(Rendering courtesy of City of Bend)
City of Bend Expands Pre-Approved Plans Program to Increase Housing Options and Reduce Costs
The City of Bend is continuing its commitment to improving housing accessibility and affordability through the expansion of its Pre-Approved Plan Program. This initiative builds on years of efforts to reduce barriers, streamline permitting, and lower costs for homeowners interested in building Accessory Dwelling Units.
When the program launched, the City introduced a single pre-approved design at no cost. This pilot allowed staff to gather community feedback and test a more efficient, streamlined process. Now, in response to that feedback, the City is expanding the program with four new pre-approved plan sets. Recognizing that one size does not fit all, these designs will also be available at no cost for site-specific permitting within Bend, offering more choice for property owners.
By eliminating redundant review steps, the program shortens approval timelines and reduces permitting costs, making it easier to build new housing.
Beyond ADUs, these plans can support cottage clusters, duplexes, triplexes and quadplexes—making them especially useful for small-scale projects. This versatility makes them especially well-suited for Middle Housing Land Division projects, an increasingly important tool in expanding housing supply.
Affordable Housing Goals and Achievements
In the first year of the City of Bend’s 2025 to 2027 Council Goal Work Plan, the City supported the completion of 129 affordable homes with long term affordability requirements.
For this goal, affordable housing means homes for households earning up to 80% of the area’s median income, which is about $96,160 per year for a family of four.
Of these homes, 70 were available for purchase and 59 were rental homes. Overall, 329 new homes received certificates of occupancy during this time, and nearly 40% of them were affordable.
While this progress is meaningful, there is still more work to do. So far, only 17% of the total affordable housing goal has been permitted.
To help address this gap, the Council appointed Housing Options Made for Everyone (HOME) Committee continues to explore ways to support more housing development. The committee will share recommendations with the City Council in August, including ideas for subsidies and incentives as well as potential revenue sources to help fund those tools and increase housing production.
Significant Decline in Local Homelessness
In the last year, the City of Bend experienced a 16.3% decrease in the number of people experiencing homelessness dropping to 838 individuals according to the 2026 Point in Time Count. Bend also saw a decline in unsheltered homelessness from 545 neighbors on the street in 2025 to 424 individuals in 2026. The decline was seen across the Central Oregon region as well.
The Homeless Leadership Coalition released the metrics for the 2026 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count. The PIT Count is conducted on a single night in January each year and provides a snapshot of the number of people who may be experiencing homelessness on any given night. Central Oregon’s Point in Time Count includes Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook counties and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.
The 2026 Point in Time Count reflected a 19.1% regional decrease in the number of people experiencing homelessness compared to 2025. While the numbers have held steady, this is the first regional decrease in homelessness since 2013. The decrease is attributed to consistent investment in the development of resources including shelter, housing, prevention and outreach.
Other key takeaways from the 2026 Point in Time Count include:
- 66.6% of Central Oregon’s homeless population are living unsheltered
- 65% of Point in Time Count respondents have been homeless for a year or longer
- 50% of Point in Time Count respondents have lived in the area for more than 10 years
- Top self-reported cause of homelessness was economic
More information and a full presentation of Point in Time Count data can be found here:
Homeless Leadership Coalition
Accommodation Information for People with Disabilities & Language Assistance Services:
You can obtain this information in alternate formats such as Braille, electronic format, etc. Free language assistance services are also available. Please email accessibility@bendoregon.gov or call 541-693-2198. Relay Users Dial 7-1-1. All requests are subject to vendor processing times and should be submitted 48-72 hours in advance of events.
Servicios de asistencia lingüística e información sobre alojamiento para personas con discapacidad:
Puede obtener esta información en formatos alternativos como Braille, formato electrónico, etc. También disponemos de servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Póngase en contacto en correo electrónico accessibility@bendoregon.gov o número de teléfono 541-693-2198. Los usuarios del servicio de retransmisión deben marcar el 7-1-1. Por favor, envíe sus solicitudes con 48-72 horas de antelación al evento; todas las solicitudes están sujetas a los tiempos de procesamiento del proveedor.
