Bend housing leaders warn of tighter funding, shelter strain

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Bend housing leaders are bracing for a tougher stretch as local shelter and affordable housing programs face shrinking dollars and fewer options.

At Tuesday’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee meeting, city staff were expected to walk through shelter planning strategies tied to the city’s changing role in addressing houselessness, along with the possible impact of cuts to state and federal funding. The discussion comes as Bend looks ahead to the planned closure of the Temporary Safe Stay Area by June 30, 2027, and the loss of 70 beds at the Franklin Avenue Shelter.

Amy Fraley, Senior Program Manager for houselessness services, said the programs most at risk include safe parking and Central Oregon Villages, a small pod shelter located at Bear Creek and 27th. “So the programs that are most vulnerable in this moment with those cuts are safe parking programs, as well as Central Oregon Villages, which is our small pod shelter located on Bear Creek and 27th,” Fraley said.

Fraley also said the city is working to keep people connected to shelter options as the Temporary Safe Stay Area winds down. “So as of right now, there aren't 198 beds available. Neither insure shelter or safe parking or affordable housing. So we're just going to have to work really diligently with our partners to continue their placement,” Fraley said.

“The affordable housing funds and the CICT or commercial and industrial construction tax funds are being prioritized within our housing division goals. And these particular accomplishments today are supporting our shelters and homeless services, affordable homeownership development and affordable rental development units,” Mellissa Kamanya, the city’s Affordable Housing Coordinator, said.

Kamanya also said the city is looking at surplus land as one way to speed up affordable housing development by identifying parcels with infrastructure already in place. But she said one of the biggest challenges remains funding shortages, which can slow or stop projects before they are built.

For Bend, the stakes are local and immediate. City officials have said state funding is not keeping pace with need, and the gap could make it harder to preserve shelter options and keep people housed as the city prepares for more changes ahead.

The committee is also expected to discuss affordable housing funding, surplus land and Community Development Block Grant accomplishments and challenges, including how the city may identify property in Juniper Ridge that could be eligible for affordable housing.

KTVZ News will have more on the meeting and what it could mean for Central Oregon.