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Portland's Housing Bond January 2024 Newsletter

Newsletter
Portland's Housing Bond: Investing Together in Affordable Homes
The October 2023 edition of our Portland's Housing Bond Newsletter. A letter from Commissioner Rubio - Bond Highlights of 2023 - Charting Bond progress
Published

A Welcome Message from Commissioner Rubio

Friends and Neighbors,

A photo of Commissioner Carmen Rubio.

It’s a new year, and while I want to take this opportunity to reflect on how important 2023 was for Portland’s Housing Bond, my thoughts are also with those whose homes were damaged by our recent ice storm, and with our neighbors who had to endure the snow, freezing rain, and frigid temperatures on our streets. We must fight for a city where our residents, housed and unhoused, are protected from the increasingly extreme weather brought about by climate change. I believe that Portland’s Housing Bond is a critical investment in this fight.

In 2023,four Bond-funded projects opened their doors, containing 431 homes for more than 750 Portlanders in need. Of these homes, 142 are designated Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), with wraparound services for formerly homeless individuals and those living with disabilities.

An additional two projects broke ground thanks in part to Bond funding: Francis + Clare Place, which is expected to open later this year, and Alder 9, opening in 2025. Together, these two projects contain 225 homes for more than 340 Portlanders. That means 14 out of 15 Bond projects are now open or in construction, with the 15th, hollywoodHUB, expected to break ground this fall. With the last of the Bond funds awarded in February 2022, Portland Housing Bureau is now working closely with our developer partners to get these projects constructed and open.

In 2016, when Portland voters approved the Bond, we committed to supporting 1,300 new affordable housing units with those funds. When the Hazel Ying Lee Apartments opens this spring with 206 affordable homes, we will have opened 1,490 units, with three more projects still to come online. And when all is said and done, the Bond will have produced 1,859 affordable homes for the most vulnerable among us — a whopping 43% more than our original promise. All of these homes will be guaranteed affordable for 99 years.

Portland’s Housing Bond has been a transformative tool in the fight for a more affordable city for all of our residents. Its impact will reverberate for generations to come for families working to gain stability and security so they can pursue their dreams. Thank you to the voters of Portland for investing in this critical resource. Stay tuned for the 2023 Portland Housing Bond Annual Progress Report later this spring, when we’ll hear from residents whose lives have been permanently changed by your commitment, and dig deeper into the buildings they call home.

Gracias,

Commissioner Carmen Rubio


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2023 Highlights

February

Alder 9 Breaks Ground

Rendering of Alder 9, a 9-story glassy apartment building.

With 159 units, Alder 9 is a major investment in affordable housing in the Buckman neighborhood. The project is expected to open in fall of 2025. Developer: Related Northwest

Emmons Place South Opens

The courtyard at Emmons Place South, with tables and chairs, foliage, string lights, and a brick facade.

The South building at Emmons Place, containing 47 units
of Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), opened its doors in Northwest Portland. Developer: Northwest Housing Alternatives

April

Anna Mann East Opens

A photo of the East addition at Anna Mann House, a three-story brick building with bay windows and gabled roofs.

The first 50 units of this redevelopment and expansion project in the Kerns neighborhood opened in April. The new East addition replicates the historic style of the Anna Mann House, with modern updates and amenities. Developer: Innovative Housing, Inc.

May

The Joyce Opens

A photo of the Joyce, a four-story brick redeveloped affordable housing building.

Redeveloping 66 Single Room Occupancy (SRO) units in a historic downtown boarding house, the Joyce now offers PSH located near services and amenities, with around-the-clock on-site support staff. Developer: CPAH

The Aurora Opens

A photo of PHB Interim Director Michael Buonocore speaking at the Aurora grand opening ceremony.

Bringing 93 affordable housing units to the site of a former strip club in the Glenfair neighborhood of outer East Portland, the Aurora offers a blend of family housing with 16 PSH units. Developer: Our Just Future

June

Francis + Clare Place Breaks Ground

A photo of construction equipment at the Francis + Clare Place site, with a banner featuring the project in the foreground.

Francis + Clare Place will bring 61 PSH units, designed to service individuals exiting homelessness, to Buckman later this year. Developer: Catholic Charities

October

Work Begins at hollywoodHUB

A photo of project representatives including Commissioner Carmen Rubio with hard hats and shovels breaking ground at hollywoodHUB.

Trimet began their demolition of the Hollywood Transit Center to make way for hollywoodHUB, a 222-unit development funded by both the Portland and Metro Housing Bonds. It is expected to open in 2026. Developer: BRIDGE Housing

December

Anna Mann Is Fully Open

A photo of the Anna Mann House, a historic three-story brick apartment building with white trim and gabled roofs.

With the South Addition and renovated existing building open, all 128 affordable homes at Anna Mann had opened by December.

Emmons Place North Opens

rendering of Emmons Place

98 studios opened in Emmons Place's North Building in December, with on-site services for low-income seniors.


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

Anna Mann House
The Aurora

Emmons Place


Progress

Map of Portland showing the locations and statuses of all 15 Portland Housing Bond projects in Portland. Includes sidebar indicating that all major goals are being exceeded.

Portland's Housing Bond is supporting 15 projects, with eleven open, three currently in construction and opening in 2024, and one in pre-development, for a total of 1,859 units. Click here to learn more about the Bond's progress.

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