By SHAYLA ESCUDERO/Lincoln Chronicle
DEPOE BAY– Affordable housing for 2020 Labor Day wildfire victims is officially under construction after a groundbreaking ceremony this week at the 12-unit townhome site in Depoe Bay.
Some people are still displaced nearly five years since the Echo Mountain Fire swept over 2,500 acres and destroying 288 homes in Otis.
“What we are seeing is that not everyone affected had insurance, was able to rebuild, or had the supports and what they’ve done is hunkered down in RVs in substandard conditions the last five years,” said Karen Rockwell, executive director of the Housing Authority of Lincoln County.
Some people may have been waiting for insurance to kick in or services to come, she said. When those resources didn’t materialize, displaced people became habituated to what maybe was only supposed to be a temporary shelter.
The housing authority owns and will manage the development and is working directly with Lincoln County and the three-county Community Services Consortium to refer individuals and families still struggling with housing after the Echo Mountain Fire.
“Not everyone affected was in an ownership situation, so providing affordable rental options like this and our Wescoma Place Apartments in Lincoln City are a way to meet that need,” Rockwell said.
A couple dozen people, including county Commissioner Claire Hall and Depoe Bay Mayor Kathy Short helped break ground Tuesday to officially celebrate the start of the $7.2 million project’s construction at 1099 S. Highway 101. The 12 units of mostly two-bedroom townhouses is expected to be complete by next May.
The space was previously meant to be housing for service workers as an extension to the neighboring Little Whale Cove, a 268-home community.
Two-bedroom townhomes will be available to people with incomes below 60 percent of the area’s median income. The Housing Authority estimates rent will be about $1,000 a month. The site will also have a community garden and bike storage.
Funding for the project came from several sources, including Oregon Housing and Community Services funds for disaster recovery.
- Shayla Escudero covers Lincoln County government, education, Newport, housing and social services for Lincoln Chronicle and can be reached at Shayla@LincolnChronicle.org
