At last week’s City Council meeting, the Council unanimously approved a purchase and sale agreement for the property located 904 SE Third Street, known as Old Mill Inn and Suites. The property would be purchased for a price not to exceed $5 million (subject to an appraisal) with funding made available through Project Turnkey and provide 64 units of transitional housing for community members who are experiencing homelessness or are at-risk of homelessness. Additional funding is being requested from Project Turnkey for necessary upgrades and repairs to the motel, and to help support the first year of operations. The City is working with NeighborImpact and other social services partners to plan for managing the motel for community members most in need of stable housing, if the City is selected to receive funding.
Approving the purchase and sale agreement was Council’s next step in the Project Turnkey application process. If the City is awarded funding through Project Turnkey, the sale of the property must close by June 30, 2021, to meet Project Turnkey timelines.
In addition to the tight closing timeline, Bend Development Code amendments are needed to locate transitional housing facilities like this in Bend. Those changes include removing a provision for 1,000 feet of separation between temporary housing sites (which includes temporary shelters) and allowing transitional shelter sites as a permitted use in certain commercial zones, particularly along Third Street, without requiring a conditional use permit. A transitional shelter in a location like this provides residents with safe and sanitary living conditions, centralized critical services and access to transit and employment opportunities.
City Council has prioritized these two code amendments to meet Project Turnkey timelines while ensuring opportunities for public comment. A Planning Commission public hearing is expected on March 8, followed by a City Council public hearing on March 17. Both public hearings give community members an opportunity to comment on the proposed development code changes. Planning Commission meeting agendas and viewing instructions are available here. City Council agendas and viewing instructions are here.
After any proposed development code changes take effect, the property would be subject to an additional land use review process to assure that necessary improvements are included at the site, such as sidewalks, parking, bike parking and trash receptacle screening.
Project Turnkey funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Bend is one of 11 applicants from 28 counties that has advanced to the second phase of the application process. These applicants are competing for $35 million in available funding. If the City does not receive Project Turnkey grant funds, the hotel would not be purchased at this time. Any adopted code amendments could be relied on in the future to locate transitional housing facilities in Bend.
Project Turnkey provides $35 million in State funding to cities, counties, housing authorities or 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations to acquire motels or hotels to use as non-congregate shelters for people experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness. Oregon Community Foundation is administering the Fund through an application and selection process, with guidance from an Advisory Committee of state, local and community stakeholders.
There are many types of housing needed in a community. Temporary transitional shelter sites are one of many possible short-term solutions to help address homelessness in Bend. Mid- and long-term solutions, like generating revenue to support housing and other critical services, and acquiring housing facilities, are also necessary to support community members as they transition out of homelessness and into stable housing. To learn more about the continuum of housing needed in Bend, visit the Emergency Homelessness Task Force page.
