(Update: Video and comments added by First Story, Heart of Oregon Corps)
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A village for the homeless in Redmond is creating more housing with the help of several area nonprofits. The nonprofit First Story hosted a Blitz Build at the Heart of Oregon Corps Redmond Training Center on Wednesday.
Through a partnership between Hayden Homes, Parr Lumber Company and the Heart of Oregon Corps YouthBuild program, five new sleeping units were built for Oasis Village.
Since the village opened in January, the sleeping units at Oasis Village offer individual accommodations near Redmond Airport and Highway 126.
Claire Duncan, executive director of First Story, said the village plays a critical role in the fight against homelessness in Central Oregon.
“The Northwest is facing a housing crisis and we know we all need to work together to solve it,” Duncan said. “It’s not just about the nonprofit sector, we need public and private partnerships like the one First Story has already built with Hayden Homes to really solve this problem.”
Laura Handy, executive director of the Heart of Oregon Corps, shared her thoughts on this opportunity.
“It’s an incredible opportunity for our young apprentices who are doing their construction apprenticeships to build and make such a huge impact on the community by building these sleeping units with Hayden Homes, First Story and Parr Lumber,” she said. “I think it’s a great example of long-term, deep partnerships.”
Oasis Village currently has 15 sleeping units, with five more under construction. With the five new units being built on Wednesday, the total will rise to 25 by January.
Once completed, the units from Wednesday’s flash build will include a bed, desk, storage and heating. Village residents will share a kitchen and common room.
Here is the press release from Hayden Homes:
First Story, an affordable homeownership nonprofit, is pleased to announce that it will host a Blitz Build to build five new sleeping units for Oasis Village on Wednesday, August 21, in partnership with Hayden Homes, Simplicity by Hayden Homes, The Parr Company, and the Heart of Oregon Corps YouthBuild program. The event will be held at the Heart of Oregon Corps Training Center in Redmond.
The event will highlight the youth workforce development and public-private partnerships that contributed to the successful opening of Oasis Village, a low-barrier-to-entry drug- and alcohol-free home east of Redmond. Five sleeping units for Oasis Village will be erected by partner groups in the morning, followed by a communal lunch starting at 12 p.m.
Elected officials, nonprofit organizers and housing advocates have been invited to attend the community dinner, which will feature four interactive learning stations. Guests can tour a completed sleep unit and learn about Parr Opti-Frame technology, write a special message on the walls of a sleep unit under construction, add their name to an art installation for Oasis Village and learn about Heart of Oregon’s YouthBuild program.
“Blitz Build is a celebration of community,” said Claire Duncan, executive director of First Story, which was founded by Hayden Homes in 1998 and provides access to homeownership for working families across the Northwest. “This event is about the energy that comes from coming together to solve community problems and reaffirming that we can’t get anywhere by working together.”
Blitz Build was born out of a close relationship between Hayden Homes, First Story and Heart of Oregon Corps’ YouthBuild program. The organizations have worked together since 2011 to build homes for underserved families. Last year, Hayden Homes and First Story presented Heart of Oregon Corps with a $100,000 check for its capital campaign to expand its Redmond campus so more youth can have access to job training. This event gives the youth another chance to practice their skills and help solve Oregon’s housing crisis.
“To lower housing costs and increase housing supply, Oregon needs more young people choosing careers in the construction industry,” said Steve Klingman, president of Hayden Homes. “With baby boomers retiring, we are facing an acute labor shortage. We must invest in youth workforce development to stem this tide and strengthen communities across the Northwest. We are so proud to support Heart of Oregon Corps in its transformative work with young people to achieve this goal.”
After Blitz Build, any remaining work to complete the five sleeping units will be completed by the youth in the YouthBuild program before the units are made available to Oasis Village to serve as homes for neighbors working to escape homelessness.
“We are so grateful for this partnership with Hayden Homes, First Story, Parr and Oasis Village,” said Laura Handy, executive director of Heart of Oregon Corps. “These projects are essential for our students to gain the skills they need to place themselves in the workforce. Blitz Build is like the community telling each and every one of them that they matter and that their contributions can change the outcomes for our community.”
