Residents Explain the Benefits of Living at Orchards of 82nd

Rendering of Orchards of 82nd by SERA Architecture.

Open to residents in February, Orchards of 82nd provides 48 affordable homes and offices for APANO (Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon) in outer Southeast Portland’s Jade District. HDC served as development consultant on the project, working with APANO, project sponsor ROSE Community Development, and design, construction, and funding partners to create a development that supports underserved community needs in one of the most diverse census tracts in the state of Oregon.

Last week Metro, which helped foster Orchards of 82nd through its Transit Oriented Development Program, reported on how residents such as Quinhong Chen are benefiting from living at the new housing community. Chen, who moved with her family to Portland from China 10 years ago and has limited English proficiency, struggled to find work that paid well enough to keep up with rising rents. But when Chen and her two children moved to a less expensive apartment in December, “the cheaper rent was a trade-off. The apartment was moldy; the bathtub didn’t drain; the toilet consistently clogged; and the heater in her son’s bedroom was broken,” Metro author Ambar Espinoza wrote.

Read Espinoza’s post to learn how moving to Orchards of 82nd is improving life for Chen’s family and other residents through access to high-quality affordable homes, public transit, programs such as the Baby Booster initiative, and even free car-sharing services.

Look for more details about Orchards of 82nd soon on this site’s Development Projects page, and explore HDC’s housing and facilities development services here.