Deschutes County Leases Land for Supportive Housing

Deschutes County voted to lease land in east Redmond for a 75-unit permanent supportive housing project, known as Mt. View Community Village. Redmond nonprofit, Mountain View Community Development, which runs a safe parking program in Redmond and Bend, will lease the land to provide housing for those experiencing homelessness and individuals on fixed incomes.

The project will sit on nearly 9.5 acres and include one- and two-bedroom cottage-style units with on-site case management.

“This is an innovative project, the first of its kind for Redmond, and a much-needed resource,” said Rick Russell, executive director of Mountain View Community Development, at the April 21 meeting.

In Mountain View’s safe parking program, Russell said, many people have a desire to move from their vehicles to housing but often end up getting stuck.

“There’s a bottleneck because there just aren’t enough available. So, they end up taking up the same parking spaces that we could make available to others if we could move them on to the right type of housing,” Russell said. “This is the right type of housing for, in particular, our older unhoused folks who are living largely on disability.”

The County-owned land borders Hwy 126 to the south and is situated near the Negus Transfer Center. The leased property is north of Oasis Village, a transitional housing village, and south of a pending managed camp.

The tiny homes, ranging from 400 to 600 square feet, will include a kitchen, bathroom and laundry. The land will offer a community space for gathering and for case management offices, a central courtyard, community garden and a walking path.

Mountain View Community Development first requested the long-term ground lease with the County in July 2024. The nonprofit hopes the project will allow more individuals to find permanent housing.

While most individuals living in the area must qualify as chronically unhoused with a disability, Russell said 10% of the homes will be reserved for individuals who haven’t been unhoused, to live in the community as an informal support system.

Residents in the village will be expected to contribute 30% of their income toward their rent, with the remainder subsidized by the state.

The development will be funded by Oregon Housing and Community Services, which will provide rental subsidy and operations support. Other funding sources are set to include a combination of federal and private grants and funding.

Construction is set to take place in spring and summer of 2026.

“What the County has done today is open the doors to more people gaining housing, and that is good for our unhoused neighbors and community at large,” Russell said in a press release.

This article appears in Source Weekly April 24, 2025.