How Bend Is Tackling Its Housing Crunch with Old Ideas and New Solutions

As Central Oregon continues to experience high demand and low housing inventory, the City of Bend is exploring new ways to create more housing opportunities—without sacrificing the character and charm that make the city so desirable.

In mid-2025, city planners, community leaders, and residents have come together to discuss creative and impactful solutions to address the region’s ongoing housing shortage. Among the most promising strategies? A return to classic neighborhood design, expanded accessory dwelling unit (ADU) allowances, and easing certain zoning restrictions.

🏘️ Reintroducing Historic Housing Styles

One approach being revisited is the integration of historic housing types—such as cottages, duplexes, fourplexes, and courtyard-style homes—that were once common in early Bend neighborhoods.

These homes:

• Blend into established areas without changing the feel of the neighborhood

• Offer multi-family living in smaller, more efficient footprints

• Increase density in a more aesthetically pleasing and community-friendly way

💬 “We want more housing types that work for families, seniors, and first-time buyers—without building big apartment complexes on every corner,” one planner noted.

🛠️ Expanding Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)

Bend has already been considered one of Oregon’s more ADU-friendly cities, but current proposals aim to take it a step further by:

• Allowing larger or two-story ADUs

• Reducing off-street parking requirements

• Easing owner-occupancy mandates to allow more flexibility for renters and investors

These changes would encourage more homeowners to add rentable units, boosting housing supply without requiring new land—a major concern in land-scarce Bend.

🔓 Relaxing Zoning Restrictions

City officials are also reviewing ways to make the development process less restrictive and more adaptable. This could include:

• Streamlining permit approvals for smaller infill projects

• Allowing mixed-use buildings in more zones

• Reducing minimum lot sizes or setback requirements

These changes are aimed at reducing barriers for small developers and homeowners to build efficient, creative housing options across the city.

🌟 Why It Matters

Bend’s popularity isn’t slowing down, but unless housing supply keeps pace with demand, the affordability crisis could worsen—especially for local workers, young families, and seniors looking to downsize.

By looking to the past—like classic neighborhood patterns—and combining that with modern solutions like ADUs and zoning updates, Bend hopes to offer more flexibility, more options, and more homes without sacrificing what makes the city special.

FAQs

Q: What is a historic housing style?

A: These are small-scale housing types such as duplexes, triplexes, or cottages that were common before modern zoning limited them. They're being revisited as a solution for gentle infill.

Q: Will these changes affect my neighborhood?

A: Possibly—but the goal is to integrate new housing types in ways that respect neighborhood character, often by mimicking existing architectural styles and scale.

Q: Are ADUs legal in all of Bend?

A: Yes, and proposed updates may make them even easier to build across most residential zones.

Q: When will these changes take effect?

A: Some policies are under review now and may be implemented gradually over the next year or two, depending on city council approval and public input.