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Construction of a new affordable housing community has begun on an approximately two-acre site in Bend.

鈥淩ooted at Simpson,鈥� led by developers RootedHomes and Housing Works, will include 99 affordable housing units. RootedHomes鈥� portion will be 40 single-family homes in cottage clusters; they will have either two or three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Housing Works鈥� portion will be 59 garden-style apartments.

The site is located at 19755 S.W. Simpson Ave., near the intersection with 18th Street.

The project team also includes architect and landscape architect Ten Over Studio, civil and structural engineer Ashley & Vance Engineering, and general contractor (with design assist) O鈥橞rien Design + Build.

鈥淩ootedHomes aims to design our affordable housing as high quality and visually aesthetic as market-rate homes,鈥� said Jackie Keogh, the organization鈥檚 executive director.

All homes are designed to meet net-zero-energy standards, with energy bills expected to be less than $12 a month, Keogh said.

The homes will have a contemporary style and not include downgraded materials (which often are used for affordable housing), Ten Over Studio project manager Matt Kelly said. Materials will include cement siding, highly efficient windows, and advanced framing to capitalize on insulation values.

Two floor plans will be used for the homes, and many of them will offer ADA-level accessibility. Some multigenerational homes will have a bedroom and a full bathroom on the ground floor.

The project is a resident-driven design, Keogh said. The team collected community feedback on the site plan and then adapted the design accordingly.

鈥淥n this site in particular, we have six clusters,鈥� Kelly said.

Each cluster will have its own communal area, with a hardscaped patio area and a softscape area that will be both kid-friendly and pet-friendly.

The middle of the site will have a large community gathering area. That space will include a pergola, raised garden beds and a grassy play space. There will also be some trails throughout the area.

The design also calls for on-site parking, electric vehicle chargers, covered bike parking and all native plants. All homeowners will receive an electric bike as a secondary transportation option.

The site is near the OSU Cascades expansion campus. The project team is improving transportation access with wider sidewalks, a multiuse path, and a crosswalk to the campus.

The previous property owner was Deschutes County, Keogh said. RootedHomes owns its portion of the site and Housing Works owns its portion.

Rooted at Simpson is an affordable housing pilot project. The two developers have seen the Central Oregon wait list for those subsidized rental homes, commonly known as Section 8, reach 7,000 people.

鈥淚f someone was to move, they would choose to displace themselves about an hour outside of the city center to either get a market-rate apartment or to buy a market-rate home,鈥� Keogh said.

To help end displacement, preference for the homes will be given to renters now living in Section 8 housing.

For this project, RootedHomes and Housing Works bought land, parceled it and then prepared to build both homes and apartments in the same community. The developers are doing the same thing in Redmond and La Pine and planning to follow suit elsewhere in Central Oregon.

The total project cost is $20 million. Funders include Oregon Housing and Community Services, Washington Federal Bank, Deschutes County, the city of Bend, Bend Metropolitan Planning Organization, Oregon Community Foundation, Central Oregon Health Council and Brooks Resources.

Construction crews broke ground last week. Earthwork is under way, said Keeley O鈥橞rien, CEO and president of O鈥橞rien Design + Build.

Homeowner selection will occur in summer 2024 through a housing lottery, with houses closing in phases from January through May 2025. People interested in qualifying for a home can learn more on the RootedHomes website. RootedHomes considers applicants whose household income ranges from 40-80 percent of area median income for Deschutes County.

Construction of the Housing Works apartments is expected to begin in 2024 and wrap up by summer 2025.