BRIDGE Housing Selected to Develop N. Williams Center in Portland

PORTLAND, OR, July 18, 2016---BRIDGE Housing has been selected by the Portland Housing Bureau to create 61 new affordable apartments for low-income families at N. Williams Center in the Eliot neighborhood.

The newly constructed community will serve very low- and low-income families, with priority given to longtime and displaced residents of North and Northeast Portland. The $18.3 million development, anticipated to break ground in mid-2017, received an allocation of $4.5 million in local and federal funds from the Portland Housing Bureau and will leverage 40 Project-Based Section 8 vouchers from Home Forward.

When complete, the four-story N. Williams Center designed by Ankrom Moisan will form a “U” shape around a landscaped courtyard. Apartments will range in size from one to three bedrooms. Other planned site features include a children’s area, gathering spaces for residents, community gardens and a chicken coop. Stacked units and surface lot parking contribute to the project’s highly efficient design.

BRIDGE plans to retain the nonprofit service organization Albertina Kerr, a current site occupant, to continue providing art and garden programs to developmentally disabled clients and expand programming to residents. In addition, BRIDGE will layer in supportive services intended to increase the financial stability of all residents.

“With N. Williams Center, BRIDGE Housing has taken a thoughtful approach to supporting and nurturing North/Northeast Portland families, and building the long-term stability of residents,” said Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman, who oversees the housing bureau.

“While the neighborhood has a rich cultural heritage, many longtime residents have been priced out and displaced,” said BRIDGE Housing President and CEO Cynthia Parker, who has deep roots in the region. “We’re proud to be part of the solution and are committed to bringing quality and affordability to Northeast Portland.”

For more information about BRIDGE Housing, visit bridgehousing.com.

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