11/17/08 Bend
By Doug Johnson
Last year Kayla Casey, and her three-year-old daughter Emily, wanted to move into the East Lake Village apartments on 27th street in Bend. Casey liked the affordable housing units, because they were close to China Moon Restaurant, where she's a waitress, and across the street from the Forum Shopping Center.
"You know there's shopping and stuff, and it really looks nice on the outside, a lot better than the other apartments I've lived in," Kayla Casey says.
After being on the waiting list for ten months, she got a call saying an apartment had opened up. One resident, who has lived at East Lake Village since it opened seven years ago, says there have never been so many openings. It's the same situation at Summit Park Apartments, also affordable housing, on Full Moon Drive in Bend. Housing Works, part owner of the apartments, says the turn over rates for affordable housing is higher than it's been in the last five years. Those moving out have said there's not enough work here, so they're leaving to find jobs elsewhere.
"The consensus is mainly financial, so people are getting reduced hours, job loss, we're seeing a lot of people leave Central Oregon for better job markets," says Keith Wooden, Director of Housing Operations at Housing Works.
Many affordable housing residents are also down sizing to smaller apartments. The newest affordable housing project, the Lava Court Complex in downtown Bend, is scheduled to open next April. The sudden vacancies give an opportunity for others.
"Gives us some extra money to save for a bigger house down the road," Casey says.
Comments
How can anyone "wonder" why people can't afford "affordable"
I watched the report on this and was amazed by the apparent confusion as to why people were moving out of this area. Here's a clue LIVING WAGES! Too many in this area think the minimum wage is the maximum benefit they can afford to pay those who keep their companies running. And, FINALLY things are beginning to show. People can no longer afford to pretend this area is "worth the hassle" of working here and trying to make ends meet. "Affordable housing?" Really? $700 and up a month to live in a place when you make just over $1000 a month with NO, zero, benefits? How is a person supposed to get a car loan in order to get to the jobs that "can't afford" to pay them TO get to work? Young people, the "future" here, have no chance and as I have said for decades, the service industry is now leaving due to lack of wages, benefits and any real commitment by those who run their businesses. Now what? How are those who've been so miserly going to continue when they no longer have anyone to hire who will accept the pittance they offer? The "chickens have finally come home to roost" and those who've refused to treat their neighbors fairly and honestly for so long only have themselves to blame.