UMATILLA COUNTY — An epiphany recently came to Cindy Timmons.

In early April, the Umatilla County commissioner was leading yet another meeting on the area’s homelessness situation, a problem everyone seems to think they have answers for, Timmons said.

She threw out the question of where lower-cost, often referred to as affordable or workforce, housing should fit into the equation.

Workforce housing — the cost of which varies by city, county and the state of the market — is intended to support middle-income workers, such as teachers, law enforcement employees and firefighters. The general definition of workforce housing is that which is affordable for those earning between 80% and 120% of an area’s median income.

And experts agree without enough of that sort of housing available, a community fails to retain and attract workers essential to its economic health.

It was immediately clear to Timmons her question had opened a valve.

“When we got to that part, it took on a life of its own,” she said.

Timmons eventually had to shut down the conversation due to time constraints but knew there was much more to discuss, she said.

So she is convening a summit on affordable housing Wednesday, May 8 at Tamastslikt Cultural Institute, to finish that conversation and start many more.

2024’s area Point-in-Time survey, asking where people slept on Jan. 24, revealed 557 unhoused people in Umatilla and Morrow counties, 10 times more than last year’s count.

Oregon is funneling $200 million — including more than $20 million into rural communities — toward addressing what Gov. Tina Kotek called a crisis.

With the funding, wheels quickly began rolling across Umatilla County. Timmons keeps track of how the money is being spent at quarterly meetings. It was at the April 2 gathering the affordable housing topic blew up, she said.

Timmons, a lifelong Milton-Freewater resident, had become exposed to what modern, lower-cost housing could look like during a visit to Bumble B Estate in Stanfield.

“They gave me a tour and I was absolutely amazed,” she said.

“The cabinets are well-made, of solid wood. The floors are concrete, just beautiful.”

Angie Sullivan, who will present at the May 8 summit, is used to hearing this. As owner of Echo-based LandWise LLC real estate development services, she teamed with husband Scott Smith to consult with developer Lloyd Piercy on the 99-house project on about 20 acres on East Ball Avenue.

The one-, two- and three-bedroom homes at Bumble B Estate have amenities found in higher-priced houses, Sullivan said.

The list includes granite countertops, taller ceilings, high-quality appliances, durable and attractive siding and full-size garages. The yards — though compact — are fenced, landscaped and irrigated, with a water conservation focus.

A similar project is underway in Hermiston, with a mix of duplex-style townhomes, triplexes and multi-family units. The Diamond Run development, on about 36 acres at the intersection of East Elm Avenue and Diagonal Boulevard, will add almost 300 homes to the city.

Such developments can free up lower-income properties for families who have rent subsistence, Sullivan said.

“Right now people who can afford more are staying put,” she said. “Because there are only so many rooftops.”

Timmons said the trickle down effect from more affordable housing is more housing, period.

“Everyone agrees that if we put affordable housing in place, people who are renting can buy a home and that frees up those apartments,” she said.

She’s now convinced, the commissioner added.

“What I believed to be a stretch,” she said, “turned out to be a perfect piece of the puzzle.”

A newer model of affordability

It sounds contrary to purpose — affordable housing that’s leased, not purchased.

That’s the model Hacienda CDC uses. The Portland-based nonprofit is working on two projects in Umatilla County and looking at a third. Down the road, a fourth potential investment could be senior housing on the eastern edge of the county, said John Audley, a consultant for Hacienda.

At this moment, Umatilla County is creating a lot of middle-income jobs to meet the needs here, Audley said.

“Hacienda’s niche is to provide housing and community services to low income families,” he said. “It tends to start with leases, and through financial planning and financial literacy classes, to help (families) move to home ownership.”

A typical resident will earn about 60% of the area median income. In Hermiston, Hacienda is developing a 55-unit complex near Loma Vista Elementary School. Another will be in the city of Umatilla and another in Stanfield.

“When you are developing this way, it is a very long and slow process,” Audley said. “The state is rolling out new programs and that will help.”

The organization doesn’t stop with the last coat of paint on new housing. Hacienda is a Latino-led community development corporation that strengthens residents by also providing financial planning and financial literacy education, said John Audley, a consultant for the nonprofit.

Founded in 1992, Hacienda has built 605 units so far. It offers loan default prevention education, after-school programs, early childhood education services and small business advising.

Its focus has historically been in Northwest Oregon; the Umatilla County work is helping the organization expand beyond the metro area, Audley said.

A Hacienda build is done with longevity in mind, he pointed out, thus quality is a top priority.

For more information about Hacienda CDC, visit haciendacdc.org.

What makes housing affordable?

Some people think the term “affordable housing,” often paired with “workforce housing,” is subjective. In truth, to earn that title, housing must follow an industry formula, noted real estate consultant Angie Sullivan.

By taking an area’s median income figure and multiplying it by four, that’s the sum considered the affordable-housing budget for a particular community.

According to 2022 United States Census Bureau data, including its five-year American Community Survey, Pilot Rock has a median income of $71,650. Four times that is $286,600. Milton-Freewater has the lowest median income at $46,372. A home there would have to ring up at $185,488 to fit under the affordable housing banner.

Newer workforce housing is behind in production in this part of the state, Sullivan said, noting Pendleton has examples of homes built for military families during World War II.

“That’s workforce housing, too,” she said.

In March, two proposed measures gave legs to Gov. Tina Kotek’s priority of adding more housing around the state for teachers, nurses and firefighters. Senate bills 1537 and 1530 easily passed with bipartisan support, resulting in a $376 million package to fund infrastructure creation and improvements, house building, homeless shelters and rent assistance. The legislation also helps circumvent land use laws, making it easier for cities to build new homes by increasing urban growth boundaries, Umatilla County Commissioner Cindy Timmons said.

The funding is undoubtedly helpful, Sullivan said, but it would be wrong to think the problem is solved.

In many situations the cost of land, thanks to terrain, soil types and infrastructure requirements, can make building affordable housing more difficult, Sullivan said.

“All of that is very costly,” she said, “and land cost is the first hurdle that we have to jump.”

If You Go

Umatilla County Commissioner Cindy Timmons’ Affordable Housing Summit is 9:30 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, May 8, at Tamastslikt Cultural Institute, 47106 Wildhorse Blvd., Mission.

Those interested in attending or getting more information can email cindy.timmons@umatillacounty.gov.