Bend YIMBY News - 10/24/2025
Bend / Oregon
Governor Kotek was in town last Monday to tour the sites of some future housing enabled by legislation. She has been great on housing and we are grateful for her leadership. The event was well attended by members of our YIMBY group and we got a nice group photo:
Housing is a team effort, and this took all levels of government, from our city council, and, pictured, State Reps Kropf and Levy, Mayor Kebler and State Senator Anthony Broadman. Thank you one and all!
Coverage: https://ktvz.com/news/2025/10/20/governor-kotek-highlights-affordable-housing-collaborative-efforts-during-central-oregon-tour/ and https://bendbulletin.com/2025/10/21/kotek-brings-housing-agenda-to-bend-touts-progress/
Tomorrow (Saturday, October 25th) there are a couple of open houses for new housing. One of the things I love about YIMBY work is that we play a small support role in getting housing built via our advocacy, whether it’s shelters for those with nowhere to go, or “luxury” apartments.They’re all rungs on the housing ladder. And it’s great to see the results in person!
The Jackstraw apartments: https://allevents.in/bend/jackstraw-grand-opening-fall-fest-on-lava-pass/200028994832500 - 12-4PM
And smaller in scale, Mary Hearn’s “cottage cluster”. 12-3PM 645 NE Marshall Avenue
And on November 3rd, there will be a tour of Mountain View Community Development’s micro shelters in Bend: https://www.facebook.com/events/849219091017967/
We are proud to announce two new “chapter leads” in our group: Rick Russell and Ryan Starr. Here’s how YIMBY Action chapters work: https://yimbyaction.org/get-involved/what-is-a-chapter/
We hope to have some good news soon about next steps with our joint work on Neighborhood Commercial with Central Oregon Land Watch. More information - and please sign the petition if you haven’t already: https://www.centraloregonlandwatch.org/neighborhood-commercial
State Senator Anthony Broadman helped secure some loans for the Joule project, affordable housing in a very central location that we look forward to supporting in the near future: https://ktvz.com/news/government-politics/2025/10/14/senator-broadman-announces-4-million-state-loan-guarantee-for-new-multifamily-housing-in-ne-bend/
An unused plot of land was made available for a tiny home community in Bend: https://www.bendsource.com/news/localnews/new-tiny-home-village-in-bend-welcomes-first-resident-amid-celebration-and-complaints/
Amid the good news, we learn that the housing shortage is still very real and still causing massive problems in Bend: https://www.opb.org/article/2025/10/09/bend-housing-inequality-report/
Editorial about housing and transportation: https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025/10/opinion-oregon-needs-strategic-transportation-investments-not-stopgaps.html
“We must stop treating transportation, climate action and affordable housing as separate issues. Smart infrastructure investment is the thread that weaves them together. When we adequately fund transit, safe routes for walking and biking and better connections between housing and jobs, we reduce carbon emissions, support compact development and give people more housing choices and freedom of mobility.”
Elsewhere
Huge news out of California, as Gavin Newsom signs SB 79, their big housing reform bill, that has been 10 years in the making. https://yimbyaction.org/blog/yimby-action-celebrates-governor-singing-of-sb-79-senator-wieners-sweeping-new-housing-law/
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-09/national-zoning-atlas-founder-sara-bronin-wins-heinz-foundation-award - founder of the National Zoning Atlas wins an award.
On homelessness, from a doctor in Denver: https://theconversation.com/a-denver-md-has-spent-2-decades-working-with-hospitalized-patients-experiencing-homelessness-heres-what-she-fears-and-what-gives-her-hope-261234
The “parking alignment compass”
Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!