Proposed Measure 14-85 FAQ

November 2026. Ballots must be postmarked or placed in a dropbox by 8 p.m., November 3, 2026. The location of dropboxes can be found here.

Taxes would not increase and there would be no additional funding for affordable housing.

Prior to referring Measure 14-85 to the ballot, the City has worked to address housing affordability by limiting the growth of short-term rentals, levying a 1% excise tax on construction to fund affordable housing, providing density bonuses for modest housing types, low-income utility assistance, subsidies for space-efficient housing, and sponsoring a new affordable housing complex, Mariposa Village.

Housing affordability continues to be a major challenge facing residents. Proposed Measure 14-85, in addition to these other efforts, is the next step identified in the City’s 2022 Adopted Affordable Housing Strategy.

If passed, Measure 14-85 would authorize new property tax revenue to create housing for those earning 0% to 120% of area median income. Area median income is defined as the midpoint of a specific area’s income distribution. The housing would be for people within the above referenced income range.

If the measure passes, the City’s goal would be to maximize the number of affordable housing units facilitated by the new property tax. Once secured by the proposed property tax, bond funds could be applied to a variety of approaches such as rental, co-ops, or limited-equity ownership (Land Trust Model). That flexibility would let the City take advantage of additional funding or development opportunities as they arise.

If the Measure passes, the City of Hood River would focus on using partnerships and flexibility to increase the impact. For instance, the Mariposa Village project has added homes at a rate of $13,000 in local funding for each unit created.

If the measure is passed and the City issues the bonds, it would undertake a process to identify the best uses for these funds – exploring opportunities for matching funds and partnerships to better leverage the impact of the bond funding. Any housing construction would be required to complete standard permitting and approval processes, giving the community the opportunity to provide input before any projects go forward.

Mariposa Village required roughly $1.7 million in local funding. This came in the form of donated land and system development charge exemptions. This local investment drew in an additional $55 million in State and Federal funding to complete the project. In addition to 130 units of housing, the Mariposa Village includes a community center, regional trail connections, new roadway, enhanced crosswalk on Rand Road, and a new publicly accessible playground. A per unit cost of over $500K is often cited for the project. This includes the cost of all these shared non-unit amenities as well as private financing that was combined with public subsidy.

The City passed a Construction Excise Tax in 2016. This 1% tax on the value of new construction allowed for the purchase of 780 Rand Road which eventually became Mariposa Village. Due to the small amount of local funding contributed (Approx. $1.7 million), the City was only able to serve a limited band of income groups. If passed, the new property tax would fund future housing projects.

The first residents move into Mariposa Village in the summer of 2026 with full project completion expected in early 2027. This is about 7-years after the City purchased the property for the development. This illustrates the long lead time for new real estate projects.

Mariposa Village is a significant addition to the City’s affordable housing inventory, increasing the number of rent controlled units by 32%. There is still a large unmet need. The number of applications for Mariposa Village’s 130-units was 350 after two days and has risen significantly since. Mariposa Village also serves a specific income band of between 30%-60% of Area Median Income. If the measure passes, the new property tax would help the City to get additional projects into the pipeline and address broader housing needs.

Development fees depend on the characteristics of each building, but for an example 1,500 sq. ft. single-family home, with a 400 sq. ft. garage, 200 sq. foot deck, and 2,000 sq. ft. of impervious surface, the total development fees would be roughly $34,000 or less than 5% of the Median Home Price in Hood River according to Zillow. These fees are:

• $2,270 Plan Review Fees – The Fire, Engineering, and Planning Department review to ensure new developments adhere to local and state standards.
• $6,524 Building Fees – Home plans are reviewed to ensure they meet building codes and are inspected during construction.
• $11,295 – Water, Sewer, Stormwater, and Transportation System Development Charges (SDC). These funds are used to increase the capacity of public infrastructure to serve growth. For example, widening water pipes or building new roads.
• $7,693 – The Hood River Parks and Recreation District, which is separate from the City, charges new development to fund new parks.
• $2,550 – Hood River County School District Construction Excise Tax. This goes to the School District for facility improvements to support growth.
• $2,994 – Affordable Housing Construction Excise Tax – Adopted in 2016, this is the funding source that allowed the City to purchase the land for Mariposa Village.

The City has an online development fee cost estimator tool if you would like to see fee estimates for other types of projects. This tool is at: https://cityofhoodriver.gov/building/development-fee-estimator/