Eugene's beloved Ya-Po-Ah Terrace starts a new chapter in its long and unique history.

Home to 222 senior households and known for the lighted “Peace On Earth” sign that sits atop its roof during the winter holidays, Ya-Po-Ah Terrace has been a beloved part of the Eugene community for more than 50 years. But Ya-Po-Ah Terrace’s major building systems were wearing out when HDC began working with owner Evergreen Union Retirement Association (EURA), MWA Architects, and Walsh Construction to preserve the affordable housing community in 2016. The team undertook a thorough renovation of the 18-story building, and HDC supported EURA to finance the renovation and to restructure the project’s permanent financing to achieve long-term stability. Completed last winter, the preservation effort delivered quality-of-life improvements to residents and ensured Ya-Po-Ah’s apartments will remain affordable to low-income seniors for decades to come.

We’re honored to have been a part of EURA’s Ya-Po-Ah Terrace preservation team and pleased to share recent photos by Carlos Camarena that capture the beauty of Ya-Po-Ah Terrace today. You can see more photos and read additional details about the preservation effort on our Ya-Po-Ah Terrace project page. But first, check out this PDF image of the interpretive panel shown above to learn more about Ya-Po-Ah Terrace’s unique history, starting with its development by a group of labor union locals in the mid-1960s.