Rand Road Project awarded critical grant funding
The City of Hood River learned in July that its Rand Road Affordable Housing Development will receive $15.1 million in Local Innovation Fast Track (LIFT) Funds from Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS). These funds were awarded to the development team, Community Development Partners (CDP) and Columbia Cascade Housing Corporation (CCHC), to help turn the seven-acre parcel at 780 Rand Road into much-needed affordable housing.
This funding is essential to move the Rand Road Affordable Housing Development forward. The project has been a priority for the City of Hood River since purchasing the property in 2020 specifically for affordable housing. In addition to new utilities and street improvements, the site is expected to feature 129 units of rental housing for households earning between 30% and 60% of the area median income, as well as a community center, walking trails, green space, and parking. 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 to secure this funding.
“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.
The development at Rand Road has already secured additional needed funds: it was awarded $3 million in federal funding in December 2022, secured 39 Project Based Vouchers from the Mid-Columbia Housing Authority, and Hood River County and the City of Hood River will contribute construction excise tax funds dedicated to affordable housing. The development team also plans to apply to OHCS for additional tax credits and bonds in 2024 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. There is no “sign-up list” for housing to be developed at 780 Rand Road but interested parties are welcome to contact the Mid-Columbia Housing Authority to confirm if subsidized rental housing is available elsewhere in the region at this time (https://www.columbiacascadehousingcorp.org/rentals).
For more information and background about the Rand Road Affordable Housing Development, visit cityofhoodriver.gov/planning/780-rand-road-housing-development-strategy.
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