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An affordable housing development is in the works in Bend. The project is currently in design.

Housing Works, the local housing authority for Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties, is developing a 59-unit apartment complex.

College View Apartments is being developed in coordination with RootedHomes, which is developing the adjacent property into 40 affordable homes. Construction crews broke ground on that parcel in October.

The site is at 19755 S.W. Simpson Ave., near the intersection with 18th Street. Though RootedHomes鈥� development also currently has that address, they will eventually be separated. The apartments will be near OSU Cascades鈥� expansion campus, grocery stores, restaurants, and other employment opportunities, said Keith Wooden, Housing Works鈥� real estate and facilities director.

Housing Works purchased the site from Deschutes County, navigated a partition process, and sold the western portion to RootedHomes, Wooden said.

鈥淥ur side of the site (will have) 59 apartments,鈥� he said.

Plans call for the complex including 11 one-bedroom units, 36 two-bedroom units and 12 three-bedroom units. They will be available to people earning up to 60 percent of area median income.

鈥淲e鈥檙e probably 60 percent or more below market-rate rents for that area,鈥� Wooden said.

Currently, Housing Works charges less than $800 for one-bedroom units, less than $900 for two-bedroom units, and less than $1,000 for three-bedroom units, he said.

Pinnacle Architecture designed the project for Housing Works. There will be two three-story buildings with stairs and breezeways. Each apartment will have an outdoor deck, a washer and dryer, a mini split heat pump, large windows to let in natural light, LED lighting, all Energy Star appliances, and solid vinyl plank flooring. The craftsman-style design will feature lighter colors, Wooden said.

Other amenities will include dog areas, covered bike parking, and a community room with a fitness center available to all residents.

The total project cost is estimated at $23.5 million.

In July, the project team received $8.3 million in Local Innovation and Fast Track (LIFT) funding approved by the Oregon Housing Stability Council. Other funding includes low-income tax credits, a permanent loan from a bank, and other loans.

鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to be able to build,鈥� Wooden said.

The sloped site has presented challenges such as soil issues, but the project team is addressing them, he said.

Wooden expects the team to initiate a request for proposals process for a general contractor within the next few months.

Currently, the design team is working on construction-level details; it has submitted a planning application for site design review with the city of Bend. A planning decision for the project is expected within the next few weeks, Wooden said.

Construction could begin as early as next June and finish in September 2025.