According to Central Oregon Veterans Outreach, there are more than 20,000 veterans living in Central Oregon.
Amanda Peacher / OPB
Central Oregon's rental housing shortage is particularly hard on vulnerable communities, including veterans.
Nearly one-third of people living homeless in Oregon are veterans, according to the state. With Central Oregon's extremely tight rental market, housing is a huge challenge for many vets. The area's vacancy rate is often less than one percent of total rentals.
Jeanette Rivas with Central Oregon Veterans Outreach said even those with housing vouchers can't get into an affordable rental.
"The voucher could be maybe for only $900 for a family of two or three and that's maybe a studio or one-bedroom," she said.
Rivas would like to see Central Oregon cities follow the lead of Portland with its initiative to house homeless vets. She'd also like to see Bend and other cities build more affordable housing and veteran-specific housing units.