Thinking Through Affordable Housing

Affordable housing is both a need and a desire in Oregon. As we ramp up the construction of new housing stock, we must also pay attention to environmental, health, and social concerns that are embedded in the materials and their supply networks. We identify three area of concern that together shape the broader discourse about environmental justice and placemaking.

  • embodied carbon in building materials

  • potential for exposure to toxicants

  • forced labor in the supply network