Oregon Housing and Group Companies (OHCS) Director Andrea Bell joined U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley and Hacienda CDC CEO Ernesto Fonseca and different native leaders to satisfy with residents at Rockwood Village, an inexpensive housing neighborhood that opened in fall 2021 and serves 224 households. Director Bell additionally shared progress on the statewide housing plan, which was developed in 2019 to develop the availability of inexpensive housing in communities throughout Oregon.   

“Each Oregonian ought to have entry to a good residence in a good neighborhood, however far too many individuals throughout the state are struggling to seek out housing that’s inexpensive and secure,” stated Sen. Merkley. “Rockwood Village is proof that neighborhood companions are important to making sure we’re constructing housing within the places that want it most, and we’re offering culturally knowledgeable companies and assets that match neighborhood wants. I’ll proceed combating to get each federal housing greenback I can into our state so communities like this may be replicated statewide.” 

After in depth listening periods in rural, city and suburban communities throughout the state, the company launched a five-year statewide housing plan which outlined bold objectives. It was the primary time that the state had created a strategic, statewide plan for addressing the housing scarcity.   

“Once we created the statewide housing plan, we got a chance to rethink how we ship companies, determine inequities in our programs, and middle the voices of those who had been deliberately unnoticed. OHCS continues to make regular progress on the statewide housing plan,” stated OHCS Director Andrea Bell. “We acknowledge that the plan was written previous to a worldwide pandemic. Out of necessity, we have now regularly pivoted and reprioritized, whereas maintaining ourselves accountable to the plan. We put ahead the biggest price range request within the company’s historical past for the 2023-2025 price range yr: $775 million.”  

Following are highlights from progress made on the statewide housing plan. OHCS: 

• Set a purpose of accelerating funding for housing in rural Oregon by 75%. With greater than a yr to go, OHCS has surpassed its purpose by funding 3,612 inexpensive rental properties in rural areas, a 148% improve from the earlier five-year interval from 2014-2019.  
• Set a purpose of funding 1,000 new everlasting supportive properties. In 2022, the state exceeded that purpose by funding greater than 1,200 new everlasting supportive properties. This sort of inexpensive housing connects folks experiencing power homelessness with extra assist companies to assist them keep stably housed.  
• Set a purpose of accelerating the prevailing pipeline of inexpensive rental housing by 25,000 properties. In 2022, OHCS has elevated the pipeline by practically 21,000 properties, 82% of the best way to assembly the purpose.   

“This progress represents the collective efforts of our federal delegation, the Governor, the Oregon State Legislature, neighborhood companions, Tribal Nations, federal, state and native companies, builders, native companies, and native communities—to make sure high quality and inexpensive housing is accessible to everybody in our state,” stated Bell. “However we additionally acknowledge the demand for inexpensive housing choices far outweighs provide. This progress exhibits that having a plan in place, with the appropriate companions on the desk, and being accountable to Oregonians, ensures we will proceed to ship.”  

Leaders current immediately remarked on the urgency to maintain the momentum going and the necessity to proceed to introduce progressive partnerships and options to construct high quality, inexpensive housing in each nook of the state. Audio system famous that many members of the neighborhood are nonetheless struggling to get by, however redoubled their collective dedication to persevering with to be relentless in making certain each Oregonian has a protected, inexpensive and secure place to name residence.  

“We all know the significance of protected and secure inexpensive properties for our neighborhood members. Rockwood Village is the most recent instance of our work to not simply construct flats to stay in, however to create a neighborhood the place folks really feel linked and may thrive,” stated Hacienda CEO Ernesto Fonseca. 

OHCS will start working carefully with stakeholders, with vital neighborhood enter, over the following yr to develop a revised five-year statewide housing plan that displays the present panorama and addresses essentially the most urgent housing points dealing with the state.  

Source: Oregon Housing and Group Companies