Cascadia Housing Earns National Award

Cascadia's Midland Commons Apartments was recently awarded the 11th annual Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Award for Special Needs Housing. The $5000 award was presented May 18th in Washington DC. Criteria for this award included programs to encourage tenant self-sufficiency, unique design features, and community support. Midland Commons opened on October 28th 2004.

Government and private sector funding, including $500,000 in HOME funds from the Portland Development Commission, helped non-profit Cascadia Behavioral Health Services to create the 46 unit apartment complex at SE 127th and Taggert in Portland. Fourteen of the units in the $5.2 million project are designated for chronically homeless. Other targeted special populations include families, and those with serious, chronic illnesses. There were roughly 250 applicants for the apartments, and successful tenants were selected by a lottery.

The 1.38-acre site is landscaped with native vegetation and designed to provide variety of large and small outdoor spaces. The two buildings, totaling 39,500 square feet, include amenities such as high speed internet access, a large community room with kitchen, private meeting room, several smaller lounges and large balconies. William Wilson Architects, AIA, designed Midland Commons to maximize possibilities for socialization and the use of natural light throughout the site.