A new housing complex will be built on the ruins of a mobile home site destroyed by 2020’s Holiday Farm Fire.
The wildfire burned over 173,000 acres in the McKenzie River Corridor, which included the Lazy Days Mobile Home and RV Park near Blue River. 36 spaces for manufactured homes and RVs were lost. But earlier this month, Homes for Good purchased part of that land.
“We can definitely replace the 21 mobile homes that were destroyed,” executive director Jacob Fox told KLCC. “We also want to replace the RV spaces as well.
“We’re currently working with Lane County and the State of Oregon to really understand land use and figure out what’s possible. But the bottom line is, we know we can rebuild at least 21 homes on the site.”
Fox says they aim to use part of a $150 million allocation Oregon Housing and Community Services got from the legislature, as well as possibly $1 million U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley negotiated into a recent appropriations bill. The new units will likely be done in about a year.
Fox added that they’ve also purchased five acres near the school campus. He says they’re gauging what the most need is with Blue River locals, in terms of housing support and housing type.
“Maybe affordable rental housing? We also are very interested in affordable home ownership opportunities as well. So we’re really looking across the spectrum.”
Fox said his group is working with Lane County to provide preference for families and individuals displaced by the Holiday Farm Fire, who want to move back to the McKenzie River area.
Nearly 500 homes were destroyed in the 2020 wildfire.
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