Partners For Affordable Housing Hosts Candidate Forum Series

The four-part "Housing is a Math Problem" forums will feature local and statewide candidates addressing the region's housing crisis.

Mar. 14, 2026 at 3:33pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Partners for Affordable Housing (PAH), a coalition of diverse partners in Central Oregon, announced it will host a 2026 four-part candidate forum series called "Housing is a Math Problem" focused on solutions to the region's housing affordability and availability crisis. The high-profile slate of events will begin with the Deschutes County Commission Candidate Forum on April 30 and also include forums for gubernatorial, Bend mayoral and city council, and Redmond city council candidates.

Why it matters

The housing crisis in Central Oregon is impacting a wide range of residents and businesses, from low-income families to nurses, small business owners, students, builders, and employers. This series aims to elevate housing as a defining issue in the 2026 election cycle and provide a platform for candidates to clearly articulate their plans to increase housing production and reduce costs.

The details

The candidate forums will feature questions developed by a coalition of partners representing a broad cross-section of the Central Oregon community, including labor representatives, business leaders, housing builders, real estate professionals, and groups representing impacted community members. The events will be emceed by the coalition's media partner, Central Oregon Daily News, and recordings will be available online.

  • The Deschutes County Commission Candidate Forum will be held from 5-7 p.m. on April 30, 2026 in Bend.
  • The Gubernatorial Candidate Forum is scheduled for late May or early June 2026.
  • The Bend Mayor and Bend City Council Candidate Forum is planned for mid-September 2026.
  • The Redmond City Council Candidate Forum is scheduled for late September 2026.

The players

Eliza Wilson

Executive director for RootedHomes and a member of the PAH Steering Committee.

Partners for Affordable Housing

A diverse coalition of impacted people and organizations educating the public on bold solutions that increase housing supply and lower housing costs in Central Oregon.

Central Oregon Daily News (KOHD)

The coalition's media partner that will emcee the candidate forums and make recordings available online.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Our region's housing crisis is impacting low-income families, nurses, small business owners, students, builders, and employers alike. This series helps elevate housing as the defining issue of the 2026 election cycle. It creates a platform for candidates to clearly articulate how they will increase housing production and reduce costs – and allows voters to evaluate those plans side-by-side.”

— Eliza Wilson, Executive director for RootedHomes and a member of the PAH Steering Committee

What’s next

The Deschutes County Commission Candidate Forum on April 30 is free, open to the public, and nonpartisan. Participating candidates will be announced prior to the event.

The takeaway

This candidate forum series demonstrates the urgency of the housing crisis in Central Oregon and the need for local and statewide leaders to prioritize bold solutions that increase housing supply and affordability. Voters will have the opportunity to directly evaluate candidates' plans to address this critical issue.