Urban wildfire: When homes are the fuel for a runaway blaze, how do you rebuild a safer community?

The impact of the Almeda fire which devastated Oregon, USA in September 2020.

By Hal Bernton

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In Talent and Phoenix, the post-fire challenges include building a new generation of affordable — and safer — housing for those who lived in trailer parks decimated by the fire.

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With entire mobile home parks levelled by fire, developers could try to move in and build upscale residences on that land. But there is plenty of support for helping lower-income residents find a way to return.

In Talent, city officials say they are considering a new ordinance to ensure that the mobile home and trailer parks are not replaced by high-priced housing. “Those are the most vulnerable communities, and we need to make sure that development doesn’t displace them,” said Zac Moody, Talent’s community development director.

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In a region of Oregon with plenty of out-of-the-box thinkers, some are working to develop a broader vision for rebuilding communities. A Southwest Oregon coalition group, My Valley, My Home, proposes to work with government agencies, foundations, builders and others to design more sustainable housing. The group also wants to find a way for more people to take an ownership stake in their homes and also provide more dwellings for the southwest Oregon’s homeless.