A proposal to create mixed-income housing gets pushback in Portland neighborhoods
Image / Courtesy City of Portland
A sketch of the Barron Center campus and vicinity shows two sites, outlined in blue and red, where development is under consideration.
Despite concerns from some neighbors regarding potential disruptions to the neighborhood, the Portland City Council this week unanimously approved publication of a request for proposals for development in the city’s Sagamore Village neighborhood that would include permanent supportive housing or Housing First development, as well as affordable housing.
The request for proposals is for mixed-income housing development on two parcels of city-owned land at 1125 Brighton Ave.
Development is intended to increase the availability of affordable housing for Portland residents, including those who are experiencing homelessness or are clients of the city’s social services office.
The affordable housing component would be for someone making at or below 80% of the area median income and/or permanent supportive housing.
Housing First development is defined as an approach to connect individuals and families experiencing homelessness to permanent housing without preconditions and barriers to entry, along with 24/7 onsite supportive services are offered to maximize housing stability and prevent returns to homelessness.
The RFP requires that 30% of any units developed be reserved for tenants referred from the city’s social services office.
The two sites are part of a larger property that includes the Barron Center, a city-owned and operated long-term care facility. The proposal does not include any changes to the Barron Center, which would continue to operate in its current capacity. As of October 2024, 110 individuals resided and received services at the Barron Center.
Also at the site are the city’s Office of Elder Affairs, providing services and programs to Portland residents aged 60-plus on and offsite; and Loring House, a private development, on land leased from the city, that includes 104 units affordable to residents aged 62-plus.
The RFP allows for a broad array of proposals and requires a robust community engagement plan as well as a plan to provide for the safety and well-being of Barron Center residents and residents in the adjacent Nason's Corner and Sagamore Village communities.
One of the sections proposed for development is nearly an acre at the southeast corner of 1125 Brighton Ave., bound by Brighton Avenue and Holm Avenue. The site includes a small amount of green space with trees and a parking lot, which has approximately 51 parking spaces.
The other section is 2.5 acres of undeveloped space at the northern property line of 1125 Brighton Ave., bound by I-95 and the exit 49 off-ramp. It includes a forested green space and a parking lot.
The RFP seeks to further the 2024 council goal to increase the development of affordable housing, as well as to respond to the homelessness crisis in the city. It emphasizes engagement with the surrounding neighborhood on issues of density, extent and character of open space, public safety, neighborhood compatibility and associated impact related to any development.
At the council’s Jan. 6 meeting, a member of the public said there’s no compelling evidence that Housing First reduces homelessness or that the concept’s social services programs increase residents’ wellbeing.
A local resident said she was concerned about the possibility of drug use and intruders, which she said already occurs in her neighborhood.
But an advocacy team leader with Portland social services nonprofit Preble Street urged the council to authorize the RFP as a step toward addressing the city’s housing shortage and helping people experiencing homelessness.
“I do think Housing First units and programs are successful and I think we have models of that tin this city,” said Councilor Regina Phillips.
Councilor Wesley Pelletier agreed.
“We need to be doing something about the housing crisis,” he said.
Next steps include advertising the RFP with a proposal deadline, followed by reviews of proposals by city staff and the city’s Housing and Economic Development Committee, which will return to the council with its recommendation on a preferred proposal.
After council approval of a developer, negotiations would begin on a lease or option to lease the property, which would also be brought to the Housing and Economic Development Committee for its review and recommendation to the council.
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