Tag: Rahab’s Sisters

Business Relocating, Construction, New Residence

Affordable Housing Rising Above Methodist Church

Recently, the members of Montavilla United Methodist Church voted to demolish all their buildings at 232 SE 80th Avenue to create three stories of affordable housing above a new ground-level worship space that will also share resources with support organization Rahab’s Sisters. Reverend Heather Riggs explained that this site transformation will embrace the faith-based group’s efforts to provide resources it sees needed in the community while reducing its operational burden of maintaining an aging building. The project is in pre-development with a target completion date of 2030. Until the city approves permits, parishioners and users of the midcentury building will continue to gather there.

Riggs said they plan to maximize housing options on the site while respecting the neighborhood’s scale and preserving on-site parking for the gathering space. The 0.88-acre property occupies nearly a full block and is shared with only one single-family residence. The Residential Multi-Dwelling 2 zoning of the site allows up to four stories and has a three-to-one Floor Area Ratio through bonus provisions for affordable housing.

Interior of a church decorated for Christmas, featuring a large cross, Christmas trees, and festive lights.
Montavilla United Methodist Church December 2024

Riggs explained they are in a pre-development phase and working to formalize a relationship with a prospective developer who will take ownership of the property and rent back the ground floor to the congregation at a discounted rate. The agreement will target an Area Median Income (AMI) restriction for future residents of 30 to 60 percent for the anticipated 72 units of regulated affordable housing. The Methodist Church wants the property to remain affordable for at least 60 years. “We would like to be in the 30 [AMI] range because that’s what’s affordable for our local baristas and for our local restaurant workers,” said Riggs. “This is not free housing. This is housing for people who work, who cannot afford to live in the city where they work.”

The final configuration of units and income targets depends on the funding available at the time of construction. Riggs noted that affordable housing projects require specialized skill sets to fund and manage. That is why the congregation and regional Methodist leadership are planning to transfer the land to another group rather than keeping it under church control. “Honestly, one of our priorities has been to get out of the business of building management so that we can focus on ministry,” said Riggs. The older property, built between the 1940s and 1950s, takes considerable funds to maintain. The building also sits empty more often than it is occupied, attracting unwanted attention and vandalism. Church leadership feels that having people living above the worship space will make the property more active and safer for the surrounding community.

Exterior view of a brick church with a tall, green steeple, featuring a welcoming sign detailing community values of peace, prayer, and learning, surrounded by trees and grass.

Demolishing the building could seem like a loss of history, but Riggs explained it is part of the site’s tradition to adapt to changing needs. Initially, a large wooden structure painted white served as a place of worship at this site. That was torn down to make way for the larger facility that accommodated a growing congregation in the 1950s. Now the faith community sees the mission changing again. The city needs housing, and the younger members of the church started the conversation around adapting the site’s use to address both faith and service to Portland’s needs.

A committee of knowledgeable members will take on preservation work, identifying the precious items that need to become part of the new facility. “We have plans to incorporate a lot of things into the new building. We want to incorporate some of the stained glass into the new building, but we’re thinking of placing it on interior walls, lighting hallways,” said Riggs. “We would like to preserve at least one of the upside-down boat arches in our worship space, and we’d like to preserve the bell, creating a small bell tower.” The “Precious Team” will work right up to demolition, preserving everything that matters to the congregation’s history. “We will be going through that process of honoring the history of those who came before us and celebrating that history,” remarked Riggs. Part of that celebration will be the opening of a time capsule on the front of the building.

Map showing buildings and structures with numbered addresses in a grid layout, highlighting a specific area outlined in blue.
Portland Maps image showing 232 SE 80th Ave

During the demolition and construction phases, church members will share space with the Tabor Heights United Methodist Church, less than a mile away at 6161 SE Stark Street. Before work begins, the design team will hold public meetings to gather community feedback on the project’s design. Riggs wants this site to meet the faith organization’s goals of serving those most in need while still playing a positive role in the wider community. As a community advisory committee member for the nearby Oak Street Village shelter, Riggs feels it is important for working people transitioning back into stable housing to have a place to move into. The church members also know this property is central to the neighborhood and asked the developer to include a garden and green space to keep it an attractive element of Montavilla’s historic downtown.

Reverend Heather Riggs hopes to speak to the Montavilla Neighborhood Association about the project at a future meeting. When the developer is formally secured for the housing, the design phases will begin, and community members can expect to learn more and provide input. Riggs wants people to know these changes will create a safer, more secure site that remains a useful resource for Rahab’s Sisters to build on its over 20 years of community support, and for the church to add to its 100-year history.

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Jacob Loeb

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Business Relocating, Community, Services

Rahab’s Sisters Path to a Dedicated Facility

On December 6th, the non-profit Rahab’s Sisters will relocate all functions from St. Peter and Paul Episcopal Church to the Montavilla United Methodist Church at 232 SE 80th Avenue. Their move one block west allows the day services provider to maintain operations as it seeks Multnomah County funds to create a dedicated facility. The group serving women and gender-diverse individuals will keep the same operating hours while embedded in its temporary location. The organization’s leadership hopes to offer an expanded schedule after they set it up in a long-term space.

Rahab’s Sisters started serving those marginalized by poverty, houselessness, sex work, violence, and substance use in 2003. They have worked from the church building at 247 SE 82nd Avenue the entire time, making this move a significant event for the organization. “It’s the very first location and only location. So we’ve been there 20 years,” explained Desiree Eden Ocampo, Executive Director of Rahab’s Sisters. The program stemmed from the church’s community but without a religious agenda. “A group of Episcopal women, both lay and clergy, wanted to care for folks working on 82nd at night, giving them a place of safety without any sort of preconceived notions that somebody has to be fixed or saved. It’s harm reduction,” said Ocampo.

Rahab’s Sisters’ move coincides with the closure of St. Peter and Paul Episcopal Church. At the end of 2023, the congregation will turn over the SE 82nd Avenue property to The Episcopal Church in Western Oregon (ECWO), which will begin the site’s transformation into affordable housing. Initially, Rahab’s Sisters hoped to return to the property after crews completed construction, working from a ground-floor commercial space. Early concepts for the housing development included non-residential storefront space on the first floor. However, those plans changed as the church worked to maximize available housing and secure specific funding. Ocampo explained that the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon offered Rahab’s Sisters continued use of the SE 82nd Avenue building until its demolition. However, the cost of operating the old building without other tenants sharing the expenses was not practical for the non-profit’s budget.

Fortunately, the organization was able to expand on an existing relationship to find temporary accommodations. Rahab’s Sisters began renting office space from Montavilla United Methodist Church in May as they were outgrowing St. Peter and Paul’s facilities. When the church announced its closure this year, Ocampo approached the Methodist church leadership about moving all activities into their space. This relocation will double the interior area available to the group while still offering a kitchen space to prepare the meals served at Friday community dinners. It also allows them to bring some previously outside activities inside the building. The Multnomah County’s syringe exchange program van uses the St. Peter and Paul Episcopal Church’s parking lot to distribute harm reduction kits. Ocampo said that with this move, that interaction will now focus on Rahab’s Sisters’ guests within the church building, although those guests can share supplies with people not served by the organization.

Montavilla United Methodist Church

Montavilla United Methodist Church will be a valuable transition space for Rahab’s Sisters. Its proximity to the original location helps alleviate fears of change experienced by some frequent guests. Before the move, Rahab’s Sisters staff will take guests on walks to show them where to go starting on December 6th. They also intend to post signs with directions to the new location. Although the larger facility at the Methodist Church will work well to maintain services, it is not the dedicated location Rahab’s Sisters needs to grow the organization.

On September 28th, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners allocated $62.5 million in one-time-only funding for added shelter capacity. The County set aside $3.3 million within that package to expand daytime support services. Rahab’s Sisters applied for $775,000 of those dedicated funds to cover the buildout costs needed to develop day services within a dedicated facility. Nearly $500,000 would go towards capital improvements to the building, creating a suitable kitchen and constructing interior amenities using trauma-informed design. The remaining funds will add furniture and cover other costs related to starting a new facility. Desiree Eden Ocampo explained they have already looked at locations between 122nd and 70th Avenues, giving the group an idea of what spaces the organization could lease. All potential sites will need work to meet their unique needs. However, with the County’s one-time funds covering the significant startup costs that previously prevented expanded operations, Rahab’s Sisters can finally step towards enhancing services within a reasonable operating budget.

Rahab’s Sisters currently supports over 300 people annually, operating two days a week. A dedicated facility will allow them to grow that number, but more importantly, it would expand support throughout the week. If Rahab’s Sisters receives the Multnomah County support, they will need to move quickly, with the bulk of the work happening in the summer of 2024. Ocampo thinks Rahab’s Sisters’ expansion is precisely what the County is looking for when expanding the provider network. There is a significant gap in day service providers operating in East Portland. Most facilities are concentrated Downtown and on the inner Eastside. 

Ocampo acknowledges that moving the organization twice in less than 12 months is not ideal and would have liked to work from the original location longer. However, Rahab’s Sisters fully supports the SE 82nd Avenue property’s redevelopment and looks forward to the speedy construction of affordable housing. The first half of 2024 will likely feature substantial growth for the day services provider. The staff will have more private space within Montavilla United Methodist Church for community partners to work from, increasing the quality of service. Then, the group will have the substantial task of locating and creating a dedicated site to grow its supportive community. Expect updates on this process in early 2024.

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Jacob Loeb

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Business Closing, Community, Demolition

Congregation Makes Way for Affordable Housing

For several years, the St. Peter and Paul Episcopal Church community investigated using their land at 247 SE 82nd Avenue for affordable housing. This week, church officials announced plans to discontinue religious services at the site and turn the property over to The Episcopal Church in Western Oregon (ECWO) to begin the site’s transformation towards that goal. A final celebration in the sanctuary will occur at 5 p.m. on December 3rd, with an open invitation for the community to attend. After several years of additional planning and permitting, demolition crews will raze the building at the nearly 100-year-old site to make room for residences.

The small congregation has long made the building and property available to supportive groups serving the vulnerable. As the housing crises forced more Portlanders onto the streets, adding attainable housing to the property along 82nd Avenue aligned with the faith group’s goals. Early concepts called for partial demolition of the building while retaining worship space or creating a new mixed-use structure. However, the economics and efficacy of adding housing to a shared site ultimately seemed unfeasible for the under-resourced congregation. Recognizing the urgent need for housing and St. Peter and Paul’s uncertain financial position led to the proposed dissolution. 

The ECWO leadership will vote to dissolve this Montavilla church alongside two other Oregon congregations at their Annual Meeting on October 28th, 2023. The building could continue to have secular uses in the intervening years before its deconstruction. Ultimately, ECWO wants to provide a sustainable and accessible community resource in its place that addresses the housing, services, and relational needs of the neighborhood. However, until the project breaks ground, it is important to its new caretakers that the space remains active and useful. For two decades, Rahab’s Sisters has offered a safe drop-in center for female-identifying people marginalized by sex work, addiction, or poverty. That group intends to continue those efforts uninterrupted and could work from the building until they find a new permanent location. However, ECWO will determine what groups will have future use of the building within the coming weeks.

St. Peter and Paul’s Rector, Reverend Sara Fischer, understands that the classic church model has become financially unsustainable for smaller congregations, particularly those serving the poor. However, that societal shift will not impede her commitment to the community. A dedicated structure is not a requirement of Rev. Fischer’s work, and she intends to continue uncoupled from a building while staying embedded in the community. Overall, Rev. Fischer is excited to see the structures of her faith reimagined to support the immediate needs of vulnerable people. “I think that for churches, it’s really the wave of the future to use the property for something like affordable housing,” said Rev. Fischer. They need to “figure out how to be in a relationship with people providing some of what the church has to offer, but not the traditional churchy things.”

Rev. Fischer (center) image provided courtesy St. Peter and Paul Episcopal Church

Substantial change for the St. Peter and Paul property will come years from now, near its 100th birthday. The first church building was erected at the site in 1926 as the St. Peter Episcopal Church and School, seven years after its founding. The St. Paul Episcopal Church was established in 1895 to serve the small town of Woodmere and later merged with the Montavilla congregation in 1968. At that time, the name changed to reflect the union. The next few years will see programs anchored at this site find other locations within the area while maintaining a connection to those seeking their services.

This transition is not occurring without some sense of loss. Around 20 worshipers will need to find their path to another congregation or expression of faith. A century of documents and records will transition out of the neighborhood to the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon’s care. Most notably, the demolition of the iconic church on 82nd Avenue will change the streetscape.

Despite the losses and years of impending change, the community will likely perceive this transition as positive. Providing affordable housing is overwhelmingly supported by Portlanders and is perceived as a critical step in addressing problems plaguing the city. The contribution of St. Peter and Paul’s land and ECWO’s commitment to creating around 100 attainable residential units should move the city closer to sheltering those living on the margins and provide a humane solution to the housing emergency.

Article by

Jacob Loeb

Correction: A previous version of this article stated that Rahab’s Sisters was in the building for just one decade. They have operated there since 2003.

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Bar, Entertainment, Event, Food and Drink, Montavilla

Montavilla’s Saturday Winter Celebration

Two events will attract visitors to Montavilla’s commercial corridors this Saturday evening. Winter Wassail along NE Glisan Street features festive beverages, snacks, carolers, and holiday lighting. Participating stores and restaurants between 82nd and 68th Avenues will remain open for last-minute holiday gifts and festivities. People are invited to Wassail (Go from location to location caroling and/or drinking in merriment) on Glisan from 4 to 8 p.m. this December 17th.

Promotional image provide by event coordinators

That same night, SE Stark Street businesses will host the Montavilla Soiree & Pub Crawl from 6 to 9 p.m. The Montavilla East Tabor Business Association (METBA) organized this winter celebration in the historic downtown to support neighborhood businesses as they enjoy the best parts of the colder months.

Promotional image provide by event coordinators

Drinkers, shoppers, and anyone looking for a fun Saturday night can explore the collection of holiday-themed cocktails, food specials, live music, and late-night last-minute shopping in one big evening event. No matter where you reside, some part of Montavilla will have an activity to warm your spirit on a cold night.

These are some of the participating businesses on Glisan Street:

These are some of the participating businesses on Stark Street:

Rahabs Sisters will be collecting gloves, hats, jackets, blankets, and tents. Drop off locations will be Union Rose and Wink Vintage.

By

Jacob Loeb

Disclosure: The author if this article serves on the Montavilla/East Tabor Business Association (METBA) board. METBA sponsors some of these events.