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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 24, 2016)
4 Wednesday, August 24, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Affordable housing on the horizon in Sisters By Sue Stafford Correspondent Ask anyone in Sisters what is one of the greatest needs in the city and the answer is likely to be “affordable hous- ing.” Local merchants report difficulty in recruiting and retaining employees because of the lack of housing, espe- cially affordable options. There are individuals and families living the woods or in their cars or couch-surfing due to a lack of affordable housing. Last week, Sisters City Council listened to a proposal from Tom Kemper, executive director of Redmond-based HousingWorks, to construct 30 townhomes, with a mix of two- and three-bedroom units, for rent by families earning 60 percent or less of the area median income (AMI) at the time of lease. Sixty percent of the AMI for a family of four is currently $36,000. Once approved, tenants may stay in their units regardless of their income. Mayor Chris Frye pointed out that rental hous- ing for families could pro- vide additional students for the school district, which is another concern of residents. The 950-square-foot, two- bedroom, one-and-a-half bath units would rent for $718 a month. The rent for the 1,200 square foot, three-bedroom, one-and-a-half bath units would be $825 a month. Those prices are below current mar- ket rate. Rents would only go up as the AMI goes up. The 2.12 acres being con- sidered for the project are located on Brooks Camp Road, behind Ray’s Food Place, vacant land across from and west of The Pines Community Clubhouse. The land is zoned multifamily residential. To assist in developing the project, Kemper plans to apply for Oregon Local Innovation and Fast Track Housing (LIFT) program funds, which total $40 mil- lion. Those funds are being made available to help pro- vide affordable rental housing, with 50 percent earmarked for communities with fewer than 25,000 residents and 50 per- cent for communities of color. The goal of the program is to build at least 1,250 affordable rental housing units. Kemper cited the “insane housing crisis in Central Oregon,” and the “develop- ment costs in Central Oregon that are higher than San Diego,” when detailing the need for this type of program. He laid out for Council the projected costs ($5.8 million) for the completed project, as well as expected funding sources, including tax credits, LIFT funds ($1.14 million), HousingWorks sponsor loan, and investors loan, totaling $5.5 million, leaving a fund- ing gap of $300,000. Kemper asked the City to consider filling that fund- ing gap through a combina- tion of cash, fee waivers, and ✃ Come In… Relax…Enjoy! Tim Westcott Ronnica Westcott Jenny Duey Mary Morgan 220 W. Cascade Ave. Come in, Relax, Enjoy! SUNDAY GUITARS LOVES SISTERS! Ted and everyone from Sunday Guitars says, “Thank you, folks of Sisters, for your amazing patronage these past 6 years!” ds… ith more than wor ANK YOU w We’d like to say TH ument tr s in e n o y n a F F 25% O tore! r s (new or used) in ou 541-323-2332 ✃ 541-588-6611 builder’s incentives. Council must have a decision by September, when the applica- tion for the LIFT funds will be made. Kemper thinks there is a high probability they will receive the LIFT funds because of less competition than for other types of pro- grams. If all goes as planned, construction would begin in spring 2017. Currently, HousingWorks is starting construction on a similar 53-unit project in Bend, near St. Charles Medical Center. They are partnering with Portland builder Silco Construction on the Bend project, with Silco agreeing to also build the Sisters project and another in La Pine. Sharlene Weed, execu- tive director of Habitat for Humanity, who was in atten- dance at the workshop, stated there is a need for one-bed- room units for single work- ers and seniors, and urged Kemper to consider including some one-bedroom units. He said it might be possible to consider four one-bedroom units, which would add about $40,000 to the funding gap. Because of the shortage of affordable rentals and the large number of residents needing them, tenants would be chosen by a lottery sys- tem to give everyone an equal chance. Applications would be taken and interviews conducted for one week. Qualifying applicants would then be entered in the lottery. 1531 NE 3rd St. Bend This coupon must be presented at the time of purchase and, sorry, it cannot be combined with any other offer. Valid through September 9, 2016. Some exclusions apply! 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Another affordable-hous- ing project by HousingWorks, through its LLC Housing Impact, is currently underway in the Skygate development. Seven single-family homes are being constructed across Camp Polk Road from the Sisters airport. These homes are for sale and the homebuy- ers must earn 80 percent or less of the AMI. Three homes are nearly completed, and construction will start on the remaining four as soon as the first three sell. The homebuyer will pur- chase the home for $180,000 and lease the land for $85 a month. For a single person, 80 percent AMI is $33,450; for a family of four it is $47,750. To help the City fund future affordable-housing incentives, Council is consid- ering imposing a construction excise tax (affordable-housing fee), which has been made possible by the passage of SB 1533 by the legislature. The law allows municipalities to establish inclusionary zon- ing ordinances and/or a con- struction excise tax on new construction, to encourage the construction of more afford- able housing in the state. After-School Program Monday - Thursday, 3 to 6 p.m. $100/month Inquire about other activities • Homework Help Van pickup at SES and SMS Call today! Call Only 5 spots 541-406-0662 left!
