780 Rand Road Affordable Housing Development
Latest News
August 10, 2023 – The City of Hood River learned in July that the Rand Road Affordable Housing Development will receive $15.1 million in Local Innovation Fast Track (LIFT) Funds from Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS). The City Council is excited to be one step closer to making the project a reality, and appreciative of OHCS and efforts by the development team, Community Development Partners and Columbia Cascade Housing Corporation, to secure this essential funding source.
“The cost of housing is an extreme burden to many households and has caused significant displacement. We are excited to work towards solutions that get people into homes they can afford, so that people of all incomes are able to live and have a high quality of life here in Hood River,” said Mayor Paul Blackburn.
$3 million in federal funding was awarded to Columbia Cascade Housing Corporation for affordable housing development at 780 Rand Road in December of 2022, and 39 Project Based Vouchers were secured from the Mid-Columbia Housing Authority. Hood River County and the City of Hood River will contribute construction excise tax funds dedicated to affordable housing, and the development team plans to apply to OHCS in 2024 for additional tax credits and bonds to complete the project’s financing.
Following land use and building permit review processes, the development team hopes to begin construction as soon as autumn of 2024 with housing available as soon as autumn of 2025.
Current Affordable Housing Resources
To receive updates about community outreach events and other project information for 780 Rand Road, please email HRaffordablehousing@communitydevpartners.com with your name and preferred contact information (phone, email, etc.).
There is no “sign-up list” for the proposed affordable housing development at 780 Rand Road but you are welcome to contact the Mid-Columbia Housing Authority (MCHA) to confirm if subsidized rental housing is available elsewhere in the region (https://www.columbiacascadehousingcorp.org/rentals). And, MCHA provides other resources including down payment assistance, foreclosure prevention, home repair loans and home-buyer classes (https://www.columbiacascadehousingcorp.org/homeowner-resources).
780 Rand Road Affordable Housing Background Information
In January of 2020 the City purchased a seven-acre parcel at 780 Rand Road in Hood River for the purpose of developing affordable housing.
In the autumn of 2020 the City contracted with Leland Consulting Group, DDV Consulting and Urbsworks to prepare a development strategy for the site and a developer solicitation. Goals were established by the city council, and the consultant team met with stakeholders before preparing four preliminary development alternatives.
In the spring of 2021 a StoryMap and a brief survey were used to obtain public feedback, and the preliminary development alternatives were refined for use in developer-solicitation documents.
In the autumn of 2021, after a competitive solicitation process, Community Development Partners (CDP) and Columbia Cascade Housing Corporation (CCHC) were selected as the City’s preferred development team to build affordable housing at 780 Rand Road. The City and CDP/CCHC completed a Purchase Option Agreement in February of 2022, needed by the developer to qualify for state and federal funding sources.
City Council expects CDP and CCHC will employ their creativity and development expertise with respect to site- and building design, and financing and deal structuring, to deliver housing on the site consistent with the City’s goals.
For questions about the 780 Rand Road Housing Development Strategy, please contact Senior Planner Kevin Liburdy.