Nearly 250 individuals joined the Central Oregon Housing Summit on Tuesday, June 9 at Eagle Crest Lodge near Redmond, Oregon. The event brought together industry professionals, government officials, and business leaders dedicated to developing and preserving affordable housing in the region. This was Housing Oregon’s third annual rural affordable housing summit.
A major theme was building a collective vision for advancing affordable housing and supportive services in Central Oregon while navigating through significant federal housing policy and state budgetary challenges. At the same time, presenters opened the event acknowledging a success – the annual Point-in-Time count recorded the number of homeless people living in Central Oregon had fallen by nearly 20% – the first time in years that number has not increased.
Thanks to our sponsors who made the event possible including Oregon Housing and Community Services, Pinnacle Architecture, DLCD’s Housing Accountability and Production Office, Hayden Homes, SAJ Architecture, OHCS Multifamily Energy Program, and Hunt Capital Partners.
Lunch Plenary Focuses on Hood River and Bend Dialogues on Local Revenue
Presenters during the lunch plenary shared reflections on dialogues in Hood River and Bend to explore options for new local revenue sources to meet their unique needs and build community understanding and support for funding solutions.
The Oregon legislature has stepped up and provided significant resources for housing production and homelessness services over the past decade. But there are growing signs of public frustration with the pace of progress with government programs funded to address these challenges. The housing crisis in Central Oregon means that community members and essential workers like nurses, teachers and first responders can’t find an affordable place to live and work.
According to a 2023 Bend Chamber business survey, 81% of respondents said the lack of affordable housing has significantly affected their ability to attract and retain skilled workers. 91% stated high costs of housing limits business expansion and puts additional strain on the workforce. Data shows that over 50% of Bend’s workforce does not reside in the city limits.
Preservation, Wildfire Resiliency, Faith-Based Housing Development and More
Central Oregon developers shared innovative strategies they’re using to increase housing production. This despite increasing challenges regarding constricted land availability and capital stack financing, increasing production costs, access to diversified construction teams, and climate change. Ryan Cain with Pinnacle Architecture led a conversation on efforts to preserve affordability on expiring properties as well as exploring the role of manufactured housing especially in the Columbia Gorge region.
As wildfires become more prevalent in the Pacific Northwest, panelists shared best practices for preparedness planning and options for hardening existing housing stock to ensure the resiliency of affordable housing stock when disaster strikes Central Oregon communities.
A well attended session explored the growing interest amongst faith-based organizations to put mission into practice by developing some of their property for affordable housing and homeless shelters. They shared success stories of how faith organizations and housing developers have carefully built partnerships from early dialogue, navigating predevelopment together, putting together complex capital stacks and construction teams.
Key Take-Aways from Participant Post-Event Evaluations
- Networking and Collaboration: Attendees highly valued the opportunity to connect, share ideas, and build relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders, including service providers, developers, investors, and policymakers, to foster a more unified approach to housing challenges.
- Diverse Perspectives: The summit successfully convened various industry voices, enabling participants to gain a broader regional understanding and appreciate that housing solutions require tailored approaches rather than one-size-fits-all strategies.
- Knowledge Sharing: Participants gained valuable insights into the complexities of the industry, including the specific factors that make implementing affordable housing more costly than market-rate development and the roles of various regional resources.
- Professional Inspiration: The high-quality plenary sessions and workshops provided attendees with a renewed sense of collective will and optimism about their ability to collaborate effectively to address homelessness and housing shortages.
Thanks to Our Planning Partners
Thanks to our event organizing partners including Housing Works, Columbia Cascades Housing Corporation, RootedHomes, Rural Community Assistance Corporation, and Urban League of Portland.