Legislature approves funding to demonstrate Hacienda’s ADU project.

Small Homes Northwest is a pilot project to build Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s) in backyards of moderate-income homeowners in Portland neighborhoods at risk of gentrification.  We are thrilled to share that the Oregon Legislature passed a bill allocating a $1,000,000 grant to Hacienda to fund a demonstration project and create the opportunity for replication across the state.

We want to express our deep thanks to the Legislature, and specifically Representative Meek for sponsoring HB 3335 and co-sponsors Representatives Bynum, Leif, Pham, Ruiz, and Salinas, and Senators Frederick and Jama.

Our partners in this pilot include Bend/Redmond Habitat for Humanity and DevNW. Both joined us in advocating for this pilot project as a tool to create new affordable rental housing and to provide stability and asset-building for modest-income homeowners.  Many community partners, including 1000 Friends of Oregon and the Oregon Housing Alliance provided letters and testimony in support of HB 3335.

Funding from the Legislature will allow us to demonstrate the model by building up to 10 affordable ADU’s, both in the Portland Metro area and across the state. This is a key innovation to help meet the growing need for affordable housing.

Our long-term hope is that this ADU model will give community organizations throughout Oregon a new tool to achieve the goals of adding modest residential density in single-family neighborhoods to help address our housing crisis.

A good example is Courtney Freeman, a hospital health educator and mom who lives in Portland just east of Northeast 82nd Avenue. Ms. Freeman says “I really worked hard on my way to being a homeowner… I know what it’s like to struggle and here I am, a homeowner. I’ve got this huge backyard, and here could be someone else that’s coming from either a similar situation or a not so similar situation. But we both can relate to the struggle. I looked at this as: here’s two people who can meet each other halfway and help each other.”

HB 335 was signed into law by the Governor on July 19 and will be administered by Oregon Housing and Community Services. Stay tuned for more updates we roll out the program in the coming months!