Project Offers Homeownership Opportunity to Samaritan Staff April 7, 2026 By the end of 2027, income-qualified Samaritan employees will have increased home ownership opportunities, thanks to a unique partnership between the health system and Habitat for Humanity of Lincoln County. Once the project is complete, nine Lincoln City homes will be available for purchase by Samaritan employees, with up to three of the homes available for purchase by survivors of the 2020 Echo Mountain wildfire. “We have long recognized that finding affordable homes is difficult for many of our employees and even more so for those with the lowest incomes,” said Lesley Ogden, MD, CEO of Samaritan’s coast hospitals. “For many years, Samaritan has owned a piece of vacant land near our Lincoln City hospital and we wanted to leverage it to its best use. Partnering with Habitat for Humanity seems like a perfect fit.” Marking the project’s official launch, the land transfer of 1.13 acres valued at $500,000 was legally recorded with the county in early January. The property is located at 2655 NE Lake Drive, which is zoned for multifamily residential use. “We’re incredibly excited to partner with Samaritan Health to provide affordable homeownership opportunities for our health care workforce and support the excellent work they do in our community,” said Lucinda Taylor, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Lincoln County. About the Project Taylor said she has submitted several applications for funding and found success with Local Innovation Fast Track funding from Oregon Housing and Community Services. While the funding is not yet fully committed, Habitat for Humanity has been invited to the due diligence phase of the process and anticipates closing on the funding award by the end of the summer. “We applied for $1.87 million to place nine manufactured homes on the property,” Taylor said. “This will allow us to complete the project in under a year from breaking ground to receiving a certificate of occupancy.” The hope is to break ground in January 2027 and for homeowner occupancy by December of the same year. Using a community land trust model, Habitat for Humanity of Lincoln County will own the land, and buyers will purchase the home with a 99-year land lease. To qualify, future homeowners can earn up to 80% of annual median income based on family size and must be able to secure a home loan. Habitat for Humanity uses a calculation to set an affordable base price that is substantially lower than that of a typical home and employs a resale formula for subsequent sales. “This resale formula ensures affordable housing now and for future generations,” Taylor explained. Each new homeowner is required to do a new land lease, and deed restrictions ensure that Samaritan buyers will always have first preference. For information about the application process, contact Naomi Barr at 458-277-7607.
