Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley makes a stop in Medford to tour New Spirit Village, a new innovative and affordable home ownership development.
“This is the way to go to address the housing shortage in our state and to give families a stake in their communities through ownership,” Sen. Merkley said.
After the Almeda fire, the Thalen Foundation, a non-profit that has been operating in the Rogue Valley for the last nine years, dedicated a significant portion of funds towards a housing project to help fire-victim families.
Four years later, the 6-acre project is in its early stages of completion, with five houses finished.
New Spirit Village uses high-density planning to maximize space and encourage community connections.
Once the neighborhood is completed, the site will comprise of 87 houses with a playground and community garden area as well.
“This is, like, the opportunity to reestablish stability. You’re in a great community, big park across the way, a nearby school. This is a place where the roots will be sunk deep,” Sen. Merkley said.
Sen. Merkley came to Medford to check out this new housing addition.
As a former leader for a chapter of Habitat for Humanity in Oregon, Sen. Merkley seeks new ways to take on the housing and affordability crisis, affecting individuals and families not only in Oregon, but across the nation.
“I saw the impact on the children. Children do so much better when they have that stability. But the added piece in this model of being able to own the home, the community owns the land and that will help [this] be this affordable Land Trust Model for the future, but [to] be able to have that equity is an additional element that I really believe in,” Sen. Merkley said.
One of those families in need of great housing is Whitney Barnard, her husband Ryan Hanan and their twin girls Bailey and Harper.
Barnard and her family were renters in Talent during the Almeda fire.
She says they’ve been looking for the right home to raise their kids.
“In the process of the last four years, we had twins and we’ve outgrown every home that we’ve had so far. When we saw that this was happening, we started the process right away last year. To see it finally built and, like, being in this stage now is- it feels like we’ll finally get a ‘yes’ after four years of ‘nos’,” Barnard said.
While the housing project will not solve Southern Oregon’s housing crisis, it serves as a prototype for building affordable communities.
Sen. Merkley said:
“Most of Oregonians have modest incomes and yet there’s a dearth of what homes are a good fit. These homes will be selling for $180,000 to $230,000 and that’s a beautiful thing. The homes are appraised for more. I know a lot of people will come, already have and will continue to come here and be inspired by this project to build additional great developments across our state.”
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