Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Oregon House voted Tuesday to slap an additional 15 dollar fee on the cost of buying a home.  The surcharge is expected to raise tens of millions of dollars for affordable and low-income housing.  The vote was also a chance for Democrats to show off their new clout.

The vote on housing document fees was the first time Democrats had the chance to take their so-called supermajority for a spin.

Portland Democratic Representative Michael Dembrow says the money raised will go a long way toward putting roofs over the heads of low-income Oregonians.

Rep. Michael Dembrow:  “It’s basically going to provide state matching money for Federal, private, and regional kinds of construction projects.  Often it’s going to be that last bit that’s going to make a project possible.”

A similar bill failed in the 2007 session when not enough Republicans crossed the aisle.  This time, with the outcome of the vote not in question, eight Republicans voted for the document fee hike.