May 2025 Monthly Newsletter from Partners for Affordable Housing

Below are the highlights from our May newsletter with what the Partners for Affordable Housing coalition is up to! Click here to read the full newsletter.

DO: Brief your teams and colleagues on the SE Bend infrastructure ask. Our coalition’s top priority this legislative session is securing dollars from Salem that would unlock 7,500 homes in SE Bend, including more than 1,000 deed restricted affordable units.

Building these homes would re-set Bend’s housing market, making homes more affordable and available and creating a positive ripple effect for diverse income earners across the area.

But so far, few people in our community know about this opportunity—and now it’s time to spread the word.

Please use these talking points to brief your colleagues at work and in the community about this essential funding for Bend whenever and wherever you can.

Let’s get folks up to speed so we can make this ask with a shared voice!

SHARE: a housing story from coalition member Habitat for Humanity of La Pine Sunriver.

Hear from coalition member, Kim Gammond, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of La Pine Sunriver, as she talks about recent Habitat families in La Pine and the need for community and government partners to ensure reliable approval times and the lowest fee structures possible.

We invite you to share this post to raise awareness about the importance of partnerships to create affordable housing.

Suggested post sharing language: “It takes partnerships to create the housing our communities need. Check out this story of Habitat’s work in La Pine and Sunriver.”

Find this story on our social channels!

FAST FACT: The difference between big “A” and little “a” affordable housing—and why both matter.

Big "A" Affordable Housing refers to housing that is subsidized or regulated by government programs to ensure affordability for low- to moderate-income individuals and families. This type of housing typically includes income restrictions, rent caps, and eligibility requirements. Examples include public housing, Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties, and HUD Section 8 housing. This housing ensures all income earners are part of our communities even when market rates are high.

Little "a" affordable housing refers to housing that is naturally affordable to diverse income earners in the private market, without government subsidy or regulation. This can include multifamily homes, apartments, ADUs, condos, and single family homes. More affordable prices occur when construction costs are more affordable. State and local governments can play a large role in lowering the cost of market rate homes through land-use regulations, fee structures, housing approval processes and innovative partnerships that help get homes built more affordably.

Simply put:

• Big "A" = Regulated, subsidized, income-qualified housing.

• Little "a" = Market-rate housing that’s affordable for diverse income earners.

Partners for Affordable Housing prioritizes solutions that support both of these types, with an emphasis on policy changes that help make all housing more affordable.

AFFORDABLE BUILDER ALERT! City of Bend Affordable Housing Advisory Committee funding period may open in June.

On May 14, AHAC members agreed to work toward an unanticipated funding period this summer ahead of federal budget decision-making this fall. While meeting minutes and other news has not yet been released, click here to view the live stream of the AHAC meeting and get up to speed. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more and potentially apply as federal funding may become scarce in the coming years.

LEGISLATIVE COORDINATION CALLS: Join us as you are able! We encourage all of our members to join us as we stay up-to-date on ways PAH can support pro-housing policies through Sine Die (the last day of this year’s session) at the state legislature on June 29:

• May 20, 4 - 4:30 p.m.: All-coalition legislative coordination call.

• June 3, 4 - 4:30 p.m.: All-coalition legislative coordination call.

• June 17, 4 - 4:30 p.m.: All-coalition legislative coordination call.

THANK YOU! Shout out to coalition members who submitted testimony this session! Thanks to those of you who heeded our calls to action and submitted testimony or testified live in support of PAH’s priority bills—Great job!

• Peter Hoover, Sisters Habitat

• Carly Colgan, Bend-Redmond Habitat

• David Welton, Bend YIMBY

• Deb Flagan, Hayden Homes

• Sara Odendahl, Bend Chamber

• Morgan Greenwood, COBA

• Matt Kelly, Ten Over Studio

• Peter Grube, Roost Development

• Riccardo Waites, We Black Radio   

• Kim Gammond, La Pine Sunriver Habitat

• Jenn Kovitz, Hayden Homes

• Rick Russell, Mountain View Community Development

HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT OR EVENT TO SHARE? Let us know by emailing the following information to info@partnersforaffordablehousing.com: background, time and location, and call to action for coalition members.

Everyone is welcome to sign up for our newsletter on our homepage that we send out once a month.