Since then, Axelrod has chilled. "Some of what I and some others said came off as insensitive or harsh," he said in a Nov. 4 statement apologizing for his remarks.

Axelrod acknowledged the troubled history of single-family zoning, which was used as a tool for segregation in Oregon and across the country. But he still thinks the mandate in HB 2001 will require density in areas that lack transit and other infrastructure.