Capital project: Workforce / Student Housing
Temporary workforce and student housing is a key need for economic development of Klamath County and Klamath Community College campus. The proposed project would be adjacent to the campus on 5.5 acres of college-owned property at the intersections of Oregon Highways 140 East and 39 South.
The Vision for the property is for high-quality rentals in a community setting; 110 energy efficient dwelling units in single, duplex and tri-plex formats. There would be a variety of housing styles: Cottages, tiny homes, RV parking spaces with utilities, storage, community hub and green space, all employing state-of-the-art "green" energy production.
Other factors affecting housing in the immediate future:
There is a new F-35A fighter jet training mission coming to Kingsley Field at Klamath Falls which will include up to 26 of the new jet. Pilots, maintence crews, support teams and their families will need temporary housing as they relocate to the base near the KCC campus.
Major employers will benefit
Top Klamath County employers struggle to win recruits due to the lack of adequate housing including: Sky Lakes Medical Center, Kingsley Air Base, Oregon Institute of Technology, school districts, city of Klamath Falls and Klamath Community College.
"Available, attainable housing that fits the rang of houshold types and lifestyles is essential to attracting, retaining and developing a diverse, productive workforce in Klamath Falls. Our job growth in Klamath County is outpacing our new, residential construction and the next 24 months will exacerbate the issue here."
— Randy Cox, Executive Director for Klamath County Economic Development Association