Nearly a hundred people strapped on hard hats, grabbed their trusty hammers and got to work building sleeping units for the homeless on Wednesday in Redmond.

First Story, an affordable homeownership nonprofit, teamed up with four other organizations to build five sleeping units for Oasis Village, a transitional shelter program providing units for unhoused individuals in East Redmond.

First Story’s partner groups are Hayden Homes, Simplicity by Hayden Homes, The Parr Company and Heart of Oregon Corps’ YouthBuild program. The “Blitz Build” has been partnership with Hayden Homes, First Story and Heart of Oregon Corps’ YouthBuild since 2011.

The build was well choreographed. One team held down planks of wood as others nailed them together. The supplies were pre-cut, so it was just a matter of piecing the puzzle together. By 10:30 a.m., all four walls were hoisted up and held together and hammered in place. Finishing the units will take time, however, as painting and detail work is set for a later date.

From 8 a.m. to noon, partner groups built the sleeping units. The work was followed by a lunch and a tour of a completed unit. Guests learned about Parr Opti-Frame technology and Heart of Oregon’s YouthBuild program. They also wrote welcoming messages to the new residents on art installations.

Heart of Oregon Corps’ YouthBuild will finish remaining construction, including painting and detail work. Oasis Village Executive Director Josie Anders-Mize said the units will be ready for people to move in by spring.

Half of the people-power at Blitz Build were young, most aged 16-20. Some had never held a hammer before.

There were locally enrolled YouthBuild members present but also builders from Utah and Illinois visiting though a “service learning exchange,” said Leanna Williams, Heart of Oregon Corps’ development director.

YouthBuild members Harlee Lambeth and Eric Tabor, both 22, are from Utah. They don’t necessarily want to make a career in construction, but enjoy working on paid projects like Oasis Village.

“I just think it’s cool that (the city) finally decided to do something like this,” Tabor said. “Instead of looking at homeless people as a problem, they looked at homelessness as a problem and are actually trying to give it a solution rather than just saying ‘Get off the streets.’”

Bagel Bennett, 17, is from Illinois. He noted that the housing crisis in Oregon is far worse than his home state. Bennett said he, too, was happy that Redmond was doing something about it. Bennet hopes to stay in the construction industry and make a difference building homes.

James Miller, 31, graduated from YouthBuild in 2013. He now works as the construction and safety manager for the program. Miller didn’t have a plan after graduating high school but his school counselor mentioned YouthBuild and he decided to try it out.

“It’s given me a lot of really great opportunities,” said Miller, mentioning the program paid for CPR training and an apprenticeship certification. “I got a whole lot of experience just working with people and being in the world of construction.”

One of Miller’s favorite construction jobs was working in Boulder, Colo., after a spate of floods in 2013. He helped rebuild mountain trails and got “to see stuff that normally people don’t get to see” in the deep wilderness.

Miller mentioned that there’s not a lot of transitional housing in Central Oregon and it can be harder for unhoused people to “get on their feet on their own.”

“It’s difficult to find a job now, just in general, but it’s even harder for them. I think it’s a really important thing, especially for Redmond and Central Oregon,” Miller said.

Each sleeping unit comes with a bed, heater, desk and storage space. Oasis Village currently has 16 residents using 15 sleeping units. There is a married couple sharing one unit, Anders-Mize said. The village will have an additional five units put in before the end of the year, allowing a total of 25 available by spring.

Anders-Mize said each unit takes around $16,000 to $20,000 to build.

According to Oasis Village’s website, residents typically transition into more stable housing after three months up to two years, although this depends on personal situation and the availability of permanent housing opportunities. After the initial stabilization period, residents will be required to make progress toward stable housing. Residents can stay at the village for up to two years.

Although the village opened its doors on Jan. 10, “we are already celebrating success,” Anders-Mize said. They helped a few participants find stable housing already and one resident currently has a voucher for an apartment in Bend. Another is reconnecting with family on the coast and hoping to find full-time housing with their help.

“A culture is being built,” Anders-Mize said. “We have a village council of three participants that are nominated by their peers … Living with 15 other people is hard and we’re not without conflict and annoyance sometimes but they share meals and food, they cover each other’s chores, take care of each other’s animals. There’s definitely community.”

There are typically four staff personnel on weekdays and two on weekends, which includes peer support, mentors and administrators.

People can apply for a unit at Oasis Village through their website and will be waitlisted, as the village is currently at capacity. Once a spot opens up, applicants will be contacted for further information.

“It takes all of us to build a strong community and it takes all of us to support those who are most in need of the essentials in life, and that is what’s happening here with Oasis Village,” Klingman said. “We built a little bit stronger of a community today.”