How HDC is partnering with Laurel Hill Center to build supportive housing where it’s needed most.
The River Road Housing development’s five buildings will accommodate one-bedroom apartment units, meeting and office space for service providers, and generous community spaces. Renderings by Aligned Architecture.
Providing affordable and supportive housing is central to Laurel Hill Center’s approach to whole-person care. The Eugene-based nonprofit helps people experiencing serious mental illness increase their self-reliance and ability to live and work in the community, offering services that range from mental health care to a supported-employment program, which pays participants to make eyeglasses for Oregon Health Plan members. But community demand for Laurel Hill Center’s housing far outstrips supply; the center’s housing waitlist averaged 100 to 150 qualified applicants for the past eight years.
“Single adults with disabilities who are on limited, fixed incomes have very few options for housing currently in Eugene, and we’re trying to be a part of the solution to that problem. ”
HDC is working with Laurel Hill Center to shrink the wait time—and to expand supportive housing access in Eugene.
The River Road Housing project will create 45 affordable homes in the Santa Clara neighborhood of northern Eugene. Developed by Laurel Hill Center with HDC’s assistance, the new housing community will be strategically located near River Road, a main arterial connecting Santa Clara with downtown Eugene, an area where critical services and amenities are accessible and the need for supportive and rent-assisted housing is rising. Residents will have access to mental health recovery, case management, peer support, and other programs operated by Laurel Hill Center and its partners. Eleven apartments will be reserved for households living on 30 percent of area median income or less.
"Single adults with disabilities who are on limited, fixed incomes have very few options for housing currently in Eugene, and we're trying to be a part of the solution to that problem,” says Devin Jenkins, Laurel Hill Center’s director of facilities and housing services.
Laurel Hill Center’s goals are not limited to serving more people in more places, as it embarks on its first ground-up development in more than 35 years. The center also aims to create an intentionally designed living environment that promotes residents’ recovery and wellness. Project partner Aligned Architecture is giving “extra attention to spaces that foster a sense of community,” from a community kitchen to a dedicated area for storing and repairing bikes, says Julie Proksch, director of real estate development at HDC. Based on current plans for the L-shaped site, four residential buildings will surround a central courtyard, with pathways connecting to a two-story commons building.
Staffed by Proksch, Construction Project Manager Melissa Meiners, and Finance Project Manager Shauna Childress, HDC’s project team is lending its finance and construction management expertise and drawing on HDC’s strong experience developing supportive housing projects with mission-driven mental health care partners.
Proksch expresses admiration for Laurel Hill Center’s deep commitment to holistically caring for the health of the community it serves. “Our team is excited to support Laurel Hill Center’s staff and board to navigate the development process,” Proksch says. “The decisions we make together today are in service of the organization’s mission and will enhance the wellbeing of the River Road residents into the future.”
The River Road Housing project has secured major funds, notably low-income housing tax credit equity and grants from OHCS, the City of Eugene, and Oregon Health Authority. The team is currently pursuing DEQ funds to purchase low-embodied carbon construction materials as it looks toward a construction start in 2028.
Stay tuned for updates as HDC accompanies Laurel Hill Center and the whole River Road project team on the path ahead!