A recent rehabilitation effort ensures that a historic property will be home to individuals with low and extremely low incomes in Portland, Oregon.
Dating back to the late 1890s, the building was opened by The Ladies’ Union Relief Society and named Patton Home for the Friendless. It was the first facility in the state to provide social services to poor women, children, elders, and immigrants without the assistance of wealthy donors apart from the initial land donation.
Acquired by Community Development Partners (CDP) in 2020, Patton Home continues its mission of helping Portland’s neediest residents following an extensive renovation and the addition of six new units. The rehab included installing new flooring, lighting, and appliances; upgrading the mechanical systems; and restoring the original wood-framed windows.
The community has 69 single-room occupancy units with four common kitchens, 16 bathrooms, and multiple common areas, including an expansive garden run by the city. Located in a historic neighborhood, the property is unique with about 10,000 square feet of private housing space and 30,000 square feet of community space.
In a unique arrangement, a large commercial kitchen is leased to a nonprofit food service operator, OurStreets PDX, in exchange for providing six free meals per week to each building resident. In the first half of 2022, 4,000 meals had been served to residents, many of whom are elderly or disabled. Thirteen units are reserved for formerly incarcerated individuals.
“Patton Home is such an important building because of the vulnerable population that it serves,” says CDP CEO Eric Paine. “We were able to preserve this beautiful historic structure and extend the affordability for residents while maintaining the low area median income levels.”
CDP worked to increase social services at the site and has partnered with EngAGE Northwest to provide arts, wellness, and other programs. EngAGE also operates a food pantry at Patton Home. EngAGE and Integrity Housing are both nonprofit co-general partners in the project.
Financing for the $10.9 million development included 4% low-income housing and historic tax credits.
