Eli Spevak
Eli Spevak has been developing affordable housing communities in Oregon for over 20 years, starting as a volunteer construction supervisor with Habitat for Humanity. In 2006, he launched Orange Splot, LLC to build new models of community-oriented, affordable, green housing development – ideally within an easy bike ride of his house. Eli was awarded a Loeb Fellowship in Advanced Environmental Studies at the Harvard GSD, co-founded Accessorydwellings.org, co-founded Portland for Everyone, and now serves on Portland’s Planning and Sustainability Commission.
Questions Asked and Answered
Can you update us on what’s happening now in Portland and in Oregon at large with changes in residential zoning standards?
Let’s assume that these zoning updates work as planned. Great! So...is there a market for middle housing? Who is going to buy this stuff? What needs to happen next legally, or with financial products to allow for there to be a market?
Condoization legislation in OR.
But, CA can’t condoize ADUs by statute. So, what about there?
As we start to consider middle housing, what are some tiered size policy considerations?
What other emerging trends in zoning or financing, are you intrigued by?
Let’s talk about the space efficient housing workgroup and the BSC, and the roles that that coalition has played over the last decade.
Tell us about the AARP SWAT team and how folks who are interested in technical assistance from you or me or a planner, can potentially apply for that subsidized assistance
You take on some ‘risky’ projects. Or, are they? What’s your mentality for undertaking potentially financial risk?