In an affordable housing crisis, where the average Bend home price is 850 thousand dollars, double the average U.S. home price, Bend citizens are in desperate need of accessible options. To meet housing needs, Rooted at Simpson, a development led by RootedHomes and Housing Works, will add 99 units of affordable housing on Southwest Simpson Avenue.
Construction started in October and will continue through the end of the year. Homeowner selection will begin in the summer of 2024, and the process will include a housing lottery. The lottery is necessary since it is anticipated to receive more applications than the number of affordable homes and rentals being offered.
Because Bend is such a popular destination, the level of difficulty of finding affordable housing is much higher. Housing and homelessness are prominent issues within the community and were listed as top priorities in a survey of Oregonians taken last year; RootedHomes and Housing Works are collaborating to combat the crisis.
“We are a non-profit that builds affordable homes for low-income folks in our community. We price our homes so that they’re affordable for people who are lower income,” said Tess Spellacy, the RootedHomes Homeownership Program Manager.
With an average price of around 250 thousand, homes and rentals in the Rooted at Simpson development can be a reasonable but still high-quality purchase.
The plans include 40 single-family homes (two- and three-bedroom plans) that are all designed to net-zero energy standards. This means cutting greenhouse gasses and balancing emissions by absorbing equivalent amounts from the atmosphere.
For those interested in renting, plans also feature 59 rental, garden-style, walk-up apartments. A mixed-income community for households earning 65-80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) is also part of the development. Other amenities offered include onsite vehicle parking, covered bike parking, community gardens, open green space and tree-lined walking and bike paths.
“[Joining] this community of part rental and part home-ownership means that in the future when a resale [of an affordable home] comes up in the community, somebody renting has the option of moving into a Simpson home,” said Spellacy.
In other words, renters who want to progress to an affordable home can do so without the hassle of moving to a new location and changing schools or other services.
Affordable housing supports economic growth, stability and the well-being of Bend’s population, as well as community members’ investment in Bend. Finally, the Rooted at Simpson project will work to diversify the community in terms of income level and allow for a more diverse range of jobs to be filled.
