CITY OF BROOKINGS
For immediate release
September 2, 2026
City of Brookings Advances Housing Planning
Following Community Open House and Joint Workshop
BROOKINGS, Ore. – September 2, 2026 – The City of Brookings continued its efforts to address current and future housing needs this week through a community Open House on Monday, August 31, followed by a Special Joint Workshop of the Brookings City Council and Planning Commission on Tuesday, September 1.
The two events provided an opportunity for community members, City Officials, City staff, and Green Top PDR, the City’s planning consultants, to review and discuss the preliminary findings of the Brookings Housing Needs Analysis (HNA). The HNA is examining housing demand, affordability, available residential land and potential strategies to encourage housing production over the next 20 years.
The Joint workshop brought the City Council and Planning Commission together specifically to review the draft Housing Needs Analysis and discuss the findings before the document moves forward in the public review and adoption process.
“This process is about much more than completing a planning requirement,” said Brookings City Manager Tim Rundel. “Housing affects our ability to retain our workforce, support young families, care for our older residents, attract new businesses and maintain a healthy community. The Open House gave residents an opportunity to look directly at the information, talk with the people doing the analysis and tell us what they believe Brookings should be focusing on.”
Community participation has been a significant component of the HNA. Public outreach has included an online housing survey, stakeholder meetings, community events, City communications, social media and other outreach intended to reach residents, renters, property owners, workers, seniors and households experiencing housing instability.
The preliminary analysis confirms that affordability remains one of the community’s largest housing concerns. Eighty-two percent of survey respondents identified housing costs relative to local incomes as a concern, increasing to 95 percent among renters. Workforce housing was also identified as a significant issue. The analysis found that nearly 40 percent of Brookings renter households spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs.
The HNA also looks beyond the number of homes Brookings may need. It examines what types of housing will be needed, where housing can realistically be built and what barriers may be preventing development. The preliminary analysis identifies a state housing production target of 1,915 additional homes within the Brookings Urban Growth Boundary over the 20-year planning period. It also examines issues such as available buildable land, infrastructure and the need for housing at different income levels.
Among the potential strategies discussed through the HNA process are System Development Charge reductions, annexation incentives, a Moderate Income Revolving Loan Program, Multiple Unit Property Tax Exemptions, local infrastructure funding options, a Land Development Code audit, a short-term rental policy assessment, annexation and Urban Growth Boundary analysis, and development of a Homelessness Action Plan. These are potential strategies for further consideration and do not represent final City policy decisions.
“The important thing is that we are not approaching housing with a single solution,” Rundel said. “Brookings has some unique challenges. We need to look at infrastructure, development costs, available land, rental housing, workforce housing and our development regulations together. Some of these ideas may move forward and others may not, but having this information allows the Council and Planning Commission to make those decisions thoughtfully.”
The preliminary HNA also highlights the importance of maintaining housing choices for a changing community. While Brookings has an older-than-average population, it continues to have a significant population of families with children. Community input also showed strong interest in smaller and starter homes, multifamily housing and other housing options that could serve workers, younger families and residents at different stages of life.
Following the Open House and Joint Workshop, City staff and consultants will continue refining the Housing Needs Analysis and incorporating feedback before the document proceeds through the formal Planning Commission and City Council review process.
“The people who live and work here understand the housing problem because they experience it every day,” Rundel said. “Our goal is to take that community experience, combine it with solid data and develop practical strategies that can actually make a difference in Brookings.”