Focus: 33 Affordable Housing Developments Planned for Portland (images)

St Francis Park Apartments

The St Francis Park Apartments, currently under construction in the Central Eastside.

Last December the Portland Housing Bureau delivered its second annual State of Housing Report to the City Council. The report noted the many challenges facing Portland, including that in 2016 “data indicates that housing affordability in Portland in the last year has gotten worse, an issue that is disproportionately impacting low-income residents, Communities of Color, seniors, and individuals with disabilities”. Nonetheless, the report also looked at what the Bureau is doing to address these issues, including: gaining voter-approval of a $258 million Affordable Housing Bond; passage of an Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance; increasing urban renewal funding dedicated to affordable rental housing; and dedicating short-term rental revenue tax to affordable rental housing.

The report listed nearly 1,900 affordable housing units in the production pipeline, split between 33 developments. Next Portland is re-publishing the entire list, along with images and information about the architect / developer where we have it.

Some buildings on the list are exclusively reserved for lower income people, while others include a mix of market rate units and subsidized affordable units. Figures for levels of affordability, expressed as number of units reserved for individuals or families at a percentage of Area Median Income (AMI), are taken from the Housing Bureau Report. Buildings that include market units are only receiving city funding towards the affordable units. Note that this list does not contain any buildings which will be required to provide affordable housing as part of the newly passed Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance (which came into effect this month); any future projects funded through the voter approved affordable housing bond; any developments that are funded without the help of the Portland Housing Bureau; or any developments that have been allocated funding since the publication of the report late last year.

Read More

Weekly Roundup: Oregon Square, Lents Town Center and more

GBD Architects' Oregon Square

GBD Architects’ Oregon Square

  • The Design Commission offered Design Advice on Oregon Square to GBD Architects. The project by American Assets Trust will redevelop a superblock in the Lloyd District, with 4 new buildings of 10-32 floors.
  • The Historic Landmarks Commission offered Design Advice on the Worldmark by Wyndham building to SERA Architects.
  • The City Council backed a plan by the Portland Housing Bureau to commit $20 million for affordable housing in North and Northeast Portland.
  • Zidell Yards was the subject of an email accidentally sent to OPB news and published by the Oregonian. The PDC and the Zidell family are currently negotiating on whether the Zidell property should include affordable housing. The Portland Housing’s Bureau’s preferred location is Riverplace Parcel 3, which the Portland Tribune wrote about in the article “Can South Waterfront be made affordable?
  • Portland Monthly reported that Providore Fine Foods and Pastaworks are scheduled to open this fall in The Shore, an under construction project by Guerrilla Development on NE Sandy Blvd.
  • The PDC has selected developers for 6 of the 12 acres of property in owns in Lents Town Center. Property #1 and #2 are to be developed by Palindrome Communities. The south portion of Property #3 is to be developed by Williams & Dame, with the north portion by ROSE CDC. Asian Health & Services Center and REACH CDC are the selected developer for Property #4.
  • The first office tenants are moving into Washington High School, an adaptive reuse project by Venerable Properties. The Oregonian was there to take photos.
  • Portland Monthly had a look at Ancient Heritage’s new creamery, set to open this May in the 626 SE Main building.
  • The Portland Chronicle published photos of the two houses set to be demolished on NE Glisan St, for the Treece & Lambert Apartments by Barry R Smith Architect.
  • The Oregonian visited the Stadium Fred Meyer on West Burnside, the remodel of which is nearing completion.