MEDFORD, Ore. – The ownership of Mariposa Townhomes off State Street in East Medford recently changed hands. On Monday, residents learned rent is going up as much as 50 percent.
With housing costs up and vacancy rates down, finding a new rental could be challenging. Now, Medford’s Housing Advisory Committee is doing all it can to find solutions that will make housing more available.
Tuesday morning, the committee got advice from our neighbors in Bend. “It’s your problem. And in truth, you guys know best how to fix your problem,” Jim Long with the City of Bend said.
Medford Housing Director Matt Brinkley said, “He [Long] brings a wealth of knowledge and first-hand experience in implementing affordable housing strategies.”
Not too long ago, the booming Central Oregon city of Bend found itself in a predicament similar to the one Medford struggles with today. “It’s hard for anybody to find a house to buy,” Brinkley explained, “And if you can’t buy, it’s hard to find a place to rent.”
Medford is a growing city without enough affordable housing to accommodate the influx of residents. “We know that the problem is just becoming more and more serious,” Brinkley said.
Since forming a housing committee, Bend has been able to increase its housing options. Long said, “In the State of Oregon, Bend has put up the second most affordable units behind Portland.” Long’s city is offering more folks a comfortable and affordable place to call home. It’s the lessons learned in Bend that Brinkley hopes will help us here in Medford.
“Bend is about the same size as Medford,” Brinkley said. “So we feel there is a lot we can learn from his experience.”
Some of the ideas on the table, according to Brinkley: “Everything from different kinds of regulatory reform that make it easier for us to develop certain kinds of housing, to economic incentives that bend and other communities have used to be able to support the development of affordable and just a range of different housing.”
No matter what avenue ends up working here locally, Brinkley knows that time and money is of the essence for many Medford families. “It’s a really difficult challenge but It’s not impossible to address,” he said.
In January, Medford’s Housing Advisory Committee plans to have a few new housing strategies endorsed by the city council and hopes that this time next year they will be accepting proposals for new construction.
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