Build Mid-Valley Brings Housing Ecosystem Together in Yamhill, Marion, and Polk Counties

Chemeketa Eola Event Center, and the surrounding vineyards in the Eola-Amity Hills just west of downtown Salem, was the ideal setting for our 6th Let’s Build event on Earth Day, April 22. Nearly 100 attendees from all areas of the housing ecosystem came ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work to identify housing solutions for the region including Yamhill, Polk, and Marion Counties. The event was made possible through a partnership between the Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments (MWVCOG) and the Strategic Economic Development Corporation (SEDCOR), who brought in the Missing Middle Housing Fund (MMHF) to facilitate the day and explore middle-income housing production barriers and innovation with attendees.

The day opened with MMHF CEO, Nate Wildfire, addressing the group to set goals for the day and to share why the creation of attainable workforce housing is so important in the region. Average median incomes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau from 2023, range from $73,210 in Marion County, to $79,970 in Polk County, and to $86,887 in Yamhill County. With median home sales prices, according to Zillow as of 2/28/25, ranging respectively from $425,900, to $436,000, to $482,867, it’s no surprise that middle income earners have a hard time finding attainable housing solutions. These earners – between roughly 80% and 120% of area median income (AMI) - struggle to find homes they can afford, and don’t qualify for traditionally subsidized low-income housing. The result is that housing to serve them is “missing”, which drives up the costs of all market rate housing.

Led by a team of facilitators and helpers organized by the MMHF, attendees spent the morning’s breakout session brainstorming solutions in one of the four housing production innovation areas including: product materials, design, and assembly; financing and funding; workforce development; and policy reform. Each working group prioritized 3-5 solutions to share with the larger group after a networking lunch. After voting as a group, 6 task forces were created to build out action plans in the afternoon breakout session. These groups include:

1. Make it easier to develop middle income housing on land that contains low-value wetlands

2. De-risk middle income housing investment and financing through the creation of a revolving investment fund and back-end financial guarantees

3. Create an innovation pilot project that showcases a variety of housing innovations to test, learn, and prove use cases

4. Establish a regional set of building design standards and codes for each of the major housing types (e.g. pre-fabricated, multi-family, single family)

5. Create a housing development platform and data hub to provide access to critical information and streamline development processes

6. Work to reform System Development Charges (SDC) laws with grants/waivers/tax credits/subsidies to allow broader flexibility at local levels

The day concluded with a Happy Hour on Chemeketa Eola’s back patio where student-grown and student-made wines from Chemeketa Wine Cellars were served. Feedback from many attendees highlighted the enthusiasm and spirit of collaboration throughout the day. SEDCOR’s president, Erik Andersson, said, “Build Mid-Valley embodied SEDCOR’s mission to drive strategic, regional solutions that strengthen our economy by tackling one of the biggest barriers our employers face: workforce housing. Our workplan is industry-led.  When we meet with employers and learn of their challenges, we act. This event was a hands-on example of turning business retention conversations into meaningful, actionable outcomes.”

SEDCOR’s Abisha Stone, Yamhill County’s Economic Development Manager, added, “Housing underproduction is a multi-faceted issue that will require a breadth of approaches to solve for. We are grateful to have the Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments and the Missing Middle Housing Fund as partners who understand the complexity of the housing industry and work diligently to find and implement solutions. Thank you to everyone who attended Build Mid-Valley and for all those who participate in events that offer a platform for solutioners, innovators, and investors to collaborate in a space that inspires action. We need more of that.”

If you would like to hold a Let’s Build event in your community or region to help reduce housing barriers and identify innovations and solutions to reduce the time and cost to build, please reach out to info@missingmiddlehousing.fund.