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A bill being discussed by Oregon legislators would allow cities to expand their urban growth boundaries to accommodate more housing.

The legislation, House Bill 4082, would permit cities to bring in up to 50 acres or 100 acres, depending on a city鈥檚 size, to house residents age 55 or older, or to locate manufactured homes.

The bill was introduced at Gov. Tina Kotek鈥檚 request. Kotek testified in favor of the bill on Tuesday.

鈥淭oo many older Oregonians are one emergency away from losing their housing,鈥� Kotek said. 鈥�(HB 4082) helps cities create affordable homes for seniors and supports lower-cost manufactured home communities so people can age in place with dignity and stability.鈥�

The land must be 鈥渘on-resource or exception land鈥� under state law. The tool could provide space for 200 to 400 manufactured homes, according to the governor鈥檚 office.

鈥淭here simply isn鈥檛 enough affordable, accessible housing for low-income older adults in Oregon,鈥� Stephanie J. Hooper, president and CEO of AGE+, an Oregon nonprofit group, stated in a news release. 鈥淲e support HB 4082 because it would intentionally expand the kind of housing stock older Oregonians need to age well in community.鈥�

HB 4082 isn鈥檛 the only bill that would grant new exceptions to urban growth boundaries. HB 4035, from Rep. Pam Marsh, D-Ashland, would make it easier for cities outside the metro area to add land inside their boundaries, and allow up to 150 acres of residential land (up from 100) to be added to cities with populations of 25,000 or more.

Lawmakers are also pushing another bill, Senate Bill 1586, that would add rural land reserves in Washington County inside Metro boundaries for high-tech and advanced manufacturing uses.