Metro and Washington County to celebrate opening of 81 affordable homes geared toward families in Aloha

ALOHA, Ore. – Metro and Washington County will gather tomorrow with local leaders and project partners to celebrate the opening of Cedar Rising. There are now two affordable housing communities that have been completed in Aloha, and ten overall in Washington County, since voters passed the Metro affordable housing bond in 2018. Two more bond-funded developments are on track to open this year in the county.

With 50 two- and three-bedroom apartments, the new Cedar Rising complex is aimed at housing families. Nonprofit Hacienda CDC will provide residents culturally specific youth and family services such as after-school programs, early childhood education, and housing stability assistance, with a focus on serving Latine and Asian communities that make up more than a third of Aloha’s population.

The property is one block from TV Highway, where Metro is planning for future high-capacity transit. “Not only is Cedar Rising focused on housing historically underserved communities, it’s also fighting displacement by providing opportunities for low-income families to stay in a great neighborhood with access to high-frequency public transit,” Metro Housing Director Patricia Rojas said.

Thirty-three apartments will be deeply affordable, reserved for residents earning 30% of the area median income or less, and the remainder will serve those earning 60% of the area median income or less.

“Cedar Rising is yet another example of how the affordable housing bond is addressing a critical problem for our community,” said Washington County Chair Kathryn Harrington. “It has enabled us to develop affordable homes for families priced out by ever-rising rents. And it has shown us that it takes strong partnerships to expand the supply of housing for individuals and families who are most at risk to becoming homeless.”

The $33.6 million project was made possible through public, private and nonprofit partnerships that include $10.2 million from the voter-approved Metro affordable housing bond, $500,000 in Washington County Housing Production Opportunity Funds, and $450,000 from Metro’s Transit-Oriented Development program. BRIDGE Housing, a regional nonprofit, developed the project.

About Metro: Metro crosses city limits and county lines to build a resilient economy, keep nature close by and respond to a changing climate. Representing a diverse population of 1.7 million people in 24 cities and three counties, Metro's directly elected council gives voters a voice in decisions about how the region grows and communities prosper. Metro works with communities, businesses and residents to make the Portland metropolitan area a great place to live, work and shape the future.

About Housing Authority of Washington County: The Housing Authority of Washington County has been providing and developing affordable housing opportunities for over 50 years. Today, the effort continues with the County’s Department of Housing Services, formed in 1992 to administer both its housing activities and programs and that of Washington County. Its mission is to provide a continuum of affordable housing options that promote community strength.