(Shown from left to right at Wickiup Station’s grand opening are Phil Chang, Deschutes County Commissioner; David Musial, National Equity Fund; Jeannine Earles, Mayor of La Pine; Tony DeBone, Deschutes County Commissioner; Deborrah Willard, FFAH; Tommy Waldron, FFAH; Cody Clark, LRS Architects; Darrin Willard, FFAH; Jim Landin, LRS Architects; Tom Willard, FFAH; Kristy Thompson, SunWest Builders; and Jonathan Rivera, LRS Architects | Photo courtesy of Foundation for Affordable Housing)
“Living in a car is no fun,” said 83-year-old veteran Frank Crandall, who spoke at the recent grand opening ceremony for Foundation of Affordable Housing’s latest project, Wickiup Station in La Pine, where he is now a resident. “Everything is first class, and everything works, which gives residents a sense of dignity, security, and stability.”
Darrin Willard, president of Foundation of Affordable Housing (FFAH), explained at the event that “we build, acquire, and operate safe, high-quality rental homes that target low-income households, seniors, veterans, and individuals transitioning out of homelessness — those who need affordable housing the most.”
Founded in a spare bedroom at the home of co-founders Deborrah and Tom Willard in 1988, the nonprofit FFAH now serves 100,000+ people nationwide — “as many as live in the city of Bend,” Willard said.
“Wickiup Station has been a huge labor of love,” added Paige Willard, director of marketing and business development. “And although FFAH is headquartered in Bend, this is our first ground-up development in Deschutes County — a big, beautiful building in our backyard. FFAH’s staff and volunteers worked day and night to get ready for our grand opening — even building furniture and setting plants in the garden during a torrential rainstorm hours beforehand. Our hearts are just bursting.”
“It’s emotional to see Wickiup Station completed on time and on budget,” said FFAH’s Chief Strategy Officer Tommy Waldron. “Everything is 100% affordable. We try to house families that earn just 30% of area median income (or about $25,000 locally), as opposed to other affordable housing projects that target those making 60%, or up to $70,000. As Darrin Willard said in his remarks, ‘Those who build, serve, and sustain a community — such as nurses, teachers, and people who staff our stores — deserve to live here.’”
Deschutes County Commissioner Phil Chang, in addressing the event’s attendees, described himself as “a very big advocate of affordable housing. People deserve a decent place to live, and a place where they have the opportunity to thrive.”
Chang’s desire to “do whatever I could to support Wickiup Junction” included — according to Darrin Willard — the two men poring over a map of Deschutes County together to find an available and appropriate site — and eventually pinpointing three acres in the Wickiup Junction area of La Pine.
Wickiup Station is being launched in four phases that total some 130 one-, two-, and three-bedroom options. Phase 1 consists of 39 units, with ten reserved for veterans; Phase 2, slated for completion in summer 2027, adds 41 apartments; and Phase 3’s 21 units, to be completed in 2028, will be rented to seniors.
Amenities — ranging from secured entries to game rooms, a workout area, a laundry, and two common decks — include a playground and raised garden beds where residents can plant and tend their own vegetables — to “foster a sense of community and well-being,” per the FFAH.
“We appreciate everything FFAH has done, as people need places to lay their heads,” said La Pine Mayor Jeannine Earles. And in the words of its co-founders, “We offer a safe place where a house becomes a home, and residents become family. FFAH doesn’t provide roofs, but a community.”
