- Jason Sturgill
The Portland Housing Bureau announced Wednesday it’s selected a local nonprofit developer to build an affordable housing development on city-owned property in the Pearl District, according to a news release.
Innovative Housing Inc. will build at least 30 family-size units—which means two or more bedrooms—to be priced as affordable to households earning 30 percent or less than the area’s median family income (MFI), which is currently $24,250 for a family of four. The development will also include one-bedroom units priced for tenants earning 60 percent or less than MFI, or up to $35,280 for a two-person household.
The finished product will also have a community room, indoor and outdoor play areas, on-site laundry, and resident support services, according to the news release. The city has decided to prioritize creating family-size units after a June study found there’s been a 24 percent increase in Multnomah County’s homeless families with children since 2013. Families with kids also make up a “disproportionate” percentage of the estimated 12,000 people who live in temporary housing or with roommates.
“When families are displaced by a rent increase or a medical crisis, it’s children who suffer,” Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury wrote in the news release. “This project will give kids safe, stable homes where they can thrive.”
The city acquired the property—located at Northwest 14th and Raliegh—in the spring from Hoyt Street Properties at a discount. PHB issued a request for proposals in May and construction will begin in 2017.
Innovative Housing Inc. has worked on several other area affordable housing developments, including The Magnolia and Broadway Vantage Apartments.