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{child_byline}By NICK ROSENBERGER

Redmond Spokesman{/child_byline}

Central Oregon’s local housing authority will demolish the 16-unit Spencer Court affordable, senior housing project and rebuild them, adding an additional 44 apartments into the same four-acre slice of land in south Redmond.

The 60-unit scrape-and-build project by Housing Works aims to curb the region’s growing housing shortage and open more options for those who made less than $37,800 of income in 2022. The new apartments will be open all who meet the income requirements, not just seniors.

According to Keith Wooden, director of real estate development for Housing Works, the current apartments were built in the 1980s and are outdated. The one-bedroom apartments lack basic features including washers and dryers, sprinkler systems or accessibility details.

“They’re small. They don’t even have full-size stoves or refrigerators,” Wooden said. “I would say that they’re obsolete for sure.”

Wooden mentioned that while it’s nice to have the current 16 units, the region’s housing problems have exploded since the 1980s. That has required Housing Works to

maximize every square foot of space they have.

Wooden said Housing Works plans to start demolishing the westernmost building in July or August 2023 and predicts reconstruction will take 12 to 13 months. They have nearly completed the design stage, which currently calls for one, two and three-bedroom apartments, a community room and a play area.

Additionally, the four new three-story buildings will be outfitted with modern appliances and features, which Wooden said will help lower resident utility bills.

Funding for the project comes from county-level ARPA funding and a $4 million loan from the state. Additionally, the city plans to donate around 10,000 square feet of land that has recently become available after the Odem Medo-Salmon Ave. realignment.

Wooden estimates rent prices will be about $795, $900 and $1,000 a month for one, two and three-bedroom apartments, respectively. However, he noted that these prices may fluctuate as the area median income changes.

Despite this, he said market-price apartments are likely twice as costly.

“We’re excited,” Wooden said, “July isn’t that far away.”

Excitement and concern

Not everyone feels the same way.

Jim Spencer, a 66-year-old retired stonemason who has lived at Spencer Court for nine years, said residents have a mix of opinions and concerns.

Spencer said he’s worried the new apartments will change the community and doesn’t trust Housing Works to act in the residents’ best interests, since the organization receives funding from the county and the state.

“It’s going to be hard,” Spencer said. “We’re all unhappy.”

Despite living in government-subsidized housing, Spencer said he is concerned about further government involvement. He’s unsure if he will stay and move into the new apartments when they’re built or if he will relocate elsewhere.

Residents also expressed concern about Spencer Court shifting from a small, quiet and senior-focused community into a sizable apartment complex that houses families and those of all ages — placing 60-year-olds next door to 20-year-olds and those with young children.

“If they start cramming us old people in with the young … it’s going to be a battle,” Spencer said.

One current resident — who did not want to share her name with the Spokesman as she was concerned it could affect her living arrangements — said she enjoyed the quiet of Spencer Court and was worried about having children running over the top of her apartment.

She said she hoped Housing Works would be able to designate one of the four new buildings for seniors only. She said they would have no problem filling the units. There are already many seniors in the area who can’t find housing.

Wooden said most of the residents he’s spoken with understand the reasons behind the project and many are excited about the new buildings.

Construction

Unlike many scrape-and-build projects, a number of those living in the current Spencer Court Apartments will be able to stay in place during construction. Housing Works will build the new apartments adjacent to the current buildings, though the current buildings will become parking lots when the new units are fully built.

Those living in the current units will be first on the list for the new apartments and all they’ll need to do is cross the parking lot to move into their new homes.

“They don’t have to move (during construction). They can stay in place,” Wooden said.

However, not everyone will be so lucky. Housing Works will need to demolish the westernmost building, as it sits too close to one of the future buildings to leave in place during construction.

The four individuals who live in the building will need to relocate for the year-long construction phase.

Two residents will be able to move to the vacancies on the other side of the property while Wooden said a third already planned to move out of the area. He emphasized that Housing Works will provide assistance for those that will need to relocate.

“We’ve got a population of people that we’ll take care of,” Wooden said.

Stereotypes

Part of the difficulty with building affordable housing, Wooden said, is working against people’s preconceptions.

“Everybody has their own vision of what affordable housing is,” Wooden said. “Everybody has their own idea and that’s where we spend the lion’s (share of) time.”

Housing Works built a similar affordable housing development off Reindeer a few years ago and some neighbors were concerned before it went up. However, there haven’t been any issues since it opened.

Some residents expressed concern about the potential for the new buildings to contribute to an increase in traffic in an already congested area. However, according to Deschutes County Community Development, the project will only minimally impact transportation in the area with an increase of 20 peak-hour trips per day.

Additionally, the realignment of Odem Medo and Salmon Ave. was designed with the city’s transportation system plan to support traffic forecasts for 2040.

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