COOS COUNTY, Ore. — A town hall meeting was held last week to discuss the city of North Bend’s future regarding $4-million in funding to help demolish the old Coos County annex to construct affordable housing.
The construction will be for workforce housing for critically needed workers in education, public safety, logistics, and the healthcare industry.
Senator Jeff Merkley stated that the top priority right now with the city of North Bend is that the community wants workforce housing which is limited due to vacation rentals and population exceeding the housing market.
The senator also discussed further challenges for the housing community.
“One is mental illness; one is drug addiction and third is the economy. And so, if you just see the surge in homeless individuals trying to find a place to sleep through the night you know somethings gone terribly wrong and the answer is to tackle it from all three directions,” says Senator Merkley
Senator Merkley continues by stating more programs for behavioral health are needed, as well as programs to help address addiction, and an economy for an ordinary individual to function with a basic income.
His goal is to help make this a possibility.
Over the last three years, 475 projects have been funded throughout the state with the help of community-initiated projects similar to the $4-million for the City of North Bend.
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