Construction

One of this year's most contentious construction bills, Senate Bill 426 has passed through the Oregon Senate. It's on its way to the floor of the state House of Representatives.

Emergency preparedness advocates made another try at the Oregon Legislature this spring to raise the standard for new school construction. But it might take a political earthquake to overcome opposition from wary school associations.

Oregon is facing a significant housing shortage, needing to construct about 29,500 additional homes annually, primarily in the Portland region and Willamette Valley.

At issue is whether the state should require union labor on big construction projects.

The U.S. is short approximately four million homes. Wharton economist Ben Keys traces the beginning of the housing crisis to the 2008 financial meltdown — and says climate change is making things worse.

More women and people of color are working in construction related jobs than a decade ago. But there’s still significant work to be done.

The Deschutes River through Bend will look unusually low again this fall and winter

Experts say there isn't a quick fix to undo decades of underbuilding. But there are steps policymakers and Oregonians can take.

A recent city poll of local housing developers identified some new building requirements — ranging from mandatory bicycle parking spaces to bird-safe windows — as policies the city should suspend to accelerate housing development in Portland.

A new Oregon State University study shows an increased number of traumatic injuries on the job as the temperature rises, with rates higher among agriculture and construction workers.