State HARP program: deadline set, applications lagging; dozens still in process

Oregon Housing and Community Services staff gave Lane County commissioners an update Tuesday on the Homeowner Assistance and Reconstruction Program and related housing-pathway programs for residents affected by the Holiday Farm Fire.

The presentation said HARP had invited 131 individuals to apply; 76 either withdrew, opted out or were ineligible, 33 cases are active, and 22 applicants are working through the application but have not yet submitted it. Staff said one household has completed the program’s home-purchase pathway and moved into a newly purchased home.

The report said program pathways vary: five applicants were in a manufactured-home replacement or rehabilitation pathway, seven in stick-built reconstruction/rehabilitation, 10 in reimbursement-and-reconstruction, and 10 in a reimbursement-only pathway. Staff also described an Intermediate Housing Assistance (IHA) program serving five households now, down from 11 a few months earlier; the IHA program is intended to be transitional so people can move to permanent housing.

Neil, an Oregon Housing and Community Services presenter, said OHS announced a HARP application deadline of Dec. 31, 2025, and staff are urging interested households to complete an initial eligibility questionnaire by Oct. 31. Neil said the questionnaire takes 15–20 minutes, requires no documentation, and provides a preliminary eligibility determination; since May the number of full application submittals has declined by about 50 percent, with roughly 11 applications submitted statewide last month.

Neil told the commissioners that the application has been open nearly 18 months and about 1,100 people statewide have completed the eligibility questionnaire so far. He said one reason for the deadline is operational cost: OHS must balance keeping the program open with ensuring as much funding as possible reaches affected households.

On timelines, staff said they expect building of HARP homes to start in earnest in spring; a few smaller rehabilitation projects may finish before that. The presenter said HARP outreach includes one-on-one meetings with applicants who are at the stage of selecting home styles and square-footage options.

Commissioners asked for more fiscal detail and project-level accounting for other funding streams during the meeting; Matt McCray, Lane County staff, said he would present additional slides later with expenditure detail. Commissioners also raised concerns about occupancy rules for other recovery housing projects during the session and were told OHS is actively reviewing and adjusting eligibility rules in coordination with Lane County and partners to better match available units with local housing needs.

Staff fielded questions but did not report any formal board actions or votes on HARP during the session.

For context: the presentation repeated that HARP and related programs are part of broader recovery work across the McKenzie Valley that includes planning, infrastructure and resilient-housing investments supported by state and federal funds.