75-home village near Redmond Airport approved on a 2-1 vote by Deschutes County commissioners

(Update: Adding video, comments from executive director)

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Mountain View Community Development is one step closer to building a 75-home village in Redmond for disabled people who have been homeless, thanks to a decision by the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners Monday afternoon.

"The community of Redmond has been really innovative and has provided congregate shelter and safe parking, and permanent sort of housing. I think Redmond is getting some things right," said Executive Director Rick Russell.

In July, the nonprofit asked the county to lease a 9.5-acre property north of Oasis Village and south of a proposed managed homeless camp off Highway 126 in Redmond.

On Monday, the commissioners approved the lease agreement, which will run for 65 years at no cost to the nonprofit.

But it was a 2-1 vote, with Commissioners Phil Chang and Patti Adair in favor of the move and colleague Tony DeBone voting no. He did the same a bit earlier on a companion measure, an amendment to an existing ground lease to the city of Redmond, now scaled back from 12 to about three acres.

DeBone later explained to KTVZ News he's not at all opposed to the project. But he believes the city of Redmond should be taking the lead on such efforts, as originally intended, not the county.

"I'm kind of done giving away free stuff," he said.

Mountain View Community Development currently runs a safe parking program, but says the area needs more permanent solutions.

"We see people come into safe parking, and they get stable, and they start working on a plan to move forward. But so many of our older people are stuck waiting for a voucher for a subsidized apartment," Russell told KTVZ News on Tuesday. "And they can wait not just months, but they'll wait years for their number to come up."

Here's the rest of the Mountain View Community Development news release:

“Homelessness requires a whole community response, and we’re grateful for this successful collaboration with local government, private business, and nonprofit partners,” said Rick Russell, Mountain View Community Development’s executive director.

“The main barrier to our Safe Parking participants getting into stable housing is that there simply aren’t enough places to live, and waitlists are years long. This project will provide dozens of households with a place to live, on-site case management, along with an intentionally built community.

“What the county has done today is open the doors to more people gaining housing, and that is good for our unhoused neighbors and the community at large,” Russell said.

The 75 cottage-style homes will range from 400 to 600 square feet and will be designed and built by Simplicity by Hayden Homes, an affiliate of Redmond-based Hayden Homes. Land development is tentatively scheduled for this fall. with vertical construction to follow in 2026. 

“Redmond is our hometown, and it’s important to Simplicity and Hayden Homes that we help our city solve the housing crisis,” said Ryan Jennings, President of Simplicity by Hayden Homes. “Simplicity has been building quality cottages for nearly 15 years, and we are proud to help Mountain View Community Development provide a safe, welcoming home to so many of our unhoused neighbors.”

For people to qualify to live in the village, they must be chronically unhoused and have a disability. Russell said he expects that most people will be 55 or older. Residents will pay 30 percent of their income for rent, and the remainder will be subsidized.

Mountain View Community Development will have case managers on site, and 10 percent of the homes will be reserved for people who haven’t been unhoused but want to live in the community as an informal support system.

The development will be funded by Oregon Housing & Community Services, which will also provide a rental subsidy and operations support. The nonprofit will apply for a $3 million grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank, as well.

It is also seeking private grants and funding, Russell said.

For more information, visit Mountain View Community Development’s website, www.mvcdoregon.org.