Cutting the Ribbon at Hayu Tilixam
On the chilly afternoon of December 13, we celebrated alongside the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) and Community Development Partners (CDP) as they opened the doors to Hayu Tilixam a new 50-unit affordable housing project in the Cully neighborhood.
Meaning "Many Nations" in the Chinook language, Hayu Tilixam features culturally-informed design elements incorporated by Carleton Hart Architecture with support from Native-led design firms 7 Directions and Akana. The project includes 20 family-sized units, 17 deeply affordable units, and 9 units of Permanent Supportive Housing with wraparound services from NARA. The project features excellent access to groceries, transit, and schools, as well as lovely outdoor space on site.
PHB Interim Director Molly Rogers spoke to the cultural significance of the project: “Long before it was known as ‘Northeast Portland,’ this land was home to Native American tribes for thousands of years. We are humbled to be able to return a small part of it to NAYA, an organization dedicated to serving the Native American community here in the Pacific Northwest.”
Oregon State Representative Tawna Sanchez emphasized the importance of affordable housing: “If you can’t find a place to lay your head down at night, you lose a lot of your sense of self, your sense of safety, your sense of belonging. And the fact that we as a Native community continue to build this kind of building … is just so very, very important."
