HOUSING AUTHORITY OF PORTLAND NEW COLUMBIA: REPORT ON DEVELOPMENT GOALS DECEMBER 2007 BACKGROUND From Columbia Villa to New Columbia Columbia Villa was built in North Portland in 1942 In 1993, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban as housing for World War II shipyard workers. After Development (HUD) created the HOPE VI program, the war, it became a public housing site, with 462 which offered grants to reconstruct aging public New Columbia is more than a housing development. housing units in barracks-style buildings scattered housing sites into new, mixed-income communities. over 82 acres. Over the years, the aging buildings HAP applied for and was awarded a $35 million grant From the beginning, the Housing Authority of Portland and its and inadequate infrastructure fell woefully short of in 2001, which was supplemented with funding from community partners created a vision for the new community modern building standards in virtually all areas. In multiple other sources into a project total of $151 that encompassed project goals in a number of areas: addition, Columbia Villa’s 1,300 low-income residents million. In addition, the agency led the develop- were physically, socially, and economically isolated ment of the Community Campus at New Columbia, a MIXED-INCOME HOUSING from the community. $20.2 million project that is anchored by a new public elementary school and Boys & Girls Club and includes a SUPPORT FOR RESIDENTS new wing and gym for a City-owned recreation center. The success of New Columbia ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OPPORTUNITY The vision for New Columbia was to create a depended on partnerships with LIVABILITY vibrant new neighborhood with a mix of housing and support from innumerable types affordable to people at all income levels. SUSTAINABILITY individuals and organizations. New Columbia includes the following features: BUILDING COMMUNITY • 854 housing units, including public housing, A collaborative process was built affordable rentals, senior housing, and both HOMEOWNERSHIP into all aspects of the project from market rate and affordable homes for sale. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND COMMUNITY PROCESS the beginning and was a common • A mix of residents, representing a variety of LEVERAGING OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES thread in realizing the multiple cultures, age groups, and income levels. project goals. Types of assistance • A community-friendly design, with front porches, This document describes these development project goal included workforce development and parks, and public spaces. areas and identifies the achievements under each as the employment preparation; case man- • A new street grid that provides easy circulation former Columbia Villa was transformed into New Columbia. within New Columbia and connects the commu- agement services that supported the nity to the rest of the Portsmouth neighborhood. language, cultural, and mental health • A Main Street that offers a variety of recre- needs of residents; programs for ational, cultural, and educational opportunities youth; and financial support. for both New Columbia residents and the surrounding neighborhood. 1 1 MIXED-INCOME HOUSING SUPPORT FOR RESIDENTS When Columbia Villa was dismantled, it comprised 462 units A top priority during the transition from Columbia Villa to New Columbia was to provide comprehensive of public housing. In contrast, New Columbia offers a choice relocation and support services for the almost 400 households that were affected. HAP offered services to of housing types and sizes to accommodate a diverse popula- all Columbia Villa residents, whether or not they chose eventually to return to New Columbia. Key elements tion and attract people of various income levels. included housing choices, moving assistance, case management, connection to schools and other services, emergency rent and utility help, and youth development. Relocation and Return • HAP developed a comprehensive Relocation • Between March and October 2003, HAP’s Plan, with input from a 15-member Relocation 11-person Relocation Team relocated Task Force made up of residents, housing 382 Columbia Villa households: advocates, and social service and public school — 74 percent of households chose Section 8 rent representatives. assistance vouchers, 23 percent chose to stay in other public housing, and three percent • HAP offered each household a choice of com- chose unassisted housing. parable, available housing units and prepared Homes for sale an individual detailed plan that addressed every — Two thirds of the households were able to Rental housing aspect of relocation, from packing and unpack- find replacement housing in their preferred ing to reestablishing utilities and social services. location. In all, 166 households remained MIX OF HOUSING AT NEW COLUMBIA in North Portland, while 49 relocated to • Relocation information and outreach materials inner Northeast Portland. were provided in the five primary languages INCOMES TOTAL HOMES $75,000 232 854 (besides English) spoken at Columbia Villa: • 86 percent of respondents to a written survey New Spanish, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Hmong, indicated that they were either very or somewhat Homeownership Units and Russian. satisfied with relocation services. 186 • HAP used a variety of outreach measures— New Affordable WHERE COLUMBIA VILLA FAMILIES MOVED including written information, meetings, tours, Rental Housing Units and opportunities for input—to familiarize North/Inner Northeast 215 Columbia Villa residents with New Columbia $50,000 New Elderly Rental Units 66 Outer Northeast/Southeast 94 and help them decide about returning. Inner Southeast 27 • By the end of December 2006, 29 percent 462 Replacement of the households that had been relocated from Public Public Housing Units* Outside Portland Metro Area 17 Housing Units 370 Columbia Villa returned to New Columbia $25,000 Northwest/Southwest 15 297 73 —110 in rental housing and two as new Public Project-based Housing Section 8 Gresham/Fairview 12 homeowners. COLUMBIA VILLA NEW COLUMBIA * An additional 92 units are being built offsite to make sure there is no net loss of low-income housing in the city. 2 3 Community and Supportive Services (CSS) ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PARTICIPATION • HAP set aside $4.25 million (12 percent of the • CSS staff logged a total of 4,128 individual HOPE VI grant) for Community and Supportive contacts and over 18,000 household contacts. The New Columbia redevelopment procured approximately $117 million in construction-related activities and Services for relocated residents, including case These included home and office visits, phone professional services. A key project element was to foster local economic development and opportunities by management, employment assessments, educa- consultations, and mailings. generating new jobs, wages, and small business income. This was accomplished by setting a number of goals and tion, workforce training, rent and utility providing supportive measures to help achieve them. • CSS staff facilitated employment assessments, assistance, family counseling, and resident linked residents with employment services, workshops. • HAP set a goal of having at least 20 percent of • HAP promoted affirmative contracting and provided construction training opportunities, construction and services contracts go to workforce diversity through a number of • Five CSS family specialists offered support and developed an intensive program for hard-to- qualified disadvantaged, minority-owned, women- means, including comprehensive and targeted services to relocated residents for five years serve working able households. owned, and emerging small businesses (D/M/W/ community outreach, technical assistance for —before, during, and after relocation. Many • In addition, 103 construction/construction-relat- ESB). This goal was exceeded, with 24 percent of D/M/W/ESB businesses, diversity incentives, households took advantage of these services, ed positions were created. HOPE VI residents, all contracts —$27.6 million—going to these expansion of the ETAP program, and rigorous with 117 families receiving transportation along with other Section 3 low-income commu- businesses. compliance monitoring and reporting. assistance, 135 receiving childcare services, and nity members, benefited from this employment. Minorities and women worked 45 percent of the over 100 households enrolling in basic educa- • Another goal was to make construction trade jobs construction hours at New Columbia. tion, high school equivalency (GED), or English • 51 households enrolled in HAP’s GOALs (Greater available to local community members, with first as a Second Language (ESL) classes. Further Opportunities to Advance, Learn, and Succeed) priority given to graduates of the Evening Trades • HAP and Walsh Construction defined a specific youth and school stability services were offered program, which helps participants work toward Apprenticeship Preparation (ETAP) program for scope of work that enabled a minority builder as youth transitioned to new schools and engaged independence from public assistance and, if HAP residents and local low-income community to gain experience as a general contractor for in summer and year-round recreational activities. desired, prepare for homeownership. Of these, members. ETAP graduates and local residents two blocks of New Columbia. Walsh conducted 25 completed homeownership preparation classes, filled 103 jobs, and apprentices accounted for a select bidding process for D/M/W/ESB firms, and 10 purchased homes. 20 percent of the total construction