Oregon's new Governor Tina Kotek, who has focused heavily on the state's housing and homelessness problems since taking office, joined other dignitaries for a sneak peek at a new approach to addressing the housing shortage.
The Mas Casitas program - translation of "more little houses" - is a pilot to create modular homes for people who have lost their housing.
Oregon state economists say the state has a shortage of more than 100,000 housing units for all income levels. To meet future growth, they may need to build nearly 600,000 more by the year 2040.
Mas Casitas looks to construct homes faster and cheaper than regular housing, and the structures be relocated around the state to meet need where it exists.
The program is currently in the prototype stage, but new homes should be ready to be ready for tennants by late spring.
The first locations will be Madras, Talent, Otis, and the Portland metro area.
Governor Kotek toured the prototype houses on Friday and said it's an important piece of the puzzle to solving the housing and homelessness issues.
"You’re using Oregon products in a fast effective way, to move it into communities who need them. It will correct for a lot of problems we’re having. It’s not the sole solution, but it is absolutely needed to give us different options in communities," said Kotek.
She's also asking the Oregon legislature for $130 million to address homeless issues--and is pretty sure she'll get it.
"We’ve had very good conversations with legislative leadership," Gov. Kotek said. "They understand and I think we have bipartisan support that it is an urgent issue. And that $130 million will serve the state in an urgent fashion to keep people housed, get them off the street, help them stay housed so they don’t come back on the street."
The program doesn't just build new homes, but also creates new jobs.
"We are hoping to utilize the entire supply chain of timber in the state of Oregon. Very small diameter timber, not logging big old growth. We’re going to focus on the little guys that nobody wants that are typically being chipped and turned into mulch and things like that. So it’s a 'win, win' for everybody. This little effort alone has created almost 100 jobs. Full-time jobs. When I say little, this really is big when you look at the housing shortage that we have. 33:01 So our goal is to stimulate the industry, create more jobs, some really good paying ones, it’s an idea of what timber can be in a state that is known for that" said Ernesto Fonseco, the CEO of Hacienda CDC one of the main organizers of the project.
Barb and Scott Benedict lost their home to the Echo Mountain Fire in 2020. Since then they've been living in a camping trailer. They'll be the first to get one of the modular homes.
"You can’t imagine until it happens. It’s so devastating. All your possessions are gone. All of your memories are gone. Everything you own is gone," said Barb Benedict.
Just as unbelievable to the Benedicts, is that someone would get you a new home.
"You can’t imagine what it’s like to have somebody do this for somebody else. It’s incredible. It’ll go on our property where our old house used to be," said Scott Benedict.