Local Developer: Portland’s Permitting Process is “Slower and More Complicated Than Any Other City We Work In”

The Portland Tribune spoke with residential developer Jeff Smith of J.T. Smith Companies, who has said he will no longer build new homes in Portland. Smith explains that the city’s long and complicated permitting process has left his company unable to predict project costs. Smith also points out that the permitting delays work against the City Council’s goal of encouraging builders to increase the housing supply in the city. In response, David Austin of the Bureau of Development Services says that the bureau is “committed to eliminating inefficiencies in the system.” Read more.