New Affordable Senior Housing in Portland Named After Margaret Carter
<>
The Hattie Redmond Apartments on North Interstate Avenue in Portland, Oregon, provide over 60 units of permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless individuals with disabilities, focusing on the Black and African American community. Co-developed by the Urban League of Portland, the building honors the prominent Oregon suffragist and marks an ongoing effort to reverse decades of displacement caused by historic redlining and urban renewal.
Decades of Displacement in North and Northeast Portland
From 1990 to 2010, historical redevelopment and surging housing costs pushed thousands of African American residents out of North and Northeast Portland. Today, local non-profits and housing advocates are working to reclaim that footprint through targeted affordable housing developments designed to bring vulnerable community members back to the area.
Leor Beverly, Associate Director of Housing for the Urban League of Portland, has spent years watching these projects materialize from blueprints into operational facilities. As Beverly noted in accounts published by the National Urban League, “I think that this building, one day, by the time my grandchildren get grown, this will be historical.” Beverly oversees three multi-family properties and over 200 scattered sites across the region, emphasizing that daily relationship-building remains central to stabilizing residents who have experienced long-term homelessness.
Supportive Services and Workforce Reintegration
To address this, the Urban League of Portland embeds on-site supportive services directly into properties like the Hattie Redmond Apartments. Residents have access to therapeutic paint sessions, regular visits from community barbers to prepare job seekers for interviews, and workforce cohorts designed to link participants with financial stability and employment networks.
According to Isiah Hall writing for the National Urban League, these supportive programming efforts are vital for individuals ready to re-enter the workforce.
Building on these supportive housing frameworks, the Urban League of Portland is expanding its footprint this year with the opening of M Carter Commons. Named after former Oregon State Senator Margaret Louise Carter, the forthcoming 62-unit development provides dedicated, affordable senior housing in a region that has seen generations of elders priced out of their historic neighborhoods.
The Road Ahead for Regional Equity and Development
As municipal authorities and community organizations continue to address housing affordability in the Pacific Northwest, balancing neighborhood revitalization with anti-displacement measures remains a core challenge. The success of projects named after historical figures like Hattie Redmond and Senator Margaret Carter demonstrates a deliberate effort to anchor modern urban planning in the preservation of local Black history.
>