‘You get to make it on your own’: RootedHomes opens lottery for 40 new, affordable homes at Rooted at Simpson

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) --  A nonprofit housing developer is now accepting applications for a community in Bend. With the area still facing a serious housing shortage, RootedHomes provides affordable homeownership opportunities for area residents.  

"Homeownership provides not only stable housing and stable monthly payments, but also affordability," RootedHomes Homeownership Program Manager Tess Spellacy said Tuesday.

One of those people is Brett Dery. He is a Kôrazón community resident and the RootedHomes secretary.

He said, "You get to really make it your own and you don't have to look and wonder if the rent is going to go up in a year or two."

Dery lives at one of RootedHomes communities  - the Kôrazón - since 2021 and is happy to be a homeowner. 

Now, a new community is coming to Bend, called Rooted at Simpson, providing 40 others an opportunity to own a home, just like Brett.

Dery said, "We saw it as a real opportunity for us to be able to buy a home in the area. It wasn't really something that was in reach."

The RootedHome houses on Simpson will be the largest community for the nonprofit. The lottery application opened Monday and will continue until August 28th. As of Tuesday, there have already been 16 applications.

Spellacy said, "You have to be a first-time homebuyer, so not have owned real estate in the last three years. Two, you have to make under certain income restriction, so that's 80% of the area median income, depending on what your household size is."

Two- and three-bedroom homes are available, all with rooftop solar and washers-dryers.

For residents like Brett, being able to work where you live is a game-changer. 

"Being within walking distance of lots of things," he said, "I was actually commuting to my work via bike, which I wouldn't be able to do if we lived farther out."

 You can fill out an application online, or grab a paper application at the RootedHomes office or the Latino Community Association. 

Winners from the lottery will be drawn in September.

You can read more about the new community and lottery at their announcement here.