ORS 197.663 Legislative findings

The Legislative Assembly finds and declares that:

It is the policy of this state that persons with disabilities and elderly persons are entitled to live as normally as possible within communities and should not be excluded from communities because their disability or age requires them to live in groups;

There is a growing need for residential homes and residential facilities to provide quality care and protection for persons with disabilities and elderly persons and to prevent inappropriate placement of such persons in state institutions and nursing homes;

It is often difficult to site and establish residential homes and residential facilities in the communities of this state;

To meet the growing need for residential homes and residential facilities, it is the policy of this state that residential homes and residential facilities shall be considered a residential use of property for zoning purposes; and

It is the policy of this state to integrate residential facilities into the communities of this state. The objective of integration cannot be accomplished if residential facilities are concentrated in any one area.