The following is a press release from KCEDA.

Collaborative initiatives launched over the past few years are helping a sudden surge in residential construction, as national developers are taking notice in Klamath County to build new attainable housing.

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - In recent years an emphasis towards stakeholder collaboration for leveraging Klamath County assets has helped pave the way for increased economic growth, garnering attention from one of the top residential developers in the country.

Friday, in a joint press release, Coldwell Banker Holman Premier Realty and the Klamath County Economic Development Association (KCEDA) announced, national homebuilder, D.R. Horton, has officially purchased 35 lots in the Pheasant Run subdivision for the purposes of constructing new housing in the region.

D.R. Horton, Inc. is a national homebuilder, headquartered in Arlington, Texas. Since 2002, D.R. Horton has been the largest homebuilder by volume in the United States. Operating in 104 markets across 32 states, the company was ranked number 148 on the 2021 Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by revenue.

Keith Manske, Oregon’s City Manager at D.R. Horton, stated, “D.R. Horton is excited to enter the Klamath Falls market and to provide top quality homes at affordable prices to local residents.

As the region’s home shortage has persisted, Klamath County’s businesses and public leaders have worked together to address the challenge proactively. In 2019, several stakeholders (various local employers/developers, contractors, agencies, etc.) formed a joint housing task force, in collaboration with the Klamath County Board of Commissioners and City of Klamath Falls, where the group assessed the housing shortage and its potential impacts on Klamath’s regional economy over the next decade. These efforts ultimately laid the framework for legislative discussions, site visits, trades training, lending partnerships, land acquisitions, and development concepts which have arisen over the past year.

KCEDA President and Owner/Principal Broker of Coldwell Banker, Randy L. Shaw and Broker Wendy Clark were closely involved with D.R. Horton during the due diligence process, working with KCEDA to gather essential data about market needs and regional housing demand. Shaw commented, “The collective work done by stakeholders to address housing over the last few years is proof of this community’s resilience, teamwork and dedication to improving Klamath’s economic vitality long term. Thanks to Wendy Clark for her tireless work on this effort.”

KCEDA CEO, Randy Cox, talked about the housing crisis and the work performed over the past few years to help accelerate the region’s development growth, saying, “Today’s housing shortage in our region is deeply connected to this county's future prosperity and the health of our business climate. D.R. Horton’s acquisition shows the momentum within Klamath is on display at a national level, and it is giving our region the opportunity to further capitalize on that success.”