RootedHomes, a local nonprofit that develops homes for the local workforce, prepares to expand a new 24-home community of affordable housing in the Iron Horse neighborhood in Prineville. The project is estimated to cost $19.5 million.
“Home buyers tell us they feel more stable… They are actually able to put roots down in their community,” Executive Director Eliza Wilson says of the new homes coming to Prineville in 2027.
The Prineville expansion is consistent with RH’s goal to overcome Central Oregon’s housing needs and ensure the local workforce, people like nurses and teachers, can afford to stay in communities they serve. RH currently has four communities in Bend, three in Redmond and one home in Sisters.
“Housing impacts someone’s whole life,” Wilson says. “Our homeowners find that purchasing a home and being able to stay in the community makes them able to save money and be more financially stable and therefore their kiddos can stay in the same school and have better education outcomes.”
Wilson says RH is currently applying for grants, loans and Local Innovation and Fast Track funding at the state level. It is still has not secured all of its funding for the expansion.
RH’s homes are priced based on a family’s Area Median Income. When a family’s income falls below the 80th percentile of AMI that family meets the qualifications to apply for an RH home. However, Wilson told the Source that many of the RH homes’ prices are listed to be affordable for families falling under the 70th percentile of AMI.
According to Wilson, the new homes planned for Prineville are expected to cost somewhere around $200,000.
In order for people to qualify for a home they will need to show proof they also qualify for a mortgage. Following the proof, they will be assessed and given “preference points.”
A few examples of how a family can get preference points is through being a first-time homebuyer and working for a company that partners with RH. Some of these companies include Mosaic Community Health and St. Charles Health System.
Wilson told the Source that RH has found that people of color are more likely to be first generation homeowners. This finding has been one of the primary reasons why families who are first-generation buyers are given preference points.
Under its strategic plan, RH officials state that one of the core goals of these housing developments is to break down barriers for POC and help residents build generational wealth.
Wilson says that there are plans to develop a 30-home community in Redmond and possibly more homes slated for Bend as well. Though, the possible homes in Bend may be developed at a later date, potentially in 2027.
Homes in Redmond ready for move-in in the next few months will include 22 duplexes and a farmhouse that has been rehabilitated.
“At CS Construction, we care deeply about the future of Central Oregon because it’s our home,” Matt Cohen, owner of CS Construction and builder for RH homes, stated in a recent press release. “The growing need for attainable housing isn’t just a statistic; it’s something we see affecting our friends, families, and workforce every day.”
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If you take the total cost and divide it by the number of houses you have a cost of $812,500 per house. I really don’t believe they are building luxury houses so where is all the money going?