Citizens of Pendleton participated in formal housing studies in 2011 and 2021. These studies clearly showed a need for more and better housing at all income levels. This lack of suitable housing is one of the reasons why we have so many open jobs in Pendleton.

In 2017, the city council established a goal of 50 new housing units, including apartments and duplexes, each year. The city began reaching out to land owners and developers to see what might incentivize them to build housing units in Pendleton.

A “housing summit” was held at the Pendleton Convention Center in the summer of 2018 to acquaint builders with some local opportunities.

By 2019, we started seeing increased interest by developers but the economic challenges of 2020, spurred largely by the COVID-19 pandemic, slowed down progress. Despite these challenges, we achieved our goal of an average of 50 new units each year.

2021 is shaping up to be a very encouraging year for housing. As of Sept. 1, the city has issued permits to build 159 new housing units, with another 90-plus units under review. Just as important, we issued permits for 80 new units of affordable housing, which is much needed and difficult to build.

The affordable housing complex called “Wildflower” is next to Olney Cemetery and is being produced by Chrisman Development out of Enterprise and is made possible by millions of dollars in relief money that came from the Legislature as the result of the February 2020 Umatilla River flooding.

The Horizon Project has received financing for another 70 units of affordable housing and it expects to break ground in 2022 on land donated by the city in eastern Pendleton near the Oregon Youth Authority facility.

Dusty Pace is about to build out the Sunridge Addition and is working on developing about 25 lots near Southwest 18th Street for more expensive, “executive level” homes.

So far in 2021, the value of site-built housing units is about $18.6 million, which is double the value of housing built in 2020.

The Pendleton Development Commission is working with homeowners inside the Urban Renewal District to improve blighted homes through the “Love Your Home” program.

This program involves loans of up to $30,000 for outside improvements and the loans are partially forgiven over a period of five years. The remainder of the loan doesn’t have to be paid back until the home is eventually sold.

If you think you are interested in fixing up a property within the URD using the “Love Your Home” process, call Charles Denight at city hall at 541-966-1233.

Do you have a point you’d like to make or an issue you feel strongly about? Submit a letter to the editor or a guest column.