Hillsboro continues to add affordable housing units to ensure community members have a place to call home no matter what their income.

This spring, Hillsboro will add an additional 85 affordable units between the completion of the Century Commons development by Habitat for Humanity Portland Region and the Dolores Apartments by Hacienda CDC.

That adds to more than 280 units created in the last five years from Willow Creek Crossing on 185th Avenue (120 units), Nueva Esperanza on 53rd Avenue (150 units), and Alder Commons on 13th Avenue (8 units).

A second affordable project at Willow Creek is in early development and is anticipated to produce another 118 units by 2028.

In addition, Block 67, the highly anticipated project at the former site of Hank's Market, is also expected to break ground this spring with construction of middle-income housing and age-restricted housing in addition to commercial space, creating 338 units.

The Need for Affordable Housing

While Hillsboro is approaching nearly 3,000 regulated affordable housing units across the city, it's estimated that more than 5,000 units will be needed over the next 20 years, especially larger units that can accommodate families.

For many in the community, housing costs have a significant impact on their overall cost of living and reduce the funds they have available for critical needs such as food, health care, utilities, and childcare.

About 45% of renters in Hillsboro are cost-burdened - spending more than a third of their monthly income on housing. Nearly 11% of Hillsboro residents live in poverty.

Most of the existing affordable units in Hillsboro are set to 60% Area Median Income (AMI), which means the household income for a qualifying family of four would need to be at or below $74,460 in 2026.

In addition, there is a growing need for supportive housing which is regulated affordable housing that provides case management and wrap-around support services to persons exiting homelessness.

Century Commons: Opening the Door to Home Ownership

Habitat for Humanity Portland Region's latest development in Hillsboro is making home ownership attainable for local families.

One of those new homeowners is Duffy, who closed on her home just two days before Christmas.

After a long journey searching for housing that felt increasingly out of reach, she was finally able to purchase an affordable home that her family could call their own.

"It was such a relief," Duffy said. "It was fun to finally move in and have that dream become a reality."

But first, she planned a special surprise for her children.

While her three kids - ages 12, 11, and 8 - were staying with their dad over winter break, Duffy quietly moved everything into the new home thanks to the generous support of her friends and coworkers. When she picked her kids up, they thought they were returning to their old place. Instead, she pulled up to their new house.

"They were like, 'You're kidding! You said January!'" she recalled. "I started crying, and they burst into the house to check out each room."

For the past two years, the family had been living in a friend's backyard studio, about 400 square feet, roughly the size of a garage. While the space had heat and electricity, it didn't have running water, so the family had to walk to the main house to use the kitchen and bathroom.

"We laughed that we lived in her backyard in a shed," Duffy said. "It was a blessing at the time, but it was a lot of people for the shared bathroom."

Now, each child has a bedroom of their own. This is especially meaningful for preteens who value their independence. "Their favorite part is being able to go in their rooms and close the door and not have to talk," Duffy said with a laugh.

Duffy says the home has already brought a sense of stability and possibility for her and the kids. "This has brought such relief to our family," she said. "I feel a whole lot of hope and peace."

Overcoming Barriers to Affordability

While creating more affordable housing opportunities in Hillsboro remains a priority, price escalations have greatly increased the cost of affordable housing development over the past 3 to 4 years as land, labor, and material costs have significantly increased. There is also a lack of vacant land zoned for multi-unit residential available on the market, which makes siting potential projects more challenging.

Additionally, construction and loan interest rates are high, as are insurance rates. This can lead to fewer projects, higher rents, and may lead to financial instability for some existing affordable projects.

Many of the recent deeply affordable units (30% AMI) designed to serve very low-income families in Hillsboro have been made possible by the 2018 Metro Affordable Housing Bond which included $42 million for Hillsboro-specific projects.

With those funds now largely expended, there is a need for an ongoing, revenue source to continue help with funding new development, especially for deeply affordable, family-size units (two-plus bedroom), permanent supportive housing, and other in-demand housing types.

Funding from federal and state governments is critical to expand this work locally and meeting the growing need. Hillsboro will continue to advocate for additional resources to support affordable housing availability in our community and across the region.

Affordable Housing Resources

• Affordable Housing in Hillsboro
• Community Development Block Grant
• Housing Rehabilitation Grant
• Proud Ground
• Community Resources

April is Fair Housing Month in Hillsboro