Community Development Partners (CDP) and the Northwest Oregon Housing Authority (NOHA) announced today the start of construction of St. Helens’ newest housing community, Broadleaf Arbor. Located at 2250 Gable Road at the intersection of Gable Road and Columbia River Highway, Broadleaf Arbor is a 16-acre, 239-unit affordable housing development and intergenerational community, connecting working adults, families and seniors.
This new development is critical to addressing the region’s need for affordable housing and, when completed, Broadleaf Arbor will provide 239 one-, two- and three-bedroom homes to individuals and families earning 30%-60% of the area median income ($29,010-$58,020 for a family of four). The program is comprised of 11 buildings, including walk-up style apartment buildings, townhomes, a senior housing building and a central community and resident services building. On-site amenities will include common area gathering spaces, such as a teaching kitchen and library, an expansive lawn and playground, car parking and bike storage, and a trail system along the existing wetlands.
Broadleaf Arbor is being co-developed and co-sponsored by CDP and NOHA and is financially made possible with 4% Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) and a $13M award from Oregon Housing and Community Services‘ (OHCS) Local Innovation Fast Track (LIFT) program. Additional funding was received through an Energy Provider Contribution from Columbia River Public Utility District and further support was provided by State Senator Betsy Johnson, who was a fierce supporter of the project and the development of affordable housing across the state.
Broadleaf Arbor is uniquely designed as a CDP Community For All Ages—an intentional community where people of all ages can live, work and play together with the essential services and amenities needed to thrive. EngAGE Northwest (EngAGE) will be the lead services provider, hosting on-site wellness and creativity programs that are specifically designed to foster intergenerational connection and community building. In addition to EngAGE, a community-wide collaboration of service providers including Latino Network, Community Action Team, St. Helens Senior Center, Columbia Pacific Food Bank and Columbia Community Mental Health will work to connect residents to services that support family stability through educational and employment programs that include financial stability, school enrollment and food assistance.
Broadleaf Arbor is being co-developed by CDP and NOHA. Broadleaf Arbor was designed by MWA Architects and is being built by LMC Construction. PSU’s Center for Public Interest Design (CPID) conducted pre-development community engagement and outreach. The project will be managed by Guardian Real Estate Services. Construction began in August 2021 and is ongoing. The first building is expected to be completed in Fall 2022.
