Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden have announced major investments passed the Senate to expand affordable, rural, and veterans housing options and boost transportation infrastructure, including funding for 20 critical community-initiated projects across the state.
The investments were included in the FY24 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) bill.
“As I held a town hall in each of Oregon’s 36 counties this year, I heard firsthand from folks about what matters most to them, including the need to take on the affordable housing crisis, build drought resilience, and move the state faster toward a renewable energy future,” Merkley said. “The funding included in these bills for programs and critical community-initiated projects will benefit Oregonians in every corner of the state for years to come, and I will keep championing them in Congress until they become law.”
“Wherever I go in our state, teachers, nurses, firefighters, veterans and other hardworking Oregonians tell me about the urgent need for housing they can afford,” Wyden said. “I’m gratified to have teamed up with communities across Oregon on these federal funds to work toward those housing goals as well as equally crucial objectives that invest in transportation infrastructure, green energy and more.
Senators Merkley and Wyden secured investments for a total of 20 Oregon community-initiated projects in the Senate THUD spending bill, which includes:
- $1.5 million for Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity to construct 15 permanently affordable townhomes for workforce families.Due to soaring home prices in Central Oregon, workforce families are being priced out of the housing market. With this permanent affordability model, this investment supports not only these 15 homes and families, supporting each family who lives in the homes in perpetuity. After the completion of this project, Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity will have built 230 homes in Bend and Redmond since 1989, 71 of which are permanently affordable.
Originally Published here: https://www.bendsource.com/news/bend-redmond-habitat-for-humanity-to-construct-affordable-townhomes-20119721