Project name: Sequoia Crossings

Location: Salem

Completion: January 2024

Size: 51,943 square feet

Cost: $17,184,488

Owner/Developer: Salem Housing Authority in collaboration with Enterprise Community Partners

Architect: Pinnacle Architecture

Interior Designer: Pinnacle Architecture

Engineers: AKS Engineering, Froelich Engineers, Sazan Group

General Contractor: LMC Construction

Submitting Company: LMC Construction

Other Key Participants: Housing Development Center, Oregon Housing and Community Services, Enterprise Community Partners, Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, City of Salem, Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program

Subcontractors: All Trades, Ambrose Glass, B & T Striping, Bell Gutter, Carlson Roofing, Cedar Landscape, Civic Construction, Environmental Works, Frontier Metal Fabrications, Halsey Design, Home Insulation, IM Construction, Jet Industries, Knife River Corp. Northwest, KO Construction, Lanz Cabinets, Life Rax, Merit Contractor of Oregon, National Precast, Northside Electric, Northwest Door & Supply, Northwest Masonry Restoration, Outdoor Play & Amenities, Patriot Fire Protection, Pilot Development – US Mailboxes, Pioneer Sheet Metal, Precision Countertops, Standard TV & Appliance, Steven Waldroup Construction

A new permanent supportive housing complex in Salem is transforming lives for formerly homeless residents while setting a standard for innovative design and comprehensive services.

Sequoia Crossings, located at 2950 Broadway St. NE, offers 60 units designed specifically for individuals transitioning from homelessness to stable housing. The complex includes 54 one-bedroom and six two-bedroom apartments, accommodating both individuals and small families.

What sets the community apart is its holistic approach; every aspect of the design considers the target population, according to the Salem Housing Authority, which developed the project in collaboration with Enterprise Community Partners.

The complex was developed using data collected from local homeless support organizations and during annual HUD Point in Time counts, revealing a high likelihood of residents owning pets and living with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Sequoia Crossings incorporates trauma-informed design principles throughout the facility. Each apartment door opens to a courtyard with open sightlines, addressing safety concerns shared by individuals with lived experience of homelessness who provided input during the design phase.

The design’s primary aim was to create a space that residents are proud to call home. The non-institutional appearance features varied roof lines, bright colors, and amenities focused on adults, including bean bag toss games, outdoor seating areas and ping pong tables. Elements that make it easier for individuals to bring a pet include dog agilitity courses, assigned pet relief areas and hard flooring. Residents have access to 24/7 on-site support services connecting them with medical care, addiction and mental health treatment, educational opportunities, employment referrals, and counseling.

The project represents a significant investment, with funding from multiple sources including $7.7 million from Oregon Housing and Community Services, $9.4 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, $1.6 million in HOME funding from the City of Salem, and contributions from the Salem Housing Authority.

The development follows the Housing First model, which prioritizes stable housing as a foundation for addressing other social issues. Tenants receive subsidized rent through housing vouchers or Permanent Supportive Housing rental assistance.

The project’s success stemmed from collaboration between key organizations including the Salem Housing Authority, Housing Development Center, Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, and Enterprise Community Partners, who worked together to navigate challenges including rising costs and logistical complexities.

The project had a MBE/WBE/ESB participation rate of 11.24 percent.

“This project offers a safe and secure home and ensures access to essential health services, making it a model for future affordable housing initiatives,” noted Chris Duffin, LMC Construction president, in the project submission form.

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Project name: Meridian Gardens

Location: Portland

Completion: September 2024

Size: 40,361 square feet

Owner: Central City Concern

Architect: Ankrom Moisan Architects

Interior Designer: Ankrom Moisan Architects

Engineers: Tapani Plumbing, Ecotope, MFIA

General Contractor: Walsh Construction

Submitting Company: Walsh Construction

Other Key Participants: Portland Housing Bureau, Multnomah County Joint Office of Homeless Services, Department of Behavorial Health Services, Oregon Housing and Community Services, US Bank, Umpqua Bank

Subcontractors: All Trades General Contractors, Ambrose Glass, Andres Landscape, Applied Technical Systems, AT Publix, B&T Striping & Curbing, Berrien Concrete, Best Cabinet & Granite Supply, Brothers Construction, Buffalo Welding, Castle Masonry & Restoration, Centurion Fire Protection, Civic Construction, Columbia Allied Services, Elemental Energy, G&L Janitorial, Gorilla Hardware, Ha’s Painting, Interior Technology, Jack’s Overhead Door, Kodiak Pacific Construction, KONE, Lauzon Contracting, Mt. Hood Corps., NW Umpqua Roofing & Waterproofing, PARCA Floors, Pioneer Sheet Metal, Pioneer Waterproofing, Point Monitor, Polaris Electric, RDF Builders, Sign Wizards, Specialized Pavement Markings, Standard TV & Appliance, Tapani Plumbing, Ultra Quiet Floors, United Brothers, Vale Insulation Group, WESSCO, WMX Construction, Zavala, Zochert Fence

A new affordable housing development in Southeast Portland is taking an innovative approach to addressing homelessness by combining permanent supportive housing with recovery services.

Meridian Gardens, the third phase of Central City Concern’s Division Street Campus, offers 85 units for individuals and couples experiencing or at risk of homelessness who are in substance use disorder treatment or recovery.

Located in the Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood, the development features Single Room Occupancy and studio apartments. Sixty-five units provide permanent supportive housing with federal rent assistance vouchers, while 20 homes are reserved for households with incomes between 31 percent and 50 percent of the area median income.

The project stands out for its holistic approach to housing instability, following the “housing first” model that prioritizes providing individuals with permanent housing as a foundation for addressing other challenges. By approaching affordable housing with holistic and integrated solutions, the project reduces the barriers to affordable housing and disrupts the cycles of instability that often accompany homelessness.

Meridian Gardens includes amenities designed to create dignified living spaces: shared computer workstations, recovery group rooms, trauma-informed design, and raised garden beds shared with a neighboring building. The Central City Concern’s Puentes recovery program provides culturally responsive services delivered by peer support specialists.

The development also demonstrates significant commitment to sustainability as Central City Concern’s first all-electric building. Sustainable features include solar panels, EV chargers, a heat pump hot water system, and mini-splits for every unit. The project even includes an emergency generator to increase building resiliency during power outages.

In collaboration with the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance and Portland General Electric, the project incorporates a monitoring system to collect data on energy use and equipment performance in low-income, mid-rise multifamily housing.

Transportation accessibility was another key consideration. Metro contributed $500,000 through its transit-oriented development program, supporting the creation of affordable housing near public transportation. The complex is located on Division Street, where TriMet’s FX2-Division high-capacity bus line offers service to Downtown Portland every 12 minutes throughout most of the day.

Critical partners in developing Meridian Gardens included the Portland Housing Bureau, Multnomah County’s Joint Office of Homeless Services, Department of Behavioral Health Services, Oregon Housing and Community Services, US Bank and Umpqua Bank.

Walsh Construction surprised the 30 percent MWESB goal on the project, achieving 36 percent.

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Project name: Francis + Clare Place

Location: Portland

Completion: September 2024

Size: 35,844 square feet

Owner/Developer: Catholic Charities

Architect: Holst Architecture

Engineers: Valar Consulting Engineering, Vega Civil Engineering, O’Neill Construction Group

General Contractor: O’Neill Walsh Community Builders

Submitting Company: Walsh Construction

Other Key Associates: Caritas Housing/Catholic Charities of Oregon, Cascadia Health, Edlen & Co., Guardian Property Management, Home Forward, Joint Office of Homeless Services, Native American Rehabilitation Association, Portland Clean Energy Fund, Portland Housing Bureau, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church

Subcontractors: Academy Specialties, Ambrose Glass, American Heating, Andres Landscape, Asbestos Abatement Contracting, Axiom Roofing Oregon, Bridgeport Interiors, Brothers Construction, Brown’s Architectural Sheetmetal, Bryker Enterprises, Builders Appliance Supply, Burgener’s Woodworking, Central City Concern, Christenson Electric, Civic Construction, Compaction and Recycling Equipment, Contemporary Visions Signs & Wayfinding, Elemental Energy, Grant Painting, Hillebrand Construction, Interior Technology, Kodiak Pacific Construction, Kone, Lanz Cabinet Shop, Lauzon Contracting, Mid-Valley Glass & Millwork, MLS Interiors, Northstar CG, Northwest Millwork, O’Neill Construction Group, PARCA Floors, Pioneer Waterproofing, Precision Countertops, RDF Builders, Tikka Masonry, Triad Fire Protection, Ultra Quiet Floors, Vale Insulation Group, VPI Quality Windows, Zion Metal Work,

Francis + Clare Place, a new 61-unit supportive housing development in Portland’s Central Eastside, is working to redefine the transition out of homelessness by combining stable housing with extensive wraparound services.

The development provides permanent homes for adults with complex physical and behavioral health challenges, featuring 54 studios and seven one-bedroom apartments. All units receive rent subsidies through Project-Based Section 8 vouchers.

Francis + Clare Place serves households who may face challenges finding and maintaining stable housing in the private rental market. The project aims to help residents settle into a stable and comfortable home they can call their own. What distinguishes the development is its comprehensive approach to ending homelessness. The ground floor houses offices for supportive services and property management, along with a food pantry, bike room and community room that serves as a gathering space with a communal kitchen.

Catholic Charities partnered with Native American Rehabilitation Association (NARA), which specializes in culturally-specific recovery services, and Cascadia Health, which focuses on behavioral health. Together, the organizations provide case management, housing stabilization and peer support.

The new building goes beyond giving people a room. Residents have direct access to case managers who provide one-on-one support and connect them to outside resources. Through donations from local organizations and funding from the Joint Office of Homeless Services, Catholic Charities provides residents access to healthy food, clothing, household supplies, hygiene products and other necessities.

Community activities are central to the project’s mission. The communal area hosts daily events including morning coffee gatherings, bingo, movie nights, open mics, arts and crafts, and potluck dinners.

The building’s design incorporates trauma-informed elements featuring ample light, clear wayfinding, soothing colors and connections to nature. All residents are referred through Multnomah County’s Coordinated Access system.

Catholic Charities used Portland Clean Energy Fund dollars to install heat pumps and a photovoltaic solar array to ensure energy efficiency and eliminate electrical billing for residents. Each unit includes air conditioning.

The L-shaped building maximizes units on the tight site, which was purchased from St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. The project complements the adjacent public courtyard and St. Francis Park Apartments, also developed by Catholic Charities.

To enhance on-site safety and improve operational efficiency on the jobsite, Walsh Construction developed a proprietary AI-powered chatbot app specifically for the construction field. This tool offered instant, real-time answers to safety-related questions.

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Project name: Beaverton Year-Round Shelter

Location: Beaverton

Completion: December 2024

Size: 12,000 square feet

Cost: $8.7 million

Owner/Developer: City of Beaverton

Architect: Ink Built Architecture

Interior Designer: Ink Built Architecture

Engineers: PCS Structural Solutions, Arris Consulting, Landis Consulting Engineering Services

General Contractor: P&C Construction

Submitting Company: Ink Built Architecture

Subcontractors: A Cooler Tomorrow, ABC Roofing – a Tecta America Company, Alternative Edge Concrete, Ambrose Glass, B&T Striping and Curbing, Bedrock Concrete Cutting, BEE Engineers – Portland, Bell Hardware – Portland, Best Window Coverings, Building Material Specialties, Building Specialties NW, Cash’s Drapery, Civilworks NW, Conex Depot, Curtis Restaurant Equipment – Springfield, D&R Masonry Restoration, Dero Bike Rack, Fred Shearer & Sons, Gibson Door & Millwork, Huntco Supply, HVAC Inc., Kodiak Pacific Construction, Lacey Glass, Lazer Site Surveying, MHA Resource Co., Milne Masonry, Northwest AeroBarrier, Northwest Playground Equipment, Oregon City Garage Door, Pacific Landscape Services, Performance Contracting, Pioneer Sheet Metal, Piper Mechanical, Portland Electrical Construction, QED Lab, Rich Holland Painting, Roedel Tile Contracting, Salem Wood Products II, Shiels Obletz Johnsen, Sign Wizards, Solid Form Fabrication, Spectra Contract Flooring, Studio Wild Landscape Architecture, Swift Fire Protection, Thermal Flow Technologies, Town and Country Fence Co. of Oregon, Ward-Henshaw Construction, WFJ Janitorial Services, WH Cress

In a bold reimagining of traditional homeless shelters, the city of Beaverton has converted a single-story retail building into a 60-bed facility that prioritizes dignity, autonomy and sustainability.

The Beaverton Shelter, funded through a combination of Washington County Supportive Housing Services funds and state and federal grants, represents a departure from institutional approaches to temporary housing.

“When most of us think of the quintessential ‘homeless shelter,’ some adjectives that come to mind might be institutional, impersonal, crowded, efficient,” wrote a project representative in the nomination form. “We believe in the inherent dignity of every human being, and their right to safety and comfort.”

Among the shelter’s most innovative features are individual sleeping pods instead of traditional bunk beds. This decision came after learning that 85 percent of conflicts in congregate shelters revolve around bunk assignments.

The low-barrier facility supports single adults experiencing homelessness in Beaverton and Washington County, providing meals, showers and 24-hour shelter year-round.

Development involved an advisory committee comprising experienced human services providers and individuals with lived experience of homelessness. Together with Ink Built Architecture, they established project goals and design elements through collaborative charrettes and frequent reviews.

The project team recognized that successful transitions to permanent housing require creating environments where residents feel safe, supported and respected. Design choices prioritized resident experience “through a lens of understanding,” focusing on opportunities for respite and access to nature.

The shelter also demonstrates strong environmental commitments, achieving Energy Trust of Oregon’s Path to Net Zero certification. A 20-kilowatt solar array provides 22 percent of the shelter’s energy needs. Additional sustainability features include an advanced air-tight envelope, high-efficiency dedicated outdoor air mechanical systems, heat pump hot water heating, LED lighting with daylight integration, and all-electric appliances. Except for an emergency generator, no fossil fuels are used on site.

The project team itself reflected diversity values with 80 percent of design team members coming from women-owned, minority-owned or emerging small businesses certified through Oregon’s COBID program.

In addition to the city and the design and construction teams, companies, agencies and nonprofits vital to the project included Washington County SHS, Energy Trust of Oregon, Design Advisory Team, Open Door Housing Works, Central City Concern, NARA – The Native American Rehabilitation Association, and Greater Good Northwest.

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