Gov. Tina Kotek pays visit to Bend to discuss regulatory reforms, attainable homeownership and resilient housing

(update: interview with Gov. Kotek, Bend Mayor Kebler)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Governor Tina Kotek was in Bend at the Oxford Hotel on Wednesday, hosting a workshop focused on housing.

The workshop, as part of the Western Governors’ Association’s initiative, brought together experts discussing regulatory reforms, attainable homeownership, and resilient housing.

Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler led participants on a tour of three sites in Bend – Crescita by RootedHomes, Woodhaven Estates by Thistle & Nest, and NW Cottage by Habitat for Humanity, each showcasing creative approaches to affordable home ownership. 

“Even if we make changes at a really at a state level or a city level, it takes time for those to start showing up on the ground. It's just really exciting to be with the Western Governors’ Association and showing them how things pop out of the ground,” said Kebler.

“Once you change policy, you can create cottages, you can create affordable housing. Once we lay that policy groundwork,” Kebler continued.

Bend resident Denise Rowcroft says her family purchased their first home through a program for households earning less than 80% of the area median income.

“Even with, increasing wages in the last few years that's been happening because of inflation…  even with that, we still wouldn't be able to afford a home in Bend, so it's a really great opportunity,” she said.

During the tour of the Crescita development, Governor Kotek talked about effectively implementing affordable housing initiatives across urban and rural areas.

Tuesday asked: “Often times we have so much planning, but then it doesn't actually get on the ground. So, what can you do to ensure that?”

Kotek: “That's a really good question, right? Because we might have really great ideas, but if you don't have the follow through and say this is actually going to happen, which is when you see a place like this Criscita Homes community, all of the components are coming together, affordable, long-term affordability, energy savings from the state's perspective, making sure our investments are very key. If you get these dollars like, for housing or for infrastructure, it will be long-term affordable, right? Because our job is to bring down that cost. What they're doing so well here in Bend and lots of parts of Central Oregon is really working with builders and saying, how can we get your project started?”

Governor Kotek has set an ambitious goal of constructing 36,000 homes per year.

The governor says the goal is to create affordable housing for everyone, much like the Crescita development by RootedHomes and not just for a select few.

Earlier Report:

Following years of underbuilding, underinvestment, and extraordinary growth – driven by a complex mix of factors – the West is facing severe housing shortages. And that is the challenging topic of a two-day workshop in Bend this week, hosted by the Western Governors' Association. 

To address these challenges, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, Chair of the Western Governors’ Association, launched the Building Resilient and Affordable New Developments in the West (BRAND West) initiative.   

As part of this initiative, WGA is hosting workshops in the region to discuss strategies and share information on how to improve access to housing.

On Wednesday and Thursday, WGA is at the Oxford Hotel in Bend for the second and final workshop of the initiative.

As part of the initiative, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek spoke at and hosted the initial workshop on Wednesday.

Along with expert panelists, the Governor discussed strategies for advancing rural, middle-income, and affordable housing development, as well as recommendations to ensure that federal programs function effectively for western states. Key topics include regulatory reforms, attainable homeownership, and resilient housing. 

The Governor also joined workshop attendees for a tour Wednesday afternoon of several housing developments around Bend.

Tracee Tuesday was on hand for the opening of the workshop and will have a report Wednesday night on NewsChannel 21.

(Part 2)

(Part One)

During the workshop, panelists are discussing strategies for advancing rural, middle-income, and affordable housing development, as well as recommendations to ensure that federal programs function effectively for western states. Key topics include regulatory reforms, attainable homeownership, and resilient housing.  

View the full agenda below and register here to attend.  

You can also watch videos from the first BRAND West initiative workshop, which was hosted by Utah Governor Spencer Cox in Salt Lake City in December. That workshop focused on ways to build more homes by expanding housing options, encouraging innovative funding mechanisms, leveraging infrastructure investments, increasing regional coordination, and planning vibrant, livable communities. 

“I just keep asking the question, are we going to be the first generation in the history of the United States to make life worse for our kids and grandkids?” Governor Cox rhetorically asked the crowd of housing experts at the University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics. “Right now, the answer appears to be yes across much of the United States.”  

“There's nothing more important right now than what you're doing,” he continued. “This is legacy stuff... This is the work that will change lives. More than anything else we do in government work, this is the stuff that can pay off for a long, long time to come.”  

BRAND West – Oregon Workshop Agenda 

Oxford Hotel, Bend, Oregon 

Wednesday, January 15 

1:15 pm	Welcome and Introductions  Jack Waldorf, WGA Executive Director
1:30 pm	Panel 1: Advancing Middle Housing  This panel will address the growing need for "missing middle" housing – affordable, workforce-oriented options such as duplexes, townhomes, and small multi-family units that serve middle-income earners, including essential workers and professionals.  These individuals often fall between subsidized and market-rate housing, leaving them with limited options.  The discussion will highlight effective strategies and best practices for developing these units, with a focus on zoning reforms, state efforts, and collaborative public-private solutions to expand housing access.
2:35 pm	Tour  Mayor Melanie Kebler, City of Bend,will lead attendees on a housing development tour by bus.

Thursday, January 16 

8:00 am	Welcome and Day One Recap  Jack Waldorf, WGA Executive Director
8:05 am	Panel 2: Improving Access to Affordable Housing  This panel will analyze how to address persistent affordable, low-income housing shortages.  The discussion will center on ways to enhance federal housing program efficiency and foster better coordination across all levels of government and the private sector to maximize impact.  Panelists will identify actionable solutions to strengthen low-income housing initiatives.
9:10 am	Break
9:15 am	Panel 3: Planning and Development Challenges in Rural Communities  Rural communities face distinct housing challenges, including barriers to developing infrastructure, limited financing, high levels of substandard housing, and a lack of capacity.  This discussion will focus on innovative partnerships, housing preservation and rehabilitation efforts, and strategies to align housing development with local workforce needs to foster thriving economies and build stronger rural communities.
10:20 am	Break
10:25 am	Panel 4: Encouraging Attainable Homeownership Homeownership is a cornerstone of financial stability and generational wealth in the United States, but it is increasingly out of reach for many Americans.  During this panel, speakers will discuss proposals to strengthen pathways to homeownership.
12:15 pm	Panel 5: Scaling Modular Housing Solutions  This panel will explore the role of modular housing in efforts to bolster housing supply.  As a cost-effective alternative to traditional construction, modular housing has the potential to help increase supply and improve affordability.  However, the supply chain, restrictive regulations, public perception, and other factors have hindered its adoption.  This panel will consider how innovative modular housing solutions can be scaled to meet housing demand while contributing to broader housing and community development goals.
1:20 pm	Break
1:25 pm	Panel 6: Building Resilient Housing As extreme weather and natural disasters become more common, resilient building techniques can help mitigate risks to housing infrastructure and foster more sustainable communities.  This panel will analyze policies and investments to align land use planning with environmental considerations, explore the effects on housing affordability, and promote adaptive housing development in vulnerable areas.
2:30 pm	Adjourn