Two Affordable Housing Developments Break Ground

Two Homes for Good housing projects broke ground over the summer, adding 138 affordable housing units to the Eugene area. The Ollie Court project, near West 13th Avenue and Chambers Street, will add 81 units of affordable housing while the Bridges on Broadway project, located on East Broadway, will add 57 units of Permanent Supportive Housing. Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) is a type of specialized housing that combines stable housing and rental assistance with comprehensive supportive services, including intensive case management, behavioral health support, and onsite care teams. PSH projects house and support the people in our community who have been homeless the longest and are the most vulnerable to the impacts of chronic homelessness.

Ollie Court

Ollie Court features two four-story buildings with 81 affordable residences, an on-site manager residence and a 12,000 square-foot on-site Early Learning Center with six classrooms managed by Head Start for residents and nonresidents. This unique co-location addresses the need for affordable housing and childcare in our community.

Bringing Ollie Court to fruition requires funding from various sources including federal, state and local assistance.

City of Eugene support for Ollie Court includes:

The Ollie Court project received an Oregon Legislature direct contribution Early Learning Center facility grant and loan, Local Innovation Fast Track funds and 4% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits from Oregon Housing and Community Services, EWEB incentives and a private bank loan.

The one-, two-, and three-bedroom units accommodate a variety of household sizes and serve households earning no more than 50% of the area median income ($44,550 annually for a four-person household). Rent assistance vouchers will help residents pay no more than 30% of their income for housing. Features include outdoor play areas, car and bicycle parking, a community room, kitchen, laundry facilities, offices, rooftop solar arrays and resident services. The convenient location is next to an elementary school and offers access to Downtown Eugene, nearby grocery stores and other services.

Bridges on Broadway

Bridges on Broadway will convert the 50-room Red Lion Hotel into a 57-unit Permanent Supportive Housing apartment community serving people experiencing chronic homelessness. The furnished studio apartments will have access to 24/7 on-site staff, case management and support services including health and wellness resources, assistance with independent living skills, money management, connections to employment and educational services.

City of Eugene support for Bridges on Broadway includes:

• $235,000 in System Development Charge Exemptions and City Fee Assistance
• $383,000inAffordable Housing Trust Funds

The former hotel was purchased with a grant from Oregon Community Foundation with financial support from Oregon Housing and Community Services and Trillium Community Health Plan.

These two new affordable housing developments are part of the  Housing Implementation Pipeline, the City's broad effort toward  Strategic Plan goals to stabilize the cost of housing and mitigate the impacts of homelessness.

The Housing Implementation Pipeline is an internal, cross-departmental, five-year work plan for the City organization. This plan coordinates current and future City resources, goals and priorities with a systems-thinking approach to housing across the full continuum, from people experiencing homelessness to overall housing supply.

Stakeholders including City of Eugene Councilors and housing staff were invited to take part in demo day at Bridges on Broadway, starting this renovation off on a positive note with hammers and smiles for all.

Renderings Courtesy of PIVOT Architecture and Homes for Good.

Photos Courtesy of Homes for Good and City of Eugene.

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