Affordable homes could spell relief

Only 38% of homes have been rebuilt four years after a destructive wildfire, while property values and the cost of rebuilding have risen 40%. In addition to the 517 lost homes, the number of people living along a 60-mile stretch of Hwy. 126 from McKenzie Bridge to Springfield has also dropped off.

“Since the Holiday Farm Fire, the McKenzie River Ranger District has had difficulty filling vacant positions. The reason most often heard from prospective applicants when they decline a position is the unavailability of housing.” according to McKenzie District Ranger Darren Cross. He’s also a member of the McKenzie Community Land Trust (MCLT) board of directors, a nonprofit founded in 2020.

This Friday, November 15th, the MCLT plans to break ground for a cluster of six new homes they hope will offer some relief.

“We are building permanently affordable homeownership opportunities for local families who live and work in the McKenzie Valley,” according to Brandi Crawford Ferguson, Interim Executive Director of MCLT. “Our homes and the landscaping will be firewise, helping to rebuild a thriving and more resilient McKenzie community after the Holiday Farm Fire.”

The new Rose Street neighborhood in Blue River will feature homes with three bedrooms and two bathrooms to be constructed on-site. Target buyers of the new houses will be McKenzie families earning less than 80% of the area median income. The MCLT will sell each home to a qualified buyer (but not the land) to keep costs lower for an initial purchaser. The homebuyer will also sign a 99-year lease on the property.

The new Rose Street homes are scheduled for completion by winter 2025. MCLT also bought a second piece of land in Blue River earlier this year with plans for similar affordable housing.

“We have been working to get to this moment for over two years,” according to Lane Tompkins, MCLT’s chairman. “It is heartening to see this project take its next, tangible phase. We’re excited to share this moment with the McKenzie River community.”

The groundbreaking ceremony is set for 2 p.m. this Friday at the corner of Rose Street and McCauley. East Lane County Commissioner Heather Buch is expected to attend and share a few words.

Oregon Housing and Community Services LIFT funding, Lane County, PacficSource, and Eugene Water and Electric provided the Rose Street neighborhood funding.

For more details, contact Brandi Crawford Ferguson at [email protected] or 541-954 -4672.