(The 24-unit affordable senior housing development shown in this rendering is located adjacent to the Jefferson County Community Center | Rendering courtesy of Andrea Hine)
“It took a bit of patience on everyone’s part to make this affordable senior housing project happen,” said Nick Snead, community development director for the City of Madras, referring to a 24-unit complex located adjacent to the Jefferson County Community Center that broke ground in May.
The culmination of many years of discussion between Madras, Age+ (an Oregon nonprofit that addresses the needs of older adults), and St. Patrick’s Catholic Church (which owns the land), the project “is a wonderful example of people coming together to show how you can develop small projects in rural areas that are both affordable and accessible,” he added.
The development will have multiple duplexes around 550 square feet each, all with ADA accessibility, as well as a community center space. In order to save costs and expedite the building process, each duplex is being built largely inside a factory before being transported to the foundation laid in Madras. Applications for the complex are expected to open in July.
Snead explained that funding comes largely from the State of Oregon’s Housing and Community Services Department’s LIFT financing program. The program provides potential developments with a no-interest, payment-free loan that is forgiven after 20 years, as long as the project remains affordable housing.
(The Madras project targets older adults at 60 percent of area median income who don’t qualify for subsidies and cannot afford market-rate rents.)
Tracing the partnership’s evolution, Stephanie Hooper, president of Age+, recalled that “when we reached out to Madras, they were ready to work to make this happen.” Specifically, Snead spent more than three years in efforts to amend code and regulations. “We wanted to make sure everything worked,” he said, “so this form of development will be permitted in the future.”
He noted that “This kind of opportunity requires all involved parties to be committed and patient, and to forge ahead toward solutions that are viable for everyone. We hope this project will inspire other communities across the state, especially in rural areas, to make pathways to affordable housing possible — not just for seniors, but for everyone.
