Oregon Metro opens bond-funded affordable housing in Kenton neighborhood

Metro’s Affordable Housing Bond was passed in 2018, and set out to build housing for 12,000 people in the Portland area.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — With the opening of a new apartment complex, Oregon Metro is a step closer to meeting the demand for affordable housing in the tri-county area.

Metro’s first bond-funded affordable residence in North Portland opened its doors Tuesday morning. According to the regional government agency, about 48,000 new affordable homes are needed throughout Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties to house the greater Portland area’s low-income residents at risk of homelessness.

The Hattie Redmond Apartments, located at 7690 N Interstate Ave. in the Kenton neighborhood, will provide 60 studio apartments for individuals or couples in need of housing. About $4.4 million of the Metro’s housing bond, which totals $652.8 million, were allocated toward the new property created in partnership with Home Forward and Urban League of Portland.

Metro’s Affordable Housing Bond was passed in 2018 and set out to build housing for 12,000 people in the Portland area. However, the regional government agency anticipates that it will outpace this goal by 2,000 residents.

The agency says that those residents will have affordable rental rates for anywhere between 60 and 99 years.

According to Metro, the Hattie Redmond Apartments were named after Harriet Redmond, “a pillar of Portland’s Black community” who led the Colored Women’s Equal Suffrage Association in 1912. Additionally, Metro says the building is a part of the Albina area — which has historically served as a hub for Black Portlanders.

“Access to affordable housing is not just an issue of economic inequality, but also a matter of racial justice,” Metro Councilor Mary Nolan said in a release. “Far too often, communities of color are disproportionately impacted by the lack of affordable housing, which can lead to displacement and gentrification.”

The Hattie Redmond Apartments will have an on-site team comprised of a resident services coordinator, case managers and peer support specialists from the local Urban League.

The apartment complex features a community room, laundry facilities, a rooftop terrace and bike storage along with other amenities.