Housing Development Incentives

Land Acquisition for Affordable Housing
Also known as the Land Bank program, the City of Eugene acquires properties and prepares them for future affordable housing development. The acquisition process involves selection of an appropriate site, neighborhood outreach, environmental review and other due diligence activities, and a review by an Evaluation Committee. The City Council makes final decisions on land acquisition.

The development process for sites acquired through the Land Acquisition program is separate, and likely to happen several years after the acquisition is complete. The City performs neighborhood outreach, and releases a Request for Proposals to solicit development proposals from housing providers. An Evaluation Committee reviews and scores the development proposals, and makes a recommendation to City Council for final decision. A brief summary of the Land Acquisition policy is here.

Low-income Rental Housing Property Tax Exemption (LIRHPTE)  The 20 year Low-income Rental Housing Property Tax Exemption (LIRHPTE) is enabled by state statute. The LIRHPTE provides a 20 year exemption for rental properties constructed after February 12, 1990, or rental properties owned by 501c(3) non-profits. LIRHPTE is for properties that are offered for rent or held for the purpose of developing low-income rental housing. The income limit for the program is 60 percent of the area median income based on household size, as determined annually by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. More information here.

City of Eugene Systems Development Charge (SDC) Exemptions

Housing for low-income persons is eligible for an exemption from paying local charges imposed by Eugene City Code (EC) 7.705, per  EC section 7.725.  All local SDCs are eligible to be exempted through the program, except Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission (MWMC) regional wastewater fees (in most cases). There is a limited amount of exemptions available annually, so an exemption is not guaranteed for all developments that qualify. 

To help provide a clear framework and process for projects interested in getting SDC exemptions, the City will be using a request for proposal (RFP) process to allocate funds.

The FY23 Request for Proposals (RFP) for SDC Exemptions were due April 26, 2023.  For more information contact Laura Hammond.

The SDC exemption may be used to support rental development and homeownership development.  The income limit for rental development is 60 percent of the area median income, and for homeownership, development is 80 percent of the area median income, based on the income limits published annually by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.  The affordability requirement must be met for a minimum period of five years.  For more information regarding SDC exemptions, please see this summary of the program.

City of Eugene Green Building Incentives
The City has a voluntary Green Building Incentive Program to encourage sustainable building practices in our community.