Construction should be done by mid-August on a Southeast Portland building completely devoted to permanent supportive housing.
Francis & Clare Place, a project of Catholic Charities of Oregon, offers 61 units plus services to help residents achieve stability and stay housed.
“These housing units will provide individuals who have experienced chronic homelessness a safe and permanent place to live and receive the supportive services they need,” Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said at a groundbreaking last fall.
Crews from O’Neill/Walsh Community Builders have met with challenges over equipment and weather, but have managed to stay on track. They are working weekends to ensure a timely finish.
Catholic Charities is working with the Joint Office on Homeless Services to begin leasing rooms, which will be for people who have experienced homelessness or come close and who have complex physical and behavioral health challenges.
Cascadia Health and NARA will be providing case management for residents and Catholic Charities will offer other services. All the organizations have begun the hiring process for those positions.
Francis & Clare Place is going up on the grounds of St. Francis Catholic Parish, where church members have long cared for and befriended people experiencing poverty and homelessness.
The building, on the site of the former parish school, will be adjacent to Catholic Charities’ St. Francis Park Apartments, which has 105 affordable units.
Amenities at Francis & Clare Place will include community space that doubles as a classroom, and on-site offices for property management and supportive services. The project will face a pedestrian street with green space and a large plaza. The site gives residents access to job training, grocery stores, bike routes, and frequent service bus lines.
“For our most vulnerable community members, housing alone isn’t enough to end homelessness – it’s housing paired with supportive services that provides them with a path to stability,” said Dan Field, director of the Joint Office of Homeless Services, which played a major role in the project.
Francis & Clare apartments will be for residents at or below 30% of area median income.
