At Tualatin’s 2026 Housing Forum on Oct. 14, panelists reviewed statistics related to the city’s housing insecurity. They reported that the number of citizens struggling to pay rent was at an all-time high.
Oregon House Bill 4006 requires municipalities to hold a public housing forum when 25% or more of their population is considered severely rent-burdened, defined as an individual who spends over 50% of their income on rent.
A graph presented at the forum showed that in 2025, 27.8% of Tualatin residents were considered severely rent-burdened, the highest percentage since 2018, when the State of Oregon declared a housing emergency and enacted HB 4006.
Senior City Planner Erin Engman said that the city was currently dissecting the scope of its affordable housing crisis by completing an updated housing capacity analysis. The last one was conducted in 2019.
While new statistics highlight a worsening trend, the 2019 report also revealed gaps in Tualatin’s affordability, stating that at the time “about 37% of Tualatin’s households are cost-burdened, with 56% of renters and 22% of owners paying more than 30% of their income on housing.”
In a recent interview, Tualatin Mayor Frank Bubenik told Tualatin Life that the regional housing crisis will continue to loom over the city, saying the major hurdle to increasing housing availability in Tualatin is its limited supply of developable land.
In a 2021 Housing Production Analysis, it was reported that “Tualatin has a land deficit of seven acres and four acres in the Medium High Density and High Density High Rise Plan Designations, of 7 acres and 4 acres respectively.”
Engman said in her presentation that one intended outcome of updating numbers in a new analysis was to “finally determine if Tualatin has enough land supply” for sufficient housing.
The forum also reviewed home and rent prices in the city, with Engman explaining that Tualatin’s median income was estimated at around $130,000, which could afford a $320,000 house.
“But what we’re finding is that housing is considerably more expensive than that,” Engman said.
According to Zillow and Redfin, about nine homes were listed for under $325,000 in Tualatin on Oct. 19. While apartments were easier to come by, statistics and testimonials at the forum highlighted a growing group burdened by the cost of living.
“My rent’s going to go up 10% at some point,” said Tualatin resident Tim Gregos. “I’m going to have to figure out for myself, ‘how am I gonna get through this?’”
Panelists wrapped up the event by discussing resources for eviction prevention and the city’s utility assistance program. They also discussed a possible partnership between the city and the Tualatin Valley Family Promise, a group providing shelter and rent assistance.
