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Home » Housing + Cities » You’re a YIMBY? Great, Why Aren’t You a Small Developer Yet?

You’re a YIMBY? Great, Why Aren’t You a Small Developer Yet?

Payton Chung (Westover Green LLC), Nicholas Papaefthimiou (infillPDX LLC), and Neil Heller (Neighborhood Workshop) break down what it takes to build small-scale infill housing.

Neil Heller (Neighborhood Workshop) gets into the details of an ADU infill project.
Neil Heller (Neighborhood Workshop) gets into the details of an ADU infill project.

Sightline Editor

This article is part of the series YIMBYtown 2022

The conversation shared below was part of the YIMBYtown 2022 conference, cohosted by Sightline Institute and Portland: Neighbors Welcome.*

Neil Heller (Neighborhood Workshop) gets into the details of an ADU infill project.
Neil Heller (Neighborhood Workshop) gets into the details of an ADU infill project.

After all these great pro-housing policies get passed, who is going to do the actual implementation of building middle housing? Large-scale developers are not yet lining up to build triplexes and basement apartments in neighborhoods.  

Hear stories from advocates who decided they’d roll up their sleeves and add the housing and neighborhood amenities they wanted to see themselves. This presentation also gives an introduction to the basics of small-scale infill development. 

  • Payton Chung, managing partner of Westover Green LLC, describes his journey to becoming a small-scale developer of a cottage cluster and some of the zoning and code barriers he encounters.
  • Nicholas Papaefthimiou, founder of infillPDX, highlights three affordable infill projects in Portland.
  • Neil Heller, owner of Neighborhood Workshop, discusses financing options for adding a unit (or three!) to your home.

*YIMBYtown 2022 occurred April 11–13 in Portland, Oregon, the fourth annual gathering (after some COVID delays) of “Yes in My Back Yard” (YIMBY) community leaders, organizers, planners, policymakers, educators, and housing providers eager to share resources and strategies for building more affordable, sustainable, and equitable communities.

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Sightline Editor

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Sightline Editor

Sightline Institute equips the Northwest’s citizens and decision-makers with the policy research and practical tools they need to advance long-term solutions to our region’s most significant challenges.

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