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The purpose of the Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) Program Construction and Design Standards (the Standards) is to make sure that all participants who receive new or renovated homes through Oregon's programs live in housing that is safe, clean, and compliant with federal standards as defined in 49 CFR 24.2(a)(8). These Standards also ensure that public and homeowner funds are used to make homes affordable for a longer time, keep them livable, and promote resilience for the future.
The following standards and expectations apply to both stick-built and manufactured homes built with funds awarded under HARP:
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Disability Accommodations
Homeowners may require special accommodations due to disabilities, in which case it is the responsibility of the homeowner to ensure that their case manager and construction advisor (CA) are aware of these needs.
Quality control inspections
Contractor(s) must perform quality control (QC) inspections to ensure that all program construction activities are conducted according to Oregon State Building Code, including but not limited to
2021 Oregon Energy Efficiency Specialty Code (“OEESC"), 2021 Oregon Residential Specialty Code (“ORSC"), and 2010 Manufactured Dwelling Installation (“OMDISC").
Retrofit Checklist
Rehabilitation work must meet the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) standards described in the Community Planning and Development Green Building Retrofit Checklist. Visit
hud.gov/sites/dfiles/CPD/documents/CPD-Green-Building-Retrofit-Checklist.pdf for more information.
Compliance
All builders and contractors working with ReOregon must follow important compliance rules to create safe and resilient housing for communities affected by the 2020 Labor Day wildfires and straight-line winds. Projects must meet the 2021 Oregon Residential Specialty Code for wildfire safety, which sets basic standards for homes in wildfire-prone areas. Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act ensures that jobs and economic opportunities from HUD-funded projects go to low- and very low-income individuals. Additionally, projects must follow Green Building Standards and use fire-hardening practices to improve resilience.
Oregon Residential Speciality Code
The program requires all projects to adhere to the 2021 Oregon Residential Specialty Code, Section 327: Wildfire Hazard Mitigation to the greatest extent practicable. The purpose of this code is to provide minimum standards for homes located in areas subject to wildfires to reduce or eliminate hazards presented by such fires.
Housing and Urban Development Act, Section 3
Section 3 is a provision of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 (12 U.S.C. 1701u) that is regulated by the provisions of 24 CFR Part 75, and it applies to recipients of $200,000 or more in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) assistance.
The types of projects that are covered by Section 3 are housing construction, demolition, rehabilitation, or other public construction (as in infrastructure or facilities). Section 3 applies to the entire project even when the CDBG-DR funds are only a portion of the total funding.
Applicability is determined at the project level.
Section 3 regulations ensure that employment and other economic opportunities generated by certain HUD financial assistance shall, to the greatest extent feasible and consistent with existing federal, state, and local laws and regulations, be directed to low- and very low-income persons, particularly those who are recipients of government assistance for housing, and to business concerns that provide economic opportunities to low- and very low-income persons.
Green Building Standards
All reconstruction, new construction, or substantially rehabilitated housing must meet an industry-recognized standard that has achieved certification under at least one of the following programs:
- ENERGY STAR® (Certified Homes)
- Enterprise Green Communities
- LEED (New Construction, Homes, Midrise, Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance, or Neighborhood Development)
- International Code Council (ICC)-700 National Green Building Standard or other standard allowable by HUD
ReOregon HARP endeavors to build to both the ENERGY STAR standard and the ICC-700 National Green Building Standard Certified Compliance Path for Single-Family Homes, Townhomes, and Duplexes as verified by program staff.
Rehabilitation work must follow the HUD CPD Green Building Retrofit Checklist to the greatest extent possible.
If the applicant elects to use a different standard than ENERGY STAR certified homes, they must present this alternative standard to the program for review and approval.
Additionally, these homes will meet the solar-ready requirements detailed in the 2022 Oregon Structural Specialty Code 3111.4.1.
Fire hardening best practices
The standards will include Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) best practices where practicable, taking into consideration building materials and construction methods such as roof assembly and covering, eaves, vents, gutters/guards, exterior walls, windows, noncombustible building materials, and noncombustible surfaces.
Projects that have already begun should incorporate these standards to the greatest extent practicable. Consideration may be given to those projects that have progressed far enough that it may be considered infeasible to incorporate these design elements. However, the program may require compliance in certain circumstances.
The program shall seek to align with best practices from the
Fire Hardening Grant Program developed by the state's Building Codes Division and will also contain wildfire resilience features, which are based on California WUI Code.