The Bend City Council Wednesday night approved the 2024 Affordable Housing Fund recommendations from the council-appointed Affordable Housing Advisory Committee for three communities, totaling $1.3 million, to support the creation of 98 affordable housing units.
The projects selected to receive funding this year are:
- Housing Works; for the development of 59 units of affordable multifamily housing in northwest Bend.
- Thistle and Nest; downpayment assistance (or other mortgage buy-down assistance) to support 30 families in purchasing townhomes in southeast Bend.
- Bend Redmond Habitat for Humanity; for downpayment assistance (or other mortgage buy-down assistance) to support nine families in purchasing townhomes in southeast Bend.
The Affordable Housing Fund program started in 2006 as a solution to develop a wide variety of housing throughout Bend. Since its beginning, the Fund has contributed to obtaining or creating over 1,000 affordable housing units. Thanks in part to this fund, 10% of all housing created in Bend last year were affordable.
The Fund collects one-third of one percent of building permit fees submitted to the City of Bend and uses the proceeds to acquire land for deed-restricted affordable housing, develop land, build homes or rehabilitate homes. This Fund seeks to catalyze affordable housing development in Bend, and this year is supporting $31,863,445 in leverage funding from other sources that will directly benefit our economy. Each of the awarded communities have procedures in place to assure that units will remain available only to low-to-moderate income persons in perpetuity.
On May 1, the City Council will decide on recipients for the Community Development Block Grant program funding. The CDBG is a federal funding program that provides assistance for housing and community development activities that benefit low- and moderate-income persons. The City expects approximately $415,000 will be available to distribute to organizations operating in Bend that support community members.
Both the Affordable Housing Fund and Community Development Block Grant programs are guided by the City of Bend Consolidated Plan, a comprehensive housing and community development strategy that was prepared with extensive public involvement. Learn more about the City’s Affordable Housing Program online at bendoregon.gov/affordablehousing.