Bend-La Pine Schools partners with Habitat for Humanity to provide staff housing

Published 5:45 am Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Bend-La Pine Schools is partnering with Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity to build 18 houses for eligible school district staff on an empty acre of land next to Silver Rail Elementary School in southeast Bend.

Potential employees looking to move to Bend and work for the school district have had a hard time finding affordable housing, and have even had to decline offers because they can’t find a place to live that fits their circumstances, said district officials.

The school district has become more and more aware of the problem over the past four years, said Scott Maben, district communications director.

“For many employees, it’s not enough to buy a house in the local market. Many struggle even to rent housing here,” he wrote in an email.

New partnership for employee housing

Bend-La Pine Schools sold the property to Habitat for Humanity for $20,000 in an agreement that provides affordable housing, preferably for school district employees, for 99 years. The land is a surplus piece of property next to Silver Rail and is no longer needed by the district.

Aside from the new partnership for employee housing, the district offers a competitive salary and benefits to potential employees in the hope that they accept jobs.

In January, when the educators’ union and school district tentatively came to a contract agreement after nearly a year of bargaining, the two sides agreed to a 6.2% raise for the first year, retroactive to July 2023, and a 4.15% raise for the next year, as of July. Along with other changes made to the salary scale, this would mean that a first-year teacher, who previously made $42,682, would now make $47,186 after the first raise and $49,144 after the second.

“Housing affordability and availability are complex challenges that affect not only our district but also the wider community throughout Central Oregon,” Maben wrote. “We are one of many organizations exploring ways to support their staff in this area, although directly working on housing solutions is a new endeavor for us … While we will continue to explore long-term solutions, we are also open to continued discussions with local partners to find additional ways to help alleviate these challenges with the current housing market in Central Oregon.”

District leaders had been working on options for the property after it was identified on a 2022 report as a possible spot for employee housing. Another option was to collaborate with the park district so it could be used for fields.

The property was sold at reduced rate, and the price essentially covered the transaction costs, said Maben. The property has not recently been appraised.

The 18 homes, to be called the Stone Creek Commons development, will be mixed-income duplex-style town homes. The homes will feature two to four bedrooms, fenced backyards and attached garages. They will also be built to net-zero energy standards to reduce utility costs. The nonprofit High Desert Horticultural Center will also be partnering with Habitat for Humanity to create low-maintenance native landscaping.

Habitat for Humanity will give priority for school district employees, with the possibility that all homes will be allocated to them. Eight homes will be given an employer-based deed restriction, so they will be reserved for district staff.

To qualify, Bend-La Pine Schools employees must meet general eligibility requirements for lending, including but not limited to state residency, contributing to closing costs and being employed by the school district for at least two years.

Employees with incomes below 80% of the area median income will have the first opportunity for housing, followed by employees who make below 120% of the area median income. If there are equally qualified applicants for limited spaces, those who are first-time homebuyers will have preference to break the tie. Otherwise, a lottery will be conducted, wrote Maben. If there are remaining homes, Habitat for Humanity will open the process to others.

“We’ve already heard from a dozen employees asking how to apply, and we’re a couple of years from these homes being built. Clearly there’s a need for more housing here for essential workers who are being priced out of this housing market,” Maben wrote.

First project for employee-based housing

Carly Colgan, executive director of Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity, said this is the first time the organization has started a project for employer-based deed restrictions.

“It was something that landed in our inboxes as an opportunity, and we had a conversation as a team and made the decision that we could provide a solution to the school district,” said Colgan. “We’re in a community where people, teachers, staff, support workers, they’re shaping our children’s future and they don’t have an opportunity to live in the community that they serve.”

Habitat for Humanity is lowering building costs through grants, subsidies from local, state and federal down payment assistance programs and homebuyers’ system development charge exemptions from the city, Colgan said.

Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity plans to begin site work in early 2026 and anticipates sales from spring through fall 2027.

Colgan is excited for the partnership to continue, and to benefit the community.

“These employer deed restrictions will last longer than just this first sale, so they will be affordable to school district employees well into the future, which is great,” she said. “It’s a unique partnership … We’ve already just in the last few days since this has been announced had people from across the state reaching out to us and asking questions about how we’re doing this and what we’re doing to make this work.”

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“Clearly there’s a need for more housing here for essential workers who are being priced out of this housing market.”

— Scott Maben, Bend-La Pine Schools