Thanks to $18.3 million in Metro Affordable Housing Bond funds and other public and private grants and investment, Catholic Charities of Oregon has completed 143 new affordable homes in the Portland suburb of Happy Valley. Good Shepherd Village is the first regulated affordable housing development within the city limits of Happy Valley and Catholic Charities of Oregon’s largest development.
The new development – which features studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units – includes 35 units of permanent supportive housing (PSH) prioritized for those who have experienced or are at risk of homelessness, including 15 units for at-risk veterans. Residents benefit from nearby access to public transit, grocery stores, schools, a public library, multiple parks and healthcare resources.
Within the property, residents may access a large community room as well as a smaller room for quiet reflection and activities, play areas, protected pathways for children to ride their bikes, garden beds and an outdoor kitchen/cooking area. These were noted as top priorities during the design process.
Residents who moved in recently received “welcome home kits” that include items such as teapots, tea, local maps, blankets, soap, chocolate and personal welcome notes from donors.
The project was approved as part of the $652.8 million Metro Regional Housing Bond approved in 2018 by Clackamas, Washington and Multnomah County voters. Community engagement partners included Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO), El Programa Hispano Católico, Familias en Acción, Do Good Multnomah, and Easterseals.
The Good Shepherd Village development is the second project to receive committed funding since Catholic Charities of Oregon announced its participation in CCUSA’s Healthy Housing Initiative in early 2019. Their first HHI project was the 110-unit Cathedral Village apartments in Portland’s Cathedral Park neighborhood.
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