New Housing Bond Building Will Provide Affordable Housing for Families Transitioning from Homelessness

The 51-unit project has capacity to house 167 people and is the latest funded under the City of Portland’s Housing Bond

Portland, OR – A new 51-unit apartment building with a focus on stabilizing homeless families is the latest project funded under Portland’s Housing Bond, the City announced today. Mayor Ted Wheeler unveiled the newly constructed building on 105th Ave and E. Burnside St this afternoon. It will begin leasing next month in collaboration with the Multnomah County Homeless Family System. The building is the third Bond project announced in the last 18 months, totaling approximately 514 units of permanently affordable housing to move forward under the Bond to date.

The building will offer 7 studios, 20 one-bedrooms and 24 two-bedroom apartments, as well as on-site supportive services. Sixteen of the larger units will be reserved for extremely-low income families at 30% of the Area Median Income and below (up to $21,990 a year for a family of three) — nine of which will be coupled with wrap-around services to provide Permanent Supportive Housing for families exiting homelessness.

“Funding this kind of transitional housing for our most vulnerable neighbors is extremely important to me,” says Mayor Wheeler. “Acquiring a new building with these amenities and transit options is a rare opportunity – we have been able to act swiftly before it was sold on the private market thanks to this resource given to us by Portland voters.”                                   

The 16 deeply affordable and Supportive Housing units will be leased in partnership with the Homeless Family Mobile Housing Team, a collaboration of nonprofits and culturally specific service agencies led by JOIN. JOIN and its partner agencies will also provide on-site wrap-around services for the families in Supportive Housing.

“I’m very excited for the 167 people who will have a place to call home here this summer,” said Portland Housing Bureau Interim Director Shannon Callahan. “These families will be right on the Max line, with access to work, school, and surrounded by support. I can’t think of a better way for families and children making the transition from homelessness to find stability and the chance to make a new start.”

The acquisition will go before Portland City Council for approval on June 13, and leasing is expected to begin in July.