Land Trust’s first home nears completion

“We are a nonprofit housing developer that works a little differently than others,” she said. “We sell just the house to a buyer and then we keep ownership over the land. The buyer signs a 99-year lease for the land, and they basically use it like a regular piece of property. But it allows us to keep the sale costs lower and they also get lower taxes because they’re only paying on the improvements.”

Sherburne said the organization is also seeking volunteers to support its work, particularly in communications, social media and community outreach. “We do have a few committees that have open seats and we actually have a couple of open seats on our board as well,” she adds.

A 2015 Hood River Housing Needs analysis found that nearly one-third of households in Hood River were unable to afford their current housing, with roughly 40% of renters cost-burdened, according to Big River’s website. The report projected that approximately 2,000 new residents will require affordable housing over the next 20 years.

Housing challenges affect communities across the Gorge. In White Salmon, the median home price in 2021 was $647,500 — out of reach for many households, even those earning above the median income. The rental market has also struggled with low vacancy rates and rising costs, straining employers, schools and overall community stability, according to Big River’s website.

Applications for the Tucker Road home open soon. Details on donating, preregistering for info sessions, and more can be found at BigRiverCLT.org. Information sessions on the application and lottery process were held earlier this month.