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Tillamook County housing official outlines grant programs, urges Wheeler applicants to consult county coordinator
Summary
At Wheeler City Council, Mark Kessner described recent affordable- and workforce-housing projects, a county housing needs analysis and a 2025–26 grant pool funded by short-term rental fees, and urged local applicants to contact Tillamook County housing coordinator Parker Sammons for help applying for DEQ and other funding.
Mark Kessner, introduced to the council as the North County representative on the Tillamook County housing commission, told Wheeler officials the commission has focused on workforce and affordable housing and has contributed small targeted grants to projects across the county.
Kessner listed recent efforts that received commission support: the five-unit Schumann Apartments in Nehalem; Bayside Commons, a 24-unit affordable apartment complex; a 24-unit senior conversion at the former assisted-living site (Aldrichreek Commons); and a 60-unit mixed-size development at Spruce Point. He said the county updated its housing needs analysis for 2025 and that that document—available on the county housing-commission website—contains data about incomes and where housing could be built over the next 20 years.
Kessner gave an example of income limits used to qualify for affordable units: Tillamook County’s 2025 area median income for a family of four, he said, is $83,500; households earning 60% of AMI or less qualify for many affordable units. He also explained a new DEQ-funded program that provides up to about $20,000 per unit for space- and energy-efficient housing under 800 square feet and described Oregon’s moderate-income revolving loan (MIRLP/MIRO) program designed to support housing for households up to roughly 120% of AMI.
On funding, Kessner said the housing commission’s 2025–26 grant cycle has approximately $400,000 available, sourced from short-term-rental licensing fees in unincorporated Tillamook County. He said the commission’s grants normally require projects of three units or more and that the commission tries to use its limited funds to attract larger development financing. “Our grant cycle started last week and will go through December. We encourage everyone to apply,” Kessner said.
Kessner urged interested developers and townspeople to talk with the county housing coordinator, Parker Sammons, who he said can funnel applicants to DEQ or other programs and help check eligibility and technical requirements. Kessner also suggested council members and residents review the county’s needs analysis and contact Sammons for application guidance.
Next steps: councilors thanked Kessner for the overview and asked staff to make the county materials available to Wheeler applicants; Kessner said detailed application material is on the Tillamook County housing-commission website and that Parker Sammons is the county contact for questions.
