Hacienda partners with PBOT to distribute Transportation Wallet
Earlier this year, Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) kicked off a new pilot program of the Transportation Wallet program for residents of affordable housing. The goal? To make it easier for residents to use the variety of transportation options available in our community. Thanks to this pilot, Hacienda’s Resident Services team distributed 60 Transportation Wallets to residents!
The Transportation Wallet is a collection of passes and credits for use on transit, streetcar, bike share and scooters, and Uber/Lyft created by the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT). PBOT partnered with Hacienda and other community organizations to provide a package of transportation options incentives, known as the Transportation Wallet, for up to 500 residents in the participating housing developments – 60 of these were distributed through Hacienda.
Hacienda residents who met the eligibility requirements to participate in the transportation wallet pilot program processed their application through Hacienda’s Youth and Family Services, Resident Services.
Flavio Garcia, Resident Services Coordinator, said feedback from participants shows “…that for folks, this opportunity is really helpful as transportation costs have become a heavy burden. The residents who participated two years ago were grateful that the event was happening again, as the need for HOP passes has increased with people returning to work and school in person.”
“These programs are very necessary in our community,” says Jessica Lam, Resident Services Manager. “We hope the program grows to meet the demand of transportation.”
Resident Services Coordinator, Mohamed Ali added, “Some folks who don’t own a vehicle said to me that they had to purchase or reload their HOP pass for about $30-$45 a month and said that this program really helped them because they are unemployed.
More information on the pilot is available here.
Small Homes Northwest is a pilot project to build Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s) in backyards of moderate-income homeowners in Portland neighborhoods at risk of gentrification. We are thrilled to share that the Oregon Legislature passed a bill allocating a $1,000,000 grant to Hacienda to fund a demonstration project and create the opportunity for replication across the state.
We want to express our deep thanks to the Legislature, and specifically Representative Meek for sponsoring HB 3335 and co-sponsors Representatives Bynum, Leif, Pham, Ruiz, and Salinas, and Senators Frederick and Jama.
Our partners in this pilot include Bend/Redmond Habitat for Humanity and DevNW. Both joined us in advocating for this pilot project as a tool to create new affordable rental housing and to provide stability and asset-building for modest-income homeowners. Many community partners, including 1000 Friends of Oregon and the Oregon Housing Alliance provided letters and testimony in support of HB 3335.
Funding from the Legislature will allow us to demonstrate the model by building up to 10 affordable ADU’s, both in the Portland Metro area and across the state. This is a key innovation to help meet the growing need for affordable housing.
Our long-term hope is that this ADU model will give community organizations throughout Oregon a new tool to achieve the goals of adding modest residential density in single-family neighborhoods to help address our housing crisis.
A good example is Courtney Freeman, a hospital health educator and mom who lives in Portland just east of Northeast 82nd Avenue. Ms. Freeman says “I really worked hard on my way to being a homeowner… I know what it’s like to struggle and here I am, a homeowner. I’ve got this huge backyard, and here could be someone else that’s coming from either a similar situation or a not so similar situation. But we both can relate to the struggle. I looked at this as: here’s two people who can meet each other halfway and help each other.”
HB 335 was signed into law by the Governor on July 19 and will be administered by Oregon Housing and Community Services. Stay tuned for more updates we roll out the program in the coming months!
Rockwood Village is the first Metro bond-funded project to move in residents
Gresham, OR (September 1, 2021) – Rockwood Village, a new affordable housing community co-developed by Community Development Partners (CDP) and Hacienda CDC (Hacienda), welcomed the first 39 of 224 households last week. This milestone marks an exciting moment for the community and its new residents, and also for the 2018 voter-approved affordable housing bond measure, as this is the first Metro Bond-funded project to move in residents.
Rockwood Village is a new 7.4-acre, 224-unit affordable housing development located at 783 SE 185th Avenue in Gresham that includes five residential buildings, a community building, a privately funded public park, and an urban farm. The project was designed utilizing the principles of Asset Based Community Development to meet the needs of the community and includes a mix of one- to four-bedroom homes for households of a variety of sizes and income levels. The first residential building and the community building opened last week, and construction continues on the four remaining buildings, which are all scheduled to open by February 2022.
“It is exciting to meet our new residents as they move in and start this new chapter in their lives,” said Jessica Lam, Resident Services Manager with Hacienda. “Many said they are excited about the location and the opportunity to get back on their feet financially and are also interested in attending workshops we plan to host like health and wellness, financial coaching, gardening, and others.”
“I am most excited about meeting new people in the community,” said Christopher, a new resident.
“What I am most excited about is having my own place,” said Jose Ricardo, a new resident whose sentiment was shared by others.
“I am happy to know that Rockwood Village is opening to provide more affordable housing for families in Gresham, thanks to the investment voters made in 2018,” says Metro Councilor Shirley Craddick. “Rockwood Village is joining nine other developments in the greater Portland region partnering with Metro, like the Mary Ann in Beaverton and the Viewfinder in Tigard, to make available more affordable housing. These voter-approved investments are bearing fruit and will be assets to our community for decades to come. Everyone deserves a safe, stable place to live.”
“We are very happy to welcome the first residents to Rockwood Village,” says Gresham Mayor Travis Stovall. “Making sure everyone in Gresham has a stable and affordable place to call home is one of City Council’s top priorities. It is exciting to see the services provided by Hacienda CDC that will make this community a home. We are proud of the investments underway in our Rockwood neighborhood.”
“We are extremely proud of Rockwood Village and excited to welcome the first families,” said Eric Paine, CEO of Community Development Partners. “Providing affordable, human-centered housing designed with long-term community engagement in mind is what our mission is all about. We appreciate the City of Gresham and Metro for their investment and ongoing support of this project, and we’re incredibly grateful to the community stakeholders and local leaders who helped turn the vision of Rockwood Village into a reality.”
Hacienda is Co-Developer and Co-General Partner on the project alongside Community Development Partners. In addition, Hacienda will provide an array of resident services to strengthen and support families and individuals living in Rockwood Village and the surrounding community. On-site services will include after school and early childhood education, homeownership classes, and small business advising.
“For over 30 years we have been developing housing for Latino and low-income communities,” says Hacienda Chief Executive Officer, Ernesto Fonseca. “Developing 224 apartments that people can call home in Gresham is driven by one of our values, to serve our communities where they are. We are also excited to bring to the Rockwood community a robust set of services because we know that it takes more than housing to succeed.”
An important asset in this multi-acre development is the community building, or “Mosaico Room,” which features a full kitchen and flexible community space. Located at heart of the development, the Mosaico Room is designed to foster health, education, and social activities, and be a central place for Hacienda to host community classes and events.
Rockwood Village is also designed to encourage outdoor recreation with a new privately funded public park, “Neighbors Park.” Neighbors Park includes an outdoor playfield, meandering walking paths, picnic areas, a play area, and community gardens. The park will be open to the public when construction is complete in early 2022.
Rockwood Village was designed by Portland-based Waechter Architecture in collaboration with PLACE and PSU’s Center For Public Interest Design and is being built by LMC Construction. Funding for the project includes Metro Regional Affordable Housing Bond funds, 4% LIHTC equity/conduit bond financing, Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) GHAP funds, OHCS Weatherization funds, equity and construction financing through KeyBank, and a permanent loan with Freddie Mac.
Rockwood Village will serve individuals and families earning 30%-70% of the area median income, with rents ranging between $500-$1,894 depending on floor plan and income level. Intended to meet the needs of larger family sizes, approximately 80% of the units are two-, three-, and four-bedrooms. Metro Regional Affordable Housing Bond funds were used to create units affordable to households making 30% or less of median family income.
Rockwood Village was also one of the first affordable housing development in Oregon to implement the IRS’ new Income Averaging guidelines for affordable housing, meaning development-wide the project will achieve an average AMI of 60% (approximately $58,020 for a family of four). Community m embers interested in exploring housing opportunities at Rockwood Village can learn more at rockwood-village.com. This work is possible through strategic partnerships with the City of Gresham, Metro, Oregon Housing & Community Services, Community Development Partners and Hacienda CDC.
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About Community Development Partners
Founded in 2011, Community Development Partners develops and operates sustainable, life-enhancing affordable housing with a focus on long term community engagement and innovative design. As a mission-driven, forward-thinking organization, CDP is focused exclusively on creating vibrant affordable housing communities that incorporate art, public parks, gardens, fresh food, and cultural and social programming. Today, CDP has successfully built or preserved 35 unique projects comprised of over 2,800 units throughout Oregon, California, Nevada, and Arizona.
About Hacienda CDC
Hacienda CDC is a Latino Community Development Corporation that strengthens families by providing affordable housing, homeownership support, economic advancement, and educational opportunities. Hacienda owns 381 affordable housing units in North and Northeast Portland and Molalla, providing safe, stable homes for over 1,500 individuals each year, over half of whom are children. Hacienda embraces a holistic approach to development with programs in Community Economic Development, Homeownership Support, and Youth and Family Support Services.
The Oregon Food Bank has partnered with the Baltazar Ortiz Center to hold weekly Mercadito (food pantry) for the community. Every Wednesday between 12:30 pm and 2:00 pm.
El Banco de Alimentos de Oregon se ha asociado con el Centro Baltazar Ortiz para realizar un Mercadito (despensa de alimentos) semanal para la comunidad. Todos los miércoles de 12:30 pm a 2:00 pm.
6736 NE Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97218
Hacienda Programs Update
Youth and Family Services
We are pausing all face to face services, including Portland Niños, Expresiones, and SUN Youth Advocacy for the time being. Staff will check in with all youth in our programs by phone daily and all in-home visits will be conducted by phone. We will work with families to ensure safe delivery of necessary supplies, like diapers, over this time.
Homeownership Support
We are working to schedule all of our homeownership counseling, mortgage lending and foreclosure prevention counseling programs to telephone meetings to limit in person contact. In-person meetings will not be scheduled at this time and we will not be able see clients that walk-in without an appointment.
Portland Mercado
We have suspended all special events at the Mercado until it is safe to resume. Mercado vendors will continue to operate, primarily focused on take-out and delivery orders. We have 19 small businesses at the Mercado, 60 small businesses in our advising program, and 90 who use the commercial kitchen. We will help them track the economic impact in the hope that small business assistance will be available. We know that will be critical to their survival.
Residents
We are very concerned about the economic impact our families will face. We fully anticipate many will have trouble making rent payments over the coming months due to lost wages or employment. Housing stability is our number one priority. We will be flexible with tenants impacted by COVID 19 so their housing stability is not compromised.
Hacienda CDC to break ground on Las Adelitas, 142 new affordable homes in Portland’s Cully neighborhood
On Friday, March 12th at 9:30 am, Hacienda Community Development Corporation (CDC), community partners, neighbors and elected officials will officially break ground on Las Adelitas, a new, four-story, multi-family affordable housing development in the Cully neighborhood of NE Portland. Las Adelitas will bring new life to a site that for years was home to a strip club and a hot-bed of illegal activity, replacing it with 142 new affordable homes.
“Hacienda, along with our community partners, have been working for more than five years to redevelop this site in the Cully neighborhood,” said Ernesto Fonseca, CEO of Hacienda CDC. “The road to get here has been bumpy, and the plot twist at the end was a pandemic. But the tenacity, hope and vision of the community have paid off. We couldn’t be more excited to put the first shovels in the ground next Friday and start construction on a building that will be home to over 400 people,” Fonseca added.
Las Adelitas was designed by Salazar Architects and will be constructed by LMC Construction at the corner of NE Cully Boulevard and NE Killingsworth Streets. Construction will start this month and the building will be complete in October 2022.
“Las Adelitas will be the largest redevelopment project to date in the Cully neighborhood,” said Kevin Kellogg, Hacienda’s Director of Real Estate Development. “Many partners came together to make this affordable housing a reality, including the Portland Housing Bureau, Oregon Housing and Community Services, and the talented teams at Salazar Architects and LMC Construction.” Funding for the project includes over $15 million from the Portland Housing Bond, a 2016 voter-approved initiative to build more affordable housing in the City of Portland.
“Rents are rising fast in all of Portland and Cully is no exception. Las Adelitas means families will be able to continue to live in this community,” said Jaclyn Sarna, Hacienda’s Director of Youth and Family Services.
In addition to housing units, the building will include classroom space for Hacienda’s Portland Niño’s program, which aims to reduce academic and health disparities among Latino children by providing support for families with children from birth to age five.
Las Adelitas will include a mix of units, from studios to three-bedroom apartments. A portion of the units at Las Adelitas will be dedicated to individuals exiting homelessness and supportive services will be provided by Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare.
The groundbreaking celebration will be from 9:30 – 11:30 am on Friday morning. Speakers at the event include: Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler; Speaker of the House Tina Kotek; Portland Housing Commissioner Dan Ryan; Oregon Housing & Community Services Director Margaret Salazar; Hacienda Board Chair Peter Platt; and Hacienda CDC Founder and former Multnomah County Commissioner Maria Rojo de Steffey.
Attendees will be required to wear masks and practice social distancing. The event will also be livestreamed on Hacienda’s social media.
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About Hacienda CDC:
Hacienda CDC is a Latino Community Development Corporation that strengthens families by providing affordable housing, homeownership support, economic advancement and educational opportunities. Hacienda owns 381 affordable housing units in North and Northeast Portland, Molalla, providing safe, stable homes for 1,500 individuals each year, over half of whom are children. Hacienda embraces a holistic approach to development with programs in Community Economic Development, Homeownership Support, and Youth and Family Support Services. Hacienda is also developing Rockwood Village, 224 units of affordable housing in Rockwood, in partnership with Community Development Partners. Rockwood Village is set to open later this year.
About the name Las Adelitas:
During the Mexican Revolution many women, who became collectively known as Las Adelitas, took up arms and supported the fight for freedom alongside the men. These women played a variety of roles within the army including camp and medical care, soldier, spy, and some even commanded troops. They traveled with the army throughout the revolution, and unlike the men, they did it all on foot since they were not allowed to ride horseback. Hacienda honors these strong women at this particular site, reminding us that women have always been critical to social change and ongoing struggles for justice and liberty, in spite of the limits placed on them by society and the fact that their contributions are often overlooked by history. In addition, the site for this new housing community was previously home to an adult entertainment complex that harbored prostitution and human trafficking. Replacing an institution that used to exploit women with one that honors the legacy of strong, inspirational women is powerful to us and to the community.
MENTAL HEALTH GUIDANCE AND RESOURCES
It’s been a difficult time for a lot of families. Many are dealing with a loss, financial instability, and poor health. With all these struggles taking front seat it’s important that we acknowledge our mental health and seek out professional help to support ourselves and others.
It’s okay to ask for help
Oregon-based nonprofit Lines for Life and OHA have launched the Safe + Strong Helpline at 800-923-4357 (800-923-HELP). The line offers free, 24-7 emotional support and resource referral to anyone who needs it – not only those experiencing a mental health crisis. Callers are routed to a counselor who can provide emotional support, mental health triage, drug and alcohol counseling, crisis counseling or just connection.
More information:
Safe + Strong: https://www.safestrongoregon.org/mental-emotional-health
For children/family: https://multco.us/behavioral-health/system-care-children-and-families
For adults: https://multco.us/behavioral-health/system-care-adults
Stress management/ health
Stretching and practicing yoga can help your body rid of toxins and fight infections through increasing circulation of the lymph which acts as your body’s filtering and drainage system.
Take a minute to stand up and stretch out your arms and legs. Bend at the waist and let your arms and head hang freely (only if this feels right). Or just lye down and take slow deep breaths focusing on each inhale and exhale.
Adho Mukha Svasana or Downward facing dog
Bhujangasana or Cobra
Arhda Matsyendrasana or Seated Spinal Twist
(you can also do this by lying down and bringing one or both of your legs to your chest then letting them rest to one side of your body)
Stress-relieving hand massage video
Can help to relieve tension, headaches, and pain
Renters cannot be evicted for non-payment of rent, evicted without cause or charged any late fees until June 30, 2021. Renters will have until July 1, 2021, to pay back the money they owe.
Renters must sign and return a Declaration of Financial Hardship and Notice of Eviction Protection in order to be protected by the moratorium. Renters do not have to provide proof of their inability to pay.More information at: https://multco.us/chair-kafoury/covid-19-eviction-moratorium-information
Renters who need legal advice can find support from community resources such as the Community Alliance of Tenants or Legal Aid Services of Oregon. More information about the moratorium and answers to frequently asked questions can be found here.
ST. CHARLES CHURCH
People in our NE Portland area can receive food assistance either by coming to St Charles pantry on Saturday mornings or requesting food deliveries to their homes.
St. Charles Catholic Church – 5310 NE 42nd, Portland
(503) 281-6461
Pantry Hours: Every Saturday from 10:00am to 12:00.
Home Delivery Requests: Call Brent at 503-577-4929
C3 FOOD PANTRY
C3 Food Pantry is a free food box program for local community in the Cully neighborhood of Portland Oregon. Open to the public for distribution every Tuesday and Saturday from 12-1pm. It is a drive through and pick up system but walk ups are also welcome. No ID is required. Food boxes have a range of fresh and healthy food options including fruit and vegetables, dairy, meat and nonperishable items.
C3 Food Pantry is located at 6120 NE 57th Ave, Portland, OR 97218 (on the corner of NE 57th Ave and NE Portland Highway). https://c3nepdx.com/c3-food-pantry
C3 Food Pantry is 100% volunteer led and run. To volunteer at C3 Food Pantry or if you have any questions, please phone/text Rachel Schweitzer (Pantry Director) at 971-600-2337 or Kaz Brooks (C3 Church Pastor) at 503-410-6104.
