Old Wallowa County library property sold for redevelopment as workforce housing
By Tracy Christopher on Monday, November 10th, 2025 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
WALLOWA COUNTY — During Wednesday’s meeting, the Wallowa County Commissioners approved the sale of the former county library property in Enterprise to Working Homes LLC for $30,000 — partnering with the local nonprofit as part of ongoing efforts to address the lack of available workforce housing in the county.
Kelsey Juve, representing Working Homes, presented the proposal — which calls for demolition of the current structure and a phase 1 environmental assessment to ensure the safety of the property for future homeowners. A new three-bedroom will be constructed aimed at “missing-middle” workforce housing. The home will be targeted for families earning 60%–120% of area median income, deed-restricted to remain affordable, and built using local contractors. With permitting and environmental due diligence already complete, ground-breaking is planned for spring 2026.
Juve emphasized that Working Homes is a subsidiary nonprofit of Wallowa Resources — created specifically because the gap in middle-income housing has gone unaddressed for too long. Working Homes operates as a separate nonprofit LLC with its own funding sources, grants, and capital — but formed under the Wallowa Resources umbrella so it could launch faster to address the need.
Juve noted that prices in Wallowa County have climbed roughly 130% in recent years while incomes rose only about 36% — leaving teachers, trades workers, nurses, and small business owners priced out of both rentals and ownership.
A previous Working Homes project in Wallowa included renovating an older farmhouse and constructing two new homes — two sold at roughly 85% AMI (about $100,000 under market value), while one is rented at 60% AMI for $950/month.
“We’re not in this for profit,” Juve said. “We’re here to fill the gap for our community.”
If you’d like to find out more about Working Homes, LLC please visit: https://www.workinghomesllc.org/
