QuickTake:

Those who lost a home in the devastating 2020 fire in the McKenzie River valley have until the end of the year to apply for a program that provides money for homeowners to rebuild, repair or buy a new home.

Five years after the Holiday Farm Fire destroyed more than 500 homes in Lane County, the state’s housing agency is encouraging survivors to apply for a homeowner assistance program before the deadline for applications closes Dec. 31.

The Oregon Housing and Community Services agency is asking survivors of the 2020 Labor Day wildfires — including the Holiday Farm Fire in the county’s McKenzie River valley — to apply as soon as possible for the Homeowner Assistance and Reconstruction Program, sometimes called HARP.

The state’s push to get more applications before the Dec. 31 deadline comes after years of frustration among residents in the valley about the pace that federal and state recovery funding has flowed into the region.

The program is part of several wildfire recovery initiatives called ReOregon, funded by $422 million in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery dollars from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Of that, about $65 million is designated for the homeowner aid program statewide.

Federal officials announced the $422 million allocation in 2021, and years of work to build program requirements and approve projects followed.

“It took longer than any of us had hoped, but thanks in large part to the tireless efforts of local communities, HARP is providing much-needed relief for survivors of the 2020 wildfires,” said Shannon Marheine, director of disaster recovery and resilience at Oregon Housing and Community Services. “While the program is still open, we need everyone’s help to reach those who may not have heard of the program or who are still unsure of the program’s benefits.” 

The assistance program helps homeowners rebuild, repair or buy a new home. They can also be reimbursed for expenses they’ve already incurred. In some cases, the program can supplement insurance payouts to help homeowners bridge the gap between an insurance settlement and the actual cost of rebuilding.

It’s unknown how much Lane County will get through the program — that depends on how many people apply and are qualified. The state has expanded the eligibility criteria for applicants. There are no income restrictions.

Neil Barrett, an external affairs officer with Oregon Housing and Community Services, said staff will help McKenzie River valley residents as their applications make their way through the system.

The application process started more than a year ago, in April 2024. Since then, the agency has invited 131 households to apply, but an invitation is not necessary to apply. Of those, 76 withdrew for various reasons, opted out or were ineligible. Nearly two dozen have not yet submitted applications yet.

The agency has more than 30 active cases, which include a home purchase, replacement of manufactured homes, stick-built home construction and reimbursements.

The square footage for replacement homes is based on the size of the family and size of the house before the fire. The agency has design options up to about 2,200 square feet, Barrett said.

It’s not a blank check, though. For example, one applicant who didn’t qualify sought funding to complete a larger house that was about 3,500 square feet and already had a $1.6 million payment from their insurer.

“We can’t square that with somebody down the road who’s still living in an RV,” Barrett said, adding that situations like that, which didn’t qualify, are rare. “With the population and with this funding being the funding of last resort, the folks who still need this support aren’t coming to the table with buckets of cash.”

Housing progress in Lane County plods along

Housing reconstruction in the McKenzie River area continues at a slow pace due to challenges in obtaining permits, insurance settlements and federal and state recovery aid. 

Lane County commissioners and other officials, including Barrett with the state housing agency, visited McKenzie Valley residents Wednesday in Blue River to hear about recovery efforts and provide updates.

In Lane County, 517 homes were destroyed in the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire, which burned more than 173,000 acres. Since then, county officials have issued 261 permits, representing about 50% of the lost homes, and 225 homes have been built, county data show.

The pace has not been as fast as local residents or officials would prefer. Lane County commissioners in August asked state officials for an extension of a rule that allows Holiday Farm Fire survivors to continue to live in recreational vehicles while rebuilding.  

It’s also a slower pace than the overall state average the housing agency touted in its press release.

Oregon Housing and Community Services “has helped rebuild 62% of the homes lost in the 2020 Labor Day disasters. The progress we see today is made possible by local and state partnerships working hand in hand to provide real housing solutions,” Marheine, the agency’s director of disaster recovery and resilience, said in a statement. 

A variety of reasons explain the lower Lane County rate, officials said. For example, Jackson County has more housing stock and applicants who have rebuilt quickly because they’re not using stick-built construction, which requires more regulatory hurdles, Barrett said.

The agency declined to make Marheine available for an interview despite requests from Lookout Eugene-Springfield.

Applying for the assistance program is a two-part process. First, the applicant fills out an eligibility questionnaire, which helps ReOregon determine whether a homeowner qualifies for the program. If they are eligible, applicants will receive an email invitation to start the full application process.

The state agency is asking potential applicants to start the process now because of the time needed to gather documentation. Regional HARP Intake Centers are available to assist survivors.

Ben Botkin covers politics and policy in Lane County. He has worked as a journalist since 2003, most recently at the Oregon Capital Chronicle, where he covered justice, health and human services and documented regional efforts to combat fentanyl addiction. Botkin has worked in statehouses in Idaho, Nevada, Oklahoma and, of course, Oregon. When he's not working, you'll find him road tripping across the West, hiking or surfing along the Oregon Coast.