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A 20-unit permanent affordable housing community has opened in Dallas, providing stable housing for veterans, young adults aging out of foster care and others working toward independence in a market long short on one-bedroom units.
Carson Commons, located at 373 Ellendale Ave., was developed by Polk Community Development Corp. and built by I&E Construction. The three-story, 17,224-square-foot building includes 18 one-bedroom units, one ADA-accessible one-bedroom unit and one two-bedroom unit, all restricted to residents earning no more than 60 percent of area median income. Nine units are reserved for referrals through Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action.
The project is named in honor of Letitia Carson, believed to be the first Black woman to legally own land in Oregon. Interpretive signage at the building entrance depicts her journey to land ownership.
Construction presented significant challenges. The team determined that adjacent utility infrastructure lacked sufficient electrical capacity to support the building and its elevator system. The solution required installing approximately 500 feet of underground conduit via directional drilling beneath Ellendale Avenue, a primary arterial roadway, necessitating engineered drilling plans, utility coordination, public right-of-way approvals and traffic control planning.
鈥淐arson Commons demonstrates that affordable housing can be innovative, resilient, and community-centered,鈥� noted Gary Dell, project manager and estimator at I&E Construction, in the project nomination form. 鈥淔rom complex infrastructure solutions to long-term sustainability features, this project reflects excellence in construction and an unwavering commitment to people.鈥�
The building incorporates rooftop solar photovoltaic panels, high-performance insulation and air sealing, energy-efficient mechanical systems, LED lighting with occupancy controls, water-efficient plumbing fixtures and future-ready EV infrastructure. The project was built to Oregon Housing and Community Services sustainability standards and Earth Advantage criteria targeting Gold certification.
Construction-phase safety measures included daily jobsite briefings, pre-task hazard analyses, weekly safety audits and strict fall protection protocols. Traffic control coordination was implemented during the directional drilling operation.
The project achieved 20 percent participation by certified minority, women-owned and emerging small businesses, with more than $1.2 million awarded to 12 certified firms. The team used the Business Oregon MWESB/COBID directory during bid solicitation.
Funding partners included Oregon Housing and Community Services, Oregon Health Authority, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, Citizens Bank, Energy Trust of Oregon and Pacific Power.