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City Adopts Tax Exemption for Housing Diversity
On May 6, 2024, the Springfield City Council adopted a property tax exemption to incentivize the development of multiple-unit housing in transit-served and core areas of Springfield. The Housing Diversity Tax Exemption, or “HDTE”, exempts some property taxes for ten years for new multiple-unit housing projects in eligible areas of Springfield meeting minimum program requirements. For more information, see the Housing Incentive Programs webpage.
Remove Discriminatory Language from Your Property Title
Springfield property owners may have racially discriminating language in their title and not know. For information on how to find it and get it removed visit our Fair Housing webpage
City Makes Funding for Land Acquisition Available
The City has one-time funding available to help qualified applicants purchase land in Springfield for the development of income-qualified housing to serve households with low incomes. To learn more, see the Land Acquisition webpage.

Kevin Donald was a Ph.D candidate at the University of Oregon and intern at Springfield’s Public Works Department. He interviewed long-time residents about Springfield’s Mill Race as part of his doctoral thesis and published this oral history in 1999.
Located downtown
Downtown Springfield is along Main Street, which is two blocks from the Booth-Kelly Trailhead, at the western end of the Mill Race Path.
Mill Race visitors have free parking and easy access to restaurants, shopping, and City services. Meanwhile, anyone in the downtown area can pop over to the Mill Race for quick respite or exercise.
The location is unique for its close relationship between urban land and habitat land, local humans and local wildlife.
Northwest native plants
The large amount of earthworks during the Mill Race restoration left much dirt exposed. Springfield took advantage of this rare opportunity to plant native vegetation before invasive species were established.
In 2013-2014, more than 4,000 trees and shrubs were planted along the Mill Race and more are added every year. Native Oregon species were used, to create a diverse habitat. Wildlife need water, but many species also need upland habitat close to water. The western pond turtle is an example, as they nest and lay eggs in uplands. The restored Mill Race area provides both.
Trees – big leaf maple, incense cedar, Oregon ash, Ponderosa pine, and red alder.
Shrubs – black twinberry, Douglas spirea, Nootka rose, Pacific ninebark, Pacific willow, red-osier dogwood, Sitka willow, tall Oregon grape, and twinberry honeysuckle.
Flowers & herbs – American water plantain, common camas, creeping spike rush, fireweed, large-leaf lupine, ovate spike rush, slough sedge, wapato, and western yarrow.
Caged trees
One happy complication is that beavers have moved in to the Mill Race. Their dams are helpful for slowing the flow of water and improving fish habitat, yet beavers have cut down our newly planted trees. The cages around Mill Race trees are to discourage the beavers.
Volunteer to help plant
Planting projects continue at the Mill Race every year. To volunteer as an individual or to create a service project for a group, contact Springfield’s Stream Team.
Mill Race
/ˈmilrās/ n. 1 the channel carrying the swift current of water that drives a mill wheel.