Second workforce housing employer selection period opens for Rooted at Simpson community in SW Bend

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) —In partnership with the Bend Chamber, RootedHomes announced Tuesday its second workforce housing employer selection is now open. Interested area employers who meet qualifications can apply to provide preference to their employees in RootedHomes’ upcoming housing lottery for its Rooted at Simpson community.

Rooted at Simpson is located at 19755 Simpson Ave in southwest Bend. The community will include 40 single-family homes of two- and three-bedroom homes designed to net-zero energy standards, with home prices starting at $240,000. The community is currently under construction, and homes are expected to sell through the first half of 2025.

Interested employer partners can donate to RootedHomes, which will directly support their employees’ closing costs at $10,000 per employee. Employer partners must submit employee demographics and have employee demographics that are equal to or more diverse than the City of Bend, which is 90.8% white. Employers also must sign a Workforce Housing contract by April 1st to include their employees in the Rooted at Simpson lottery.

Employees of partnering employers will receive two preference points in RootedHomes’ public housing lottery for Rooted at Simpson. To receive preference, interested employees must apply to RootedHomes’ public housing lottery, which will open in July. Interested employees can learn more at a RootedHomes information session.

Since its pilot, RootedHomes has partnered with the Sisters School District, St. Charles Health System and St. Regency Pacific to house their employees in RootedHomes communities.

Bend Chamber of Commerce supported the pilot workforce housing program and commented on its expansion and success. Bend Chamber CEO Katy Brooks shares, “Retaining talent is getting harder in Bend due to the cost of housing. We know that people stay at their jobs and in their communities longer when they have a pathway to home ownership, and this development can help employers create that opportunity and retain their employees.”

For more information, visit https://rootedhomes.org/homebuyers/workforce-houssing-program.

RootedHomes’ Mission

Provide environmentally sustainable and permanently affordable homeownership opportunities for those who contribute to the fabric of the Central Oregon economy and community.

Bend Chamber’s Mission

Create an environment where businesses, their employees, and our community excel together through collaboration, advocacy, resources, and leadership to meet Bend’s business challenges.