Bend-La Pine Schools has sold a 2.5-acre piece of land next to Summit High School to Habitat for Humanity to build 15 homes for district employees and others in the community.

The future Skyline Crossing development is at the intersection of NW Skyline Ranch Drive and NW Crossing Drive. The sale price is $20,000. It is not being used by the school district.

Habitat for Humanity will build the houses and give district employees who earn under 80% of the area median income the first opportunity to purchase. The homes will have a 99-year deed restriction to ensure future affordability. Upon resale, five of the 15 homes will be reserved for school district employees.

This project is similar to the first venture between Habitat and the school district on land next to Silver Rail Elementary School in southeast Bend. That project will build 18 townhomes.

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, in November.

“These projects are innovative solutions to the affordable housing challenge facing many living in Central Oregon. We want school employees to be able to buy starter homes in a community where home ownership feels out of reach for far too many,” Superintendent Steven Cook said in a statement.

Building homes on Bend’s west side is significant in terms of prices. The median sales price of single-family homes in the 97703 zip code is over $1 million.

A typical Habitat for Humanity home buyer can afford a mortgage of about $180,000, the organization said.