As Oregon works to address our housing shortage, we must remember that a house is more than four walls and a roof; it is the essential framework of life for the people it shelters. I was proud to be a part of passing the state’s recently updated residential and manufactured building codes that put human health, affordability and daily well-being where they belong: at the center of construction standards.

Passing the Eugene Clean Energy Fund this November will help our entire community put real muscle behind those values.

Speeding up home-building is vital, but rushing production should never mean compromising the quality of life inside the home. Our modernized codes ensure new housing is built with efficient heat pump technology as the default, easing economic burden while providing reliable heating during winter freezes and lifesaving cooling during intense summer heat waves.

Coupled with stronger weatherization and air-sealing standards, these homes protect residents from infiltrating wildfire smoke, safeguarding vulnerable lungs when outdoor air quality becomes dangerous.

A truly healthy home for individuals and families is a stable one that residents can afford to live in long-term. High-efficiency standards dramatically reduce monthly utility costs, easing the financial strain on Oregon households while creating healthier indoor spaces.

We do not have to choose between building housing quickly and building housing well, and smart fixes to existing structures can have a major impact. By upholding these modern, human-centered building standards, Oregon ensures that today’s urgent construction delivers safe, healthy and resilient homes for generations to come.

The Eugene Clean Energy Fund’s tax on billion-dollar corporations would bring much-needed funding for these local energy-efficiency upgrades, ensuring that a small amount of the value these corporations extract from our communities stays here, for our future. 

Abraham Kelso
Vice chair, Oregon’s Residential and Manufactured Structures Board
Eugene