Home Forward, Portland’s housing authority, is selling a 3,880-square-foot group home in Montavilla as it anticipates a $35 million budget shortfall in 2026. The 1999-built facility at 9350 SE Taylor Street last served as a resident support home for individuals with developmental disabilities operated by Dungarvin Oregon.
The property, bordered by the Interstate 205 Multi-use-path on two sides, is currently secured with plywood “due to prior break-ins while vacant,” according to a real estate flyer. A modest commercial parking lot provides three parking stalls in front of the single-story building and one driveway leading to the eastern entrance. A gated back courtyard faces south and provides separation between two dormitory wings, each with a bathroom at the end. The most recent configuration of the space included five bedrooms, along with laundry, kitchen, office, and storage spaces. The north end of the building features an equally sized “family room” and “living room” flanking the large kitchen, which features residential-style appliances.
A buyer could reconfigure the space and update the dated quarter-century-old interior in many ways, but the site’s residential zoning limits it to single-family, single-room occupancy housing, or similar group home uses. A new owner could also redevelop the large 16,460-square-foot lot into townhouses or other middle housing to increase density. Its location next to the pedestrian I-205 crossing bridge leading to the MAX light rail station and proximity to the Multi-Use-Path make it a good candidate for Transit-oriented Development.
Home Forward—renamed from Housing Authority of Portland in May 2011—is an independent Public Corporation that contracts with the federal government to administer housing programs. It owns around 110 properties. In past years, it has worked with partner groups to build affordable housing. This land, if fully redeveloped, would likely not be an impactful source of affordable housing for the organization that oversees 6,678 units. However, with an asking price of $499,999, selling it will not generate a significant sum to stave off operational budget shortfalls at the nonprofit. In a different financial landscape, Home Forward could have reinvested in this property for a similar group home use or other affordable housing option. The future buyer of this unique property will have an opportunity to reshape this residential block abutting the I-205 border of the neighborhood.
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