2020 Labor Day Disaster Recovery Reaches Major Milestone (Photo) - 05/28/26
State-funded wildfire housing developments completed
SALEM, Ore. — Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) announced that all state-funded housing recovery developments serving communities affected by the 2020 Labor Day wildfires and straight-line winds are now complete, marking a major milestone for hundreds of Oregon families during National Wildfire Awareness Month.
“The 2020 Labor Day fires were a devastating time for many Oregonians, and I was proud to champion state-funded housing support in 2021 when I was Speaker to make sure we could start on recovery while we waited for federal assistance,” Gov. Tina Kotek said. “This is an important milestone, achieved because of the hard work of so many to help people who lost their homes because of the wildfires. Thank you.”
In August 2021, the Oregon State Legislature passed $150 million in funding for OHCS to provide critical housing recovery needs in the disasters’ eight most-impacted counties: Clackamas, Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, and Marion. The funding was split into two different pots to address housing needs post-disaster:
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$36 million for the Wildfire Recovery and Resilience Account (WRRA), which funded shelter, clothing, and essential services for those impacted by the disasters, and
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$114 million to build or rebuild housing lost in the disasters totaling 324 homes and eight developments across the state, fulfill survivors’ unmet needs, as well as other miscellaneous costs.
Joshua Henley is a wildfire survivor who now has a home in one of those developments, at Lazy Days Mobile Home and RV Park in Blue River. He lost everything in the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire and never thought he’d be able to return home. Now, he is stably housed and is grateful for the opportunity for a second chance.
“There have been a lot of tears of gratitude. I’m so thankful,” Henley said. “There’s a certain comfort that comes when you get a level of permanence in your living situation. When you know your physical needs are taken care of, things start getting better.”
To accomplish this important work, OHCS partnered with many local organizations such as Homes for Good on Lazy Days. In Jackson County, CASA of Oregon and Coalición Fortaleza helped survivors find and apply for disaster recovery housing for places like Talent Mobile Estates (now named Talent Community Cooperative), which was destroyed in the 2020 Almeda Fire. It now has 87 homes that are fully occupied and has been transformed into a cooperatively owned manufactured home park.
“Joshua’s story and the journey of Talent Mobile Estates are grounded in the strength of community. Local organizations, local leaders and neighbors have been — and remain — beacons of hope, coming together in extraordinary ways,” said Shannon Marheine, director of the Disaster Recovery and Resilience Division at OHCS. “Each step of the way, locally driven and state-supported programs serve as a cornerstone, proving that the richest approach to recovery is based in local community.”
To learn more about the state-funded housing developments, visit OHCS’ 2020 Labor Day Disaster rehousing and recovery progress webpage. To learn more about Henley’s story, visit the Wildfire Recovery Spotlights webpage.
About Oregon Housing and Community Services
OHCS is Oregon's housing finance agency. The state agency provides financial and program support to create and preserve opportunities for quality, affordable housing for Oregonians of low and moderate income. OHCS administers programs that provide housing stabilization. OHCS delivers these programs primarily through grants, contracts, and loan agreements with local partners and community-based providers. For more information, please visit: oregon.gov/ohcs.
