Wednesday, June 21 was a beautiful sunny day in Portland’s Portsmouth neighborhood, perfect for a Ground Blessing on the summer solstice. Many people from across the community gathered at 7651 Hereford Avenue to celebrate the affordable housing units being rebuilt here at Tistilal Village and to hear remarks from housing organizations and city leaders.
This affordable housing project has been led by NAYA (Native American Youth and Family Center) in collaboration with NARA (Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest) and Colas Construction, which is the largest Black-owned construction firm in the Pacific Northwest.
In a speech at the Ground Blessing event, Andrew Colas, the general contractor for this project, highlighted the fact that NAYA has met its goal of breaking ground exactly when they had planned to– unusual for affordable housing, but NAYA worked diligently to make it happen.
“It’s the team that brings everything together,” Colas said. Construction is moving forward, and the building should be completed in the summer of 2024 with all units leased by December 2024. A wait list has not yet been established, but outreach activities will begin in spring 2024.
Mindful Relocation
Tistilal Village was built in the 1970s with 34 units by Low Income Housing for Native Americans of Portland Oregon (LIHNAPO) and has been in need of significant repairs. The new site will offer 58 upgraded units to Native Americans who need housing and services.
Residents of Tistilal Village have moved out to make way for construction. Molly Washington, NAYA board chair, said in her speech that this was been done with input from elders and youth, with intentional steps to support folks moving from the Village. They have been provided with rent assistance for new areas to live in and a cash payout for those who are permanently relocating. Two families are buying their own homes now with assistance from NAYA. A relocation advisor and weekly meetings at the property provided a chance for people to ask questions in advance. Several residents will return when the property is completed.
Welcoming Living Spaces
The new Tistilal Village will have a cultural and trauma-informed design with Native plants and soothing colors. The durable units with energy efficient heating and cooling systems will have sound buffering and open spaces to provide a calm environment. There will be shared community spaces and a large outdoor play area for children.
A variety of units will accommodate both families and individuals. For families, the new space will include 11 three-bedroom units and 21 two-bedroom units. There will also be seven studio apartments and 19 one-bedroom apartments.
NAYA will offer culturally specific services to all residents with a full-time staff member available for the affordable housing units. Case management for the 16 supportive housing units will be provided by NARA with two full-time staff on site.
Oregon Housing and Community Services Community Engagement Specialist Emma Hernandez shared her congratulations to NAYA, “As part of this redevelopment for those who have experienced chronic homelessness, just having a place to live is not enough…having those services is what makes a difference between surviving and thriving.”
Affordable Housing Plans
The rents for these homes will be affordable to households with incomes ranging between 30% and 50% of the Median Family Income. Many units will also have project-based subsidies, meaning rents will be calculated based on each household’s income. The cost of electricity, WiFi connection, water, sewer and trash service will be included in the rent. There will be 16 permanent supportive housing units for formerly homeless folks, along with services to help them stabilize.
A Community of Support
The Ground Blessing represented years of planning and raising funds for the upgraded Tistilal Village. Speakers at the event included Portland City Commissioner Carmen Rubio, Metro Council President Lynn Peterson, Ian Davie from Home Forward and leaders from NAYA and NARA, including Paul Lumley, NAYA CEO.
Funders for this project include Portland Housing Bureau with the Metro Housing Bond and Housing Trust Funds from Oregon Housing and Community Services. Other partners are Home Forward, Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund, Energy Trust of Oregon, Meyer Memorial Trust and Portland General Electric. Several other businesses and organizations have contributed to building these homes.
Under the blue sky on June 21, the day culminated with an honor song and closing prayer.
This story was written by Ellen Clarke, HereTogether’s Volunteer Storyteller