Translate
A major milestone in the ambitious redevelopment of the 14-acre Hillside Park site
Clackamas County Chair Craig Roberts, Metro Councilor Christine Lewis, State Rep. Mark Gambe, Milwaukie Mayor Lisa Batey, Oregon Housing and Community Services Executive Director Andrea Bell and others joined Related Northwest executives on May 13 to mark the grand opening of the first two completed affordable developments in the ambitious phased redevelopment of the 14-acre Hillside Park site.
Located in Milwaukie’s Ardenwald neighborhood, Blossom & Community and Parkside Heights together add 275 apartment homes for households earning up to 30%, 50% and 60% of the area median income (AMI). All residents will have access to on-site services, with additional supportive services available to the residents of 21 apartment homes set aside for permanent supportive housing, which is housing that’s paired with rent assistance and services that help residents maintain stability. Impact Northwest, a regional leader in the provision of supportive housing services, provides services to PSH households at both complexes, as well as resident services at Parkside Heights. The Housing Authority of Clackamas County will provide on-site resident services at Blossom & Community.
There is a central resilience hub onsite that will be equipped with emergency supplies and designed with back-up power. Both developments prioritize sustainability through all-electric designs that reduce fossil fuel dependence and include provisions for solar photovoltaic arrays.
Hillside Park is a public-private partnership between Related Northwest and the Housing Authority of Clackamas County. It was funded in part with $41.6 million from the voter-approved Metro Affordable Housing Bond. Once completed, the Hillside Park redevelopment will deliver more than 500 new income-restricted homes to the Milwaukie community.
Blossom & Community
Blossom & Community is a 100-home, four-story building with studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments. Sixty-eight homes are for households at or below 30% AMI, and 32 are for households earning 50% AMI, and 8 units are set aside for permanent supportive housing residents. All 100 homes come with a project-based rental assistance voucher that will ensure that residents aren’t rent burdened. Resident amenities include a multipurpose room, social services offices, management spaces, laundry facilities, a community garden with over 50 planter beds, and a barbecue area with outdoor seating.
Parkside Heights
Parkside Heights consists of two, four-story buildings with 175 studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes. One hundred thirty-five units are reserved for households earning 60% AMI or below, and 40 units are set aside for households earning 30% AMI or below. Thirteen of the 30% AMI units are reserved for permanent supportive housing (PSH) residents. Resident amenities include a multipurpose room, management and service offices, laundry facilities, and a courtyard with a playground and barbecue area.
“The 275 units opening today are only the first phase of the work being done,” said Clackamas County Chair Craig Roberts. “Once Phase 2 is complete, there will be over 500 new affordable homes at Hillside Park. This project allows us to both expand what we had and build new safe, affordable housing for generations to come.”
“Today marks a major milestone for Milwaukie,” Metro Councilor Christine Lewis said. “Thanks to the Metro Affordable Housing Bond, voters helped turn a community vision into reality – delivering new, truly affordable homes and demonstrating the power of collective investment in our region’s future.”
“It’s so exciting to see energy-efficient, all-electric, well-constructed, affordable units that will serve families and individuals in our community. Until about 2010, Milwaukie was generally an affordable community when compared to the rest of the Portland metro, but housing costs have skyrocketed in those last 15 years; helping to ensure a range of housing options for community members is a key goal for our council,” said Milwaukie Mayor Lisa Batey. “The City of Milwaukie was proud to support this first phase of the Hillside redevelopment with $1.7 million in funding from our construction excise tax. Thanks to the Housing Authority and Related Northwest for working to make this development really feel like a community, with amenities such as picnic tables, play areas, and garden plots. And we’re looking forward to construction of the remaining phases, which will include affordable home ownership opportunities.”
Other funders include Metro Affordable Housing Bond, Federal Infrastructure Grant, OHCS LIFT, Clackamas County HOME and HOME-ARP, and a grant from the Metro Transit-Oriented Development program. This program supports affordable housing that’s located near high-frequency public transit.
“The completion of Blossom & Community and Parkside Heights is a critical milestone in the vision to transform Hillside Park into a vibrant neighborhood with high-quality affordable housing with services. Public-private partnerships are essential to address the state's affordable housing supply shortage,” said Ann Silverberg, CEO of Related Northwest.
The openings add 275 apartments to the more than 3,200 homes already completed from the 2018 Metro Affordable Housing Bond.