Surplus property next to Summit High School sold for Habitat development

Bend-La Pine Schools and Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity are partnering on a second affordable home ownership project that will provide school district employees and others in the community the opportunity to purchase homes near Summit High School and Pacific Crest Middle School.

Skyline Crossing will feature 15 cottage-style homes on a 2.5-acre lot at the intersection of NW Skyline Ranch Drive and NW Crossing Drive. The district-owned property is located behind Summit High and is not needed for district use. The School Board on Tuesday voted to declare the land surplus and sell it to Habitat for Humanity for $20,000.

Habitat will build the houses and give district employees earning under 80 percent of the area median income the first opportunity to purchase the homes. Habitat will ensure the long-term affordability of the housing with a 99-year deed restriction. Upon resale of the homes, five of the 15 will continue to be reserved for school district employees.

A similar collaboration with Habitat was announced in November for surplus land next to Silver Rail Elementary School in southeast Bend. That project, Stone Creek Commons, will be a mixed-income community of 18 duplex-style townhomes with a preference for district employees who meet income eligibility.

“These projects are innovative solutions to the affordable housing challenge facing many living in Central Oregon. We want school employees to be able to buy starter homes in a community where home ownership feels out of reach for far too many,” Superintendent Steven Cook said. “We feel fortunate we can join with Habitat for Humanity to convert these remnants of land from previous school development projects into housing opportunities for members of our staff.”

Providing affordable homes on Bend’s west side is especially significant. The median sales price of single-family homes in the 97703 zip code is over $1 million, according to Zillow and Redfin. A typical Habitat buyer can afford a mortgage of about $180,000, the organization said.