[February 5, 2025]
In one of their first official acts, the newly installed Portland City Council approved the appropriation of $7 million in federal funds on January 15 for an affordable housing development on Barbur Blvd. These funds will leverage nearly $70 million from other public sources to finance the project.
Construction is expected to begin in March 2025 with completion anticipated in early 2027.
In planning since 2019, the project consists of three newly constructed buildings that will add 149 affordable rental units to the Barbur Blvd. site presently occupied by Barbur Blvd. Rentals at 8205 SW Barbur Blvd. The address sits on the southern boundary of the Hillsdale neighborhood and is served by Rieke Elementary, Robert Gray Middle, and Wells High schools.
The development will include one three-story building and two four-story buildings. Frontage improvements along SW Capitol Hill Rd. and 19th Ave. will include dedicated sidewalks and additional on-street parking. There will be 45 on-site parking stalls. The total project square footage is 143,748, and LRS Architects is overseeing the design.
Unit breakdown:
47 one-bedroom units
82 two-bedroom units
16 three-bedroom units
4 four-bedroom units
one manager's unit
Affordability targets:
32 units (21%) targeted for households earning up to 30% of area median income
19 units (13%) targeted for households earning up to 45% of area median income
98 units (66%) targeted for households earning up to 60% of area median income.
The development is focused on immigrants and refugees to prevent future displacement due to the development of Barbur corridor, which is expected to reduce the amount of affordable housing in the area.
The developer, Innovative Housing, Inc., is a Portland-based nonprofit owner, developer, and operator of affordable rental housing. According to its website, the organization owns and operates more than 1400 affordable apartments in Oregon and Washington over more than a dozen properties.
Meanwhile, Barbur Blvd. Rentals has announced a moving date of February 26, with a moving sale currently underway. In a phone call, an employee confirmed the relocation date but stated that a new location has not yet been finalized.
—Valeurie Friedman
Any thoughts? Comments? Let us know.