BEND, Ore. — Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity has broken ground on a new affordable housing development in the heart of Bend.
“These homes are built to net-zero standards, so they’ll have rooftop solar panels,” C.E.O. Carly Colgan said. “They’re also going to be Phius certified, so they’ll be passive house certified.”
It’s called Bear Creek Village, located near the corner of NE Bear Creek Road and NE 13th Street. It’s the first project by Habitat for Humanity in Bend built with structurally insulated panels. That means the homes will be built off-site before being assembled at the Bear Creek location.
“The idea is by having them done off-site, we’re saving time on-site,” Colgan said. “We’re utilizing volunteer labor, so we use volunteers and skilled construction staff to put them together on-site which will save us time in the long run.”
Gov. Tina Kotek signed five bills Monday aimed at breaking down barriers for housing construction. Among those bills, House Bill 3145 sets aside $25 million for Local Innovation and Fast Track (LIFT) funds. That bill also creates programs to build more affordable homes across the state.
“This Bear Creek Village project is a LIFT funded project, and would qualify for the modular housing program through that bill,” Colgan said. “That’s something we’ve been watching and as we go through this process, if it does work and it is faster for construction, that is something we will utilize in the future.”
Applications for the homes open this fall and construction will begin in 2026.
Originally Published: https://www.centraloregondaily.com/news/local/bend-habitat-net-zero-homes-bear-creek-village/article_a124e07f-79c9-4fdc-9fa3-a20658ecbda2.html