A 44-unit housing development will provide new independent-living opportunities for seniors as well as residents who are quadriplegics in Gresham, Ore.

Station 162 is believed to be the nation’s first development to combine housing for the two populations, according to the developer and service provider Quadriplegics United Against Dependency Inc. (QUAD) of Portland, Ore.

“We hope Station 162 will be a national model, combining affordable, accessible housing with in-house and community-based supportive services that promote aging in place. It will truly promote a workable, affordable model that can be replicated to serve the needs of disabled tenants as well as a growing number of aging Baby Boomers who want and deserve a new alternative to traditional care settings,” said Greg Gortmaker, executive director of QUAD. “This model promotes autonomy, self-direction and independence for people who need support in maintaining their health and households. It is a better way to address the need for assistance as we age and is far less expensive than traditional medical-based settings like adult foster care, retirement and nursing homes.”

Quadriplegics United Against Dependency is developing Station 162, a 44-unit community  believed to be the nation’s first to combine quadriplegic and senior independent-living apartments in Gresham, Ore. DAO Architecture designed the building.
DAO ARCHITECTURE Quadriplegics United Against Dependency is developing Station 162, a 44-unit community believed to be the nation’s first to combine quadriplegic and senior independent-living apartments in Gresham, Ore. DAO Architecture designed the building.

Construction is expected to finish in about a year.

Seventeen units will be designated for quadriplegics and will exceed Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility requirements. The remaining 26 units, except for a manager’s unit, will be designated for seniors 55 years and older and are ADA adaptable. QUAD, a nonprofit organization, has a housing waiting list of 60 applicants and an estimated wait of up to two years for its existing units.

Eligible residents will be able to choose to receive round-the-clock, self-directed care from aides employed by QUAD. Residents will be able to schedule services to fit their needs rather than to have to accommodate the facility’s schedule, as is often the case in a nursing home or traditional assisted-living facility.

U.S. Bank is investing $8.8 million in equity from low-income housing tax credits, providing a $7.8 million community lending construction loan, and donating $10,000 to help complete the nearly $11.3 million development. U.S. Bank also created a $50,000 fund to help pay for equipment, such as lifts, to care for residents.

“Station 162 will continue QUAD’s mission to enable those with quadriplegia to direct when and where they get assistance, promoting independence and improving the quality of their lives,” said Ann Melone, vice president of U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corp. (USBCDC), a division of U.S. Bank. “The personal care assistants will also be available to seniors when or if they are needed, which will allow seniors to live independently and gives them a chance to remain in their homes longer.”

Eligible tenants will earn between 30% and 60% of the area median income. Rents will range from $351 for a one-bedroom apartment to $751 a month for a two-bedroom unit.

This investment is USBCDC’s 24th affordable-housing project in the Portland area and the 30th in Oregon over the last two decades. The developments in Portland produced nearly 2,700 low-income apartments from a total equity investment of nearly $165 million by USBCDC.

QUAD is working with DAO Architecture and Walsh Construction on the development.