91视频

Project leaders and partners broke ground in Northwest Portland recently on a groundbreaking, 54-unit affordable housing development for seniors.

鈥淭hese units will provide a safe, welcoming and engaging community for seniors living on fixed incomes with the uniqueness of being the only project so far (in Portland) with explicit anti-discriminatory policies for people who identify as LGBTQIA+,鈥� Metro Councilor Juan Carlos Gonz谩lez stated in a press release.

The apartments will be located at 985 N.W. Saltzman Road, slightly north of the intersection with Cornell Road. They’re expected to open in October 2023.

Home First Development Partners is developing the project 鈥� currently known as Saltzman Road Apartments 鈥� with Christ United Methodist Church. However, the development team plans to select a new name and create a brand after conducting surveys and engaging with focus groups.

The design team includes Doug Circosta Architect and Tabor Design Group. Beaudin Construction is the general contractor. The total project budget is approximately $21.4 million, Home First Development Partners owner and financing director Ben Pray stated via email.

The complex will have a mix of one-bedroom and two-bedroom units 鈥� 24 for people earning up to 30 percent of area median income and 30 for people earning up to 60 percent of AMI.

Design work began about three years ago, when the development group brought a concept to Washington County, Lauren Carboneau of Tabor Design Group stated via email.

鈥淭he first floor went through several design iterations, informed by a great deal of outreach to stakeholders,鈥� she stated.

Those stakeholders included prospective residents, Christ United Methodist Church representatives, senior living experts, engineers, architects, and others.

The final design includes a large community room (connected to a large outdoor patio) for gatherings and events, several rooms for residents to access services in either one-on-one or group settings, ample space for property management and maintenance staff, and wide entrances/atriums able to accommodate people with mobility issues. There will also be a fitness center.

鈥淯nits themselves are efficient but thoughtful, with in-unit laundry, ADA accessibility or adaptability, and features that support aging in place such as roll-in showers, flooring with extra tack for stability, grab bars in all bathrooms, reduced-height countertops, shallow sinks for easier access, etc.,鈥� Carboneau stated.

All units will be accessible via elevator. Finishes were selected to be tasteful, and appliances were chosen for energy efficiency and long-term performance, Carboneau stated. The development will be built to Earth Advantage gold standards, she added.

Funding is coming from Metro (via the affordable housing bond approved by voters in 2018) and the Housing Authority of Washington County. Other project partners include low-income tax credit investor Red Stone Equity Partners and SAGE Metro Portland, which will support residents by offering educational, social, recreational, fitness, and wellness opportunities.