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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (July 12, 2023)
Be a Blood Donor Donors Needed to Prevent Blood Shortage See pg. 5 PO QR code Volume LIII • Number 13 ‘City of Roses’ www.portlandobserver.com Wednesday • July 12, 2023 Tragedy at Multnomah Falls Hiker falls resulting in death See pg. 8 Committed to Cultural Diversity Historic Housing Development Left to right: Lynn Peterson, Council President, Metro, Ian Davie, Chief Operating Officer, Home Forward, Anabel Hernandez, Community Engagement Specialist, Oregon Housing and Community Services, Shrushti Bhatkal, Job Captain, Carleton Hart Architecture, Molly Washington NAMC Chief Programs Officer, Paul Lumley, Carmen Rubio, City Commissioner, City of Portland, Molly Rogers, Interim Director, Portland Housing Bureau, Andrew Colas, President, Colas Construction, Amy Thompson, Director of Housing Services, Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest Building Affordable Housing In Portland The Native American Youth and Fami- ly Center (NAYA) is developing 58 units of affordable housing in Portland’s Ports- mouth neighborhood. The project will re- develop an existing NAYA property and advance the vision of Native housing lead- ers that built the original property, Tistilal Village, in the early 1970s. The project team includes of two local Native American-led nonprofits, NAYA and Native American Rehabilitation As- sociation of the Northwest (NARA), who have served the Native American com- munity for a combined total of nearly 90 years; and Colas Construction, a second generation, family-owned construction firm and the largest Black-owned general contractor in the Pacific Northwest. “The City is proud to support this landmark project that includes a Native-led develop- er and a Black-owned general contractor and that will bring much needed affordable housing to Portland,” said Commissioner Carmen Rubio who oversees the Portland Housing Bureau. NAYA has been gradually and inten- tionally building its capacity to develop affordable housing for a decade. NAYA’s previous housing development experi- ence has primarily been as a co-developer. NAYA has refined its approach to design- ing and building for the Native commu- nity by co-developing three housing de- velopments and adding 165 new units to Portland’s Cully neighborhood in the last three years. “Before breaking ground, our top priority was the successful reloca- tion of the 34 former households of Tis- tilal Village,” said Paul Lumley, NAYA’s Chief Executive Officer. “Each household received individualized attention to en- sure their needs were addressed during the transition. We designed a financial well- ness program specifically for Tistilal Vil- lage residents to strengthen their financial position and raised additional resources to provide residents with more financial benefits than we were required for reloca- tion,” said Lumley. As a result of the additional relocation support, two Tistilal Village households became first-time homeowners. Former residents will have priority in moving back to the newly constructed property once it’s completed in Summer 2024.“Our en- thusiasm to partner with NAYA on such an important project for the Native and BIPOC communities is layered with pride and purpose to serve. It’s clear how NAYA has prioritized resident accessibility, ame- nities, and comfort. The mission alignment between NAYA and\ COLAS creates a powerful partnership; we are both excited to deliver another quality project to our community,” said Andrew Colas, President & CEO of Colas Construction. Tistilal Village’s Redevelopment adds 58, deeply affordable units (studios, 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom units) to Portland, in- cluding 16 permanent supportive housing units for formerly homeless households with services provided by NARA. The project includes two elevators, high effi- ciency air-conditioned units and common areas, and design that prioritizes safety and security.
