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Understanding the community’s ongoing housing shortage and its impact on workforce and economic growth, the City established the HOME Committee (Housing Options Made for Everyone) in 2025. The committee brings together members with expertise in housing, finance, construction, and development, with a clear charge to identify strategies that increase housing production across income levels and housing types. Chaired by Bend Chamber CEO, Sara Odendahl and Vice-Chair Carly Colgan, CEO of Bend Redmond Habitat for Humanity, the committee brings together diverse perspectives for their specific charter.
During three meetings in fall 2025, the committee evaluated financial tools aimed at improving project feasibility and reducing development barriers. These tools focused on supporting both market-rate and income-restricted housing and included:
- Property tax exemptions, including Middle Income Housing and ADU exemptions, to encourage missing middle and infill development
- Site-specific Tax Increment Financing to support infrastructure and gap funding
- A state-sponsored Middle-Income Revolving Loan fund to provide flexible capital for workforce housing
- Revolving loan funds for pre-development and infrastructure to address early-stage cost barriers
- Credit enhancement tools to improve access to private financing
In 2026, the committee shifted its focus to identifying sustainable revenue sources that could be paired with these tools. Across two meetings, staff and legal experts presented a range of options designed to generate funding while considering feasibility and community impact. These included:
- Affordable Housing Fee tied to new development
- Residential Construction Excise Tax and Commercial and Industrial Construction Tax options
- Rental registration fees and vacancy taxes
- Incentivized deed restriction programs, modeled after Vail’s InDEED program
- General Obligation Bonds and 501(c)(3) bonds
- Land value tax concepts to encourage development of underutilized land
A consistent theme in the committee’s work is the need to layer funding and financing tools to address different barriers to housing production. No single solution will close the gap, but a coordinated approach can create meaningful impact across the housing spectrum.
The HOME Committee will meet twice more before presenting final recommendations to City Council. These recommendations will outline a set of revenue strategies and financial tools that can be deployed individually or together to increase housing supply and expand housing options for the community. More information about the HOME Committee can be found on the City's website: https://bendoregon.gov/committees/housing-options-made-for-everyone/
