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Clackamas County and its development partners are well on the way to building 1,215 new affordable homes with dollars from the regional Affordable Housing Bond. This is 150% of the county’s original goal to develop 812 affordable homes, fulfilling the county’s pledge to voters.
ClackCo Affordable Housing Bond progress graph
In 2018, regional voters approved the $652.8 million bond to tackle the shortage of affordable housing in the Metro Portland area. Clackamas County received nearly $135 million from the bond, with the remainder allocated to Multnomah and Washington counties.
This funding was essential for Clackamas County, where both rental and homeownership costs have become increasingly out of reach for many people. Housing is considered affordable when the costs of housing take up no more than 30 percent of a household’s income. Join this tour of the latest bond-funded housing communities that are meeting the area’s needs.
Tour Stop No. 1: Las Flores meets the need for local workers, families and veterans
Las Flores, or “The Flowers,” features 171 apartment homes in a park-like setting in Oregon City. Las Flores was built to meet the needs of agricultural workers and low-income families with children. The need for farmworker housing is dire in Oregon, as the state’s agricultural workers often earn just half the income needed to afford a two-bedroom apartment.
12 apartments were set aside for agricultural workers and 17 homes include services for households exiting homelessness, with eight of those homes reserved specifically for formerly homeless U.S. military veterans.
“Adding this many new apartment homes that low-income people can afford is momentous for this area,” said Clackamas County Vice Chair Ben West. “We know that rents have become out of reach for lots of people, and I believe that everyone should be able to afford to live in our beautiful county.”
Las Flores grand opening ribbon cutting
Tour Stop No. 2: Number of homes are multiplied five times at Hillside Park
Hillside Park is an exciting revitalized neighborhood coming to Milwaukie. The neighborhood was designed over several years of community engagement and input. Clackamas County broke ground on the first three buildings in October 2024. The project will ultimately convert 100 aging homes built in 1942 into approximately 500 beautiful new affordable homes with modern amenities. The new community will include a playground, gardens, onsite property management and resident services, a landscaped plaza, community rooms, bike rooms and laundry.
“This project allows us to sustain safe and affordable housing for generations to come,” Clackamas County Board of Commissioners Chair Tootie Smith said.
Clackamas County Commissioner Paul Savas said Hillside Park is a milestone in housing in Clackamas County.
“I think back to Hillside Park even a decade ago,” Savas said. “I saw that the old wartime housing was not in good shape. The health of people who live here is important. Insulation, sewers, structural defects, these things impact health and safety. This is a win for our residents and for the region with the extra homes we’re building.”
The Housing Authority of Clackamas County coordinated with current residents of Hillside Park for a year to prepare for this transition, and most of the residents have already moved into new homes while Hillside Park is rebuilt. County financial assistance covers moving expenses, security deposits and other fees. County staff have worked diligently with residents on tenant rights, how to build credit, completing paperwork, homeownership opportunities, and more. Residents receive a Section 8 voucher to rent a safe and decent house in a location of their choice. Current residents also receive the first choice to move back into the newly built community after construction is completed in 2026.
Rendering of the future Hillside Park site
Tour Stop No. 3: Homeownership at Shortstack unlocks a door for future generations
Also in October, the county and partners broke ground on Shortstack Milwaukie, an innovative homeownership project of 15 new permanently affordable homes for low- and middle-income homeowners.
“Shortstack Milwaukie is the first affordable homeownership project supported by the Housing Authority of Clackamas County and one of the first in the region to be funded through the bond, which we’re extremely proud of,” Commissioner Paul Savas said. “Owning a home can help build generational wealth, and I’m excited that we’re using our bond funds to create homeownership opportunities.”
Tour Stop No. 4: Stable housing contributes to student success at Mercy Greenbrae
In July 2024, 100 new affordable apartment homes opened at the former Marylhurst University campus in Lake Oswego. The development includes 60 apartments for low-income households and 40 apartments for households that are leaving homelessness or at-risk of homelessness. Residents receive an array of services tailored to their specific needs that support them to reach their goals and remain stably housed.
80 percent of the apartment homes at Mercy Greenbrae have two and three bedrooms, meeting a critical need for affordable family housing in Clackamas County. The development is designed to enhance child and student success, including ample play spaces and a technology center. Mercy Greenbrae is a participant in the Mercy Scholars program which aims to support student achievement in school. The project partnered with the Lake Oswego School District and others to make this program possible.
“The Housing Authority of Clackamas County was proud to contribute $3 million to help make this development a reality,” Clackamas County Commissioner Mark Shull said. “40 of these 100 apartments are for families or people who were homeless or at risk of it. For kids, the long-lasting trauma and impacts of homelessness cannot be understated.”
Mercy Greenbrae exterior and playground
Tour Stop No. 5: The Vuela Apartments next to transit address transportation and sustainability needs
In August, Clackamas County and partners broke ground on Vuela, a five-story, 121-apartment affordable housing complex in Wilsonville. Vuela means “Flight.”
The building will serve low-income residents, and 20 apartments will offer permanent supportive housing services for people leaving homelessness, such as case management and mental health services. Residents will enjoy a fitness room, playground, sports court and other amenities aimed at fostering good health and community.
A coffee shop, community space, transit information center, food bank, and social services are planned for the ground floor. Vuela would not have been possible without the City of Wilsonville providing city-owned land for the development.
“We are on track to build more than 1000 new affordable homes here in Clackamas County using affordable housing bond funds,” Clackamas County Commissioner Martha Schrader said. “We are pleased Wilsonville is joining other cities in Clackamas County by supporting the construction of these much-needed homes to ensure people can continue to live close to their family, work, or place they grew up.”
County Commissioner Martha Schrader speaks at the groundbreaking of Vuela in Wilsonville as a bus passes behind her at the Wilsonville Transit Station