Shortstack Milwaukie

Shortstack Milwaukie represents Clackamas County’s first Housing Bond-funded home-ownership project. It will deliver 15 affordable homes, priced for households earning 80% AMI, through smart densification at the “missing middle” scale.

The cottages will utilize mass timber to deliver beautiful, replicable homes, featuring a compact, open floorplan concept that is desirable and marketable for home buyers. These ~900sf cottages are 2-bedroom, 1.5 bath, two-story structures clustered together utilizing the City of Milwaukie’s recently adopted cottage cluster zoning provision. The units are intended to serve a mix of small families, couples, and individuals – all of whom are constituents in need of more affordable home buying options.

The all-electric homes are designed to standards that exceed the energy efficiency requirements set forth by the City of Milwaukie building code. The team is pursuing Energy Trust of Oregon’s Pathway to Net Zero Program.

The 24,300-sf site, located in the Ardenwald neighborhood, is well-connected to Milwaukie’s thriving downtown commercial center, good schools, and major employers. The site is within ½ mile of the MAX Orange Line, and less than ¼ mile from several TriMet bus lines (the nearest stop is only a block away) and within walking distance to Providence Hospital, Safeway, Ardenwald Elementary School, Downtown Milwaukie, and many other public amenities. Water Tower Park is a block away and the larger Mintorn North Natural Area is ½ mile.

To execute Shortstack Milwaukie, the development team is requesting gap financing of $700,000 in Housing Bond funds. The project was awarded OHCS LIFT funds covering 90% of its funding needs and is seeking Regional Affordable Housing Bond funds to close the remaining financing gap. Other primary sources include a USDA Wood Innovation Grant and a Construction Excise Tax grant from the City of Milwaukie.

• Development phase: Construction
• Construction completion: Q3 2025
• Address: 3736 SE Harvey St - Milwaukie
• Units: 15
• Developer: Shortstack Developer
• General Contractor: GSI
• Architect: Works Progress Architecture