A Welcome Message from Commissioner Ryan
Dear Fellow Portlanders,
What a year we’ve had! 2022 has been a landmark year for Portland’s Housing Bond, with five projects opening their doors, and one breaking ground. I have been particularly heartened to see the emphasis on family-focused housing at these new buildings—including family-sized units and on-site enrichment programs for children and youth—as well as Permanent Supportive Housing, complete with wraparound services for our neighbors exiting chronic homelessness. Not only do these projects further our housing goals as a city, they also align with the community’s priorities for these investments.
Most recently, I was grateful to celebrate the grand openings of the Starlight and Hayu Tilixam, two critical projects that take different approaches to meeting the diverse housing needs of Portlanders. Projects like the Starlight, which provides 100 units of deeply affordable homes for individuals exiting homelessness in Old Town, fill a vital role in our streets-to-housing continuum and our commitment to ending chronic homelessness in our city. The 70 units of Permanent Supportive Housing at the Starlight further our commitment to this community to create 2,000 new units of PSH for our neighbors experiencing chronic homelessness by 2028. With this opening, we are now already achieving 96% of our goal.
Hayu Tilixam approaches our housing crisis from a different angle: while it includes 9 PSH units, it brings a particular focus to serving BIPOC and American Indian/Alaska Native families, with 20 of its 50 units sized for families, and culturally-specific services. Hayu Tilixam will become a community anchor in Cully, one of our city’s most diverse neighborhoods.
As of this writing, the year’s fifth Bond-supported project has just opened its doors: Las Adelitas brings another family-focused community to Cully, with 141 affordable units. I’m looking forward to celebrating that grand opening in the new year. All in all, 539 Bond-supported affordable homes opened in 2022, able to house over 1,200 Portlanders. Four more Bond- projects are preparing to open in 2023. And it’s all thanks to you, the voters and taxpayers who make this amazing progress possible. I know if we can continue to work together, we will solve our housing crisis.
Sincerely,
Commissioner Dan Ryan
The Starlight Opens
The Starlight, Central City Concern's newest project, opened its doors in Old Town on December 1. Of the Starlight’s 100 new units, 70 are Single Room Occupancy (SRO), with wraparound support services from CCC and the Native American Rehabilitation Association (NARA) for residents exiting or at greatest risk of homelessness. The remaining 30 units are deeply affordable one-bedrooms for those making 30% of the Area Median Income or less. The project also includes an art space for residents, numerous common areas, and a large courtyard.
Patrick Alexander, who moved from homelessness into Central City Concern's transitional housing before eventually becoming a CCC employee, emphasizes the importance of housing like the Starlight for those transitioning from homelessness: "When they get their keys, they open up that door, and they close it behind them, they sit there and they look and they say, 'Hey, this is me now. What is my next step?'"
"This community will provide a safe place to move from the isolation and fear of homelessness to a place of connection and loving support," said Commissioner Dan Ryan. "That is the culture of this building."
Starlight is the third of five Portland Bond projects opening this year. Altogether, 539 new Bond-funded affordable units will open by the end of this year. Find out how to apply to the Starlight and other Bond buildings now accepting applications below.
Apply for Housing!
These Bond projects are currently accepting applications. Follow the links below to find more information on how to apply.
Hayu TIlixam
Cathedral Village
Las Adelitas
The Starlight
Crescent Court Apartments
East Burnside Apartments
The Ellington Apartments
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."
Boys & Girls Club Brightens Afternoons at Crescent Court
Children arrive from school each day around 4 pm, and start off with a snack, recess at the jungle-gym outside, and a club meeting where they get to decide together what activities they'll enjoy that day. Activities may include indoor games, paper crafts, "wacky science," or food creations. The afternoon concludes with Power Hour, when youth can get help with homework, or just relax until their parents get home from work.
The families at Crescent Court are grateful that BGC is providing a safe space for their kids, says Club Director Michelle McPherson. The organization was also able to provide all of their registered families $200 gift cards before Thanksgiving. The kids love it too - one group of girls regularly stays until 6:30, saying "We just wanna be here."
This spring, McPherson hopes to partner with science organizations like OMSI and Day One Tech to bring in new programming, and take field trips to nearby clubhouses where they can enjoy gym space. Thank you to the Boys & Girls Club for this innovative partnership!
Progress
Portland's Housing Bond is supporting 15 projects, with six open, five currently in construction and opening in 2023 and 2024, and three in pre-development, for a total of 1,859 units. Click here to learn more about the Bond's progress.
What's Next
Bond Oversight Committee Meeting
Thursday, February 2, 2023 | 9:30 to 11:00 a.m.
This meeting will be held both online and in person at PHB's offices in the 1900 Building. Please register regardless of how you plan to attend. You can register and find meeting materials online here.