-payment-time-2025" target="_self">own a home</a> is shifting — reflecting rising housing costs and changing job geography, per the National Association of Realtors analysis of census data.

Proposed project would tackle Willamette pollution and toxic lagoon

The proposed project would reuse contaminated soil to cut costs and reduce toxic algae.

The Willamette River faces two big problems in Portland: a long-polluted site and a lagoon that spawns <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="toxic algae blooms" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2025/08/11/ross-island-toxic-algae-bloom" data-vars-content-id="0357c0a4-775b-4839-90e2-ddf93bab5cfc" data-vars-headline="Proposed project would tackle Willamette pollution and toxic lagoon" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2025/08/11/ross-island-toxic-algae-bloom" target="_self">toxic algae blooms</a>. One new proposal aims to fix them both.Why it matters: The plan could cut cleanup costs and meet state requirements to reclaim the lagoon.

What Portland will see during the solar eclipse

A third of the sun will be shadowed, and it might get slightly dim.

Eclipse

Portland is a long way from the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="path of totality" data-vars-click-url="https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/where-when/" data-vars-content-id="f73ccfa1-7f1d-47e3-bf44-432fadae9bc8" data-vars-headline="What Portland will see during the solar eclipse" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/where-when/" target="_blank">path of totality</a> for Monday morning&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="solar eclipse" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/03/18/solar-eclipse-april-8-travel-hype" data-vars-content-id="f73ccfa1-7f1d-47e3-bf44-432fadae9bc8" data-vars-headline="What Portland will see during the solar eclipse" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/03/18/solar-eclipse-april-8-travel-hype" target="_self">solar eclipse</a>, but we can still enjoy our modest display.Why it matters: Total solar eclipses are rare — we won&#x27;t see <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="another one" data-vars-click-url="https://apnews.com/article/total-solar-eclipse-travel-14b52646d918184922d651bf8c8daab2" data-vars-content-id="f73ccfa1-7f1d-47e3-bf44-432fadae9bc8" data-vars-headline="What Portland will see during the solar eclipse" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://apnews.com/article/total-solar-eclipse-travel-14b52646d918184922d651bf8c8daab2" target="_blank">another one</a> span the contiguous U.S. until 2045, Jim Todd, space educator at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), tells Axios.

Path of the April 8, 2024 eclipse

Percentage of the sun that will be covered by the moon at the peak of Monday's solar eclipse. Data: NASA; Map: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals