Bend-Redmond Habitat Celebrates Completion of 13 Net-Zero Homes in Redmond

Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity celebrated the completion of Timber Cottages on Wednesday, July 22, with a home dedication, ribbon cutting, homeowner stories, and tours of the new neighborhood.

The event brought together Timber Cottages homeowners, Oregon State Representative Emerson Levy, Habitat Board and staff, volunteers, donors, community partners, and local officials.

Timber Cottages includes 13 permanently affordable, cottage-style homes in southwest Redmond. The development includes a mix of two- and three-bedroom homes for households earning less than 80% of the area median income.

The homeowners include people working in local schools, healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, and other jobs that keep Central Oregon running. Eleven of the 13 households are led by women, including eight single mothers.

For Bobbie, one of the new homeowners, the move represents a return to familiar ground. “I grew up on Timber Avenue, and my parents still live just a block from my new home. Being able to own a home here is really a dream come true. It feels like it was meant to be.”

During the dedication, homeowners shared what purchasing a home means for their families, including greater stability, independence, security, and the opportunity to remain connected to their community.

Bend-Redmond Habitat CEO Carly Colgan also reflected on how Timber Cottages responds to the growing need for homes that are both affordable and resilient. “Affordable housing can be sustainable. It can be high-performing. It can be thoughtfully designed. And it can be beautiful. But the true measure of this community will be found in the lives lived inside these homes.”

The homes are certified net zero and Earth Advantage Platinum. Energy-efficient construction and rooftop solar are expected to keep average household energy bills at approximately $15 per month, helping reduce the long-term cost of homeownership.

The homes are also designed to stay comfortable and maintain healthier indoor air during periods of extreme heat and wildfire smoke.

Homeowners purchase the homes with affordable mortgages based on their incomes. The average first mortgage at Timber Cottages is approximately $200,000, with an average monthly mortgage payment of about $1,550.

Timber Cottages was supported by homebuyer mortgages, Oregon Housing and Community Services LIFT funding, HUD Community Project Funding, City of Redmond Community Development Block Grant funding, and contributions from donors and community partners.

This spring, the neighborhood also hosted Bend-Redmond Habitat’s Women Build event, bringing together approximately 100 women and allies to help complete siding, cabinets, trim, fencing, and other work throughout the development.

The homes will remain permanently affordable through Bend-Redmond Habitat’s community land trust model, preserving them as a long-term homeownership resource for future generations of Central Oregon buyers.

This story is based on submitted information and has not been verified by our news team.