OHCS and BuildUp Oregon commit $7 million worth of early care and education funding across Oregon

Triton Notary

DESCHUTES COUNTY, Ore. –(KTVZ)– The Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) and BuildUp Oregon have committed $7.4 million in grants and loans to 9 projects across the state. These are innovative projects that bring early care and education together with affordable housing. Out of the 9 projects, one is in Deschutes County.

Below is the list of all nine projects. Highlighted is the Deschutes County project.

Projects with funding commitments:

Community Partners for Affordable Housing Meadowlark Place Head Start  $750,000 in Beaverton, OR (Washington County)Community Partners for Affordable Housing and DCM Communities are partnering with Community Action to co-locate a new Head Start facility with 104 units of senior housing. The center will offer three classrooms serving preschool-aged children and include ample indoor and outdoor play areas.

Home ForwardImmigrant and Refugees Community Organization (IRCO)$850,000 in Gresham, OR (Multnomah County)Home Forward and IRCO are co-developing a new early care and education center within a 60+ unit affordable housing project. Integrated into the ground floor of the building, the center will support four classrooms with culturally specific programming, as well as education and workforce development for immigrant and refugee families.

Housing WorksAntler Head Start$750,000 in Redmond, OR (Deschutes County)Housing Works will construct a Head Start facility in Redmond with three classrooms operated by NeighborImpact. The project will be part of a larger neighborhood development that includes 18 affordable for-sale homes by Rooted Homes and 60 affordable rental housing units from Housing Works.

Lighthouse DevelopmentWillamette Education Service District$850,000 in Salem, OR (Marion County)Lighthouse Development will build an early care and education center on a site with 180 affordable housing units. The center will be operated by the Willamette Education Services District (WESD). They will have a total of four classrooms that serve infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, as well as plans to tailor their classrooms to serve children with disabilities.

Home Forward / Killingsworth HousingNative American Youth And Family Center (NAYA)$207,000 in Portland, OR (Multnomah County)NAYA is co-developing and will operate a new early care and education center within Killingsworth Housing, an affordable housing development in partnership with Home Forward and Portland Community College. The development will have 74 affordable housing units, and the center will include three classrooms serving infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. This program offers culturally specific programming in partnership with Early Head Start and Preschool for All.

Habitat for Humanity of NewbergHead Start of Yamhill County$700,000 – Dundee, OR (Yamhill County)Newberg Area Habitat for Humanity, Head Start of Yamhill County, and Newberg First United Methodist Church are partnering to develop a three-story building in downtown Dundee. The housing development will include four 2-story condominium homes. On the ground floor, the project will house two Head Start classrooms serving infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

Our Coastal Village with Affiliate Chestnut Management LLCElm Park Learning Center$1,430,000 in Florence, OR (Lane County)Our Coastal Village, Inc. will co-locate an early care and education facility in an affordable housing development that includes a mix of 32 two- and three-bedroom units. The facility will partner with two child care operators, Stepping Stones and Head Start of Lane County, and will have a total of four classrooms.

Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives (PCRI)Learning Train Academy$850,000 in Portland, OR (Multnomah County)PCRI will include an early care and education center in the historic Williams & Russell Affordable Rental Housing project. The facility will be integrated into this dynamic community development with 85 affordable apartments units and offer culturally specific programming through its operator, Learning Train Academy.

Edlen + CoOregon Child Development Coalition (OCDC)$850,000 in Ashland, OR (Jackson County)OCDC will operate a new child care center as part of a mixed-income 100-unit housing development led by Sunstone Housing Collaborative. The center will have two classrooms, one for preschoolers and one for infants and toddlers. The co-located site will support working families — including housing for teachers in the Ashland School District — and offer integrated services in a growing community hub.

About Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS)

OHCS is Oregon’s housing finance agency. The state agency provides financial and program support to create and preserve opportunities for quality, affordable housing for Oregonians of low and moderate income. OHCS administers programs that provide housing stabilization. OHCS delivers these programs primarily through grants, contracts, and loan agreements with local partners and community-based providers. For more information, please visit: oregon.gov/ohcs

About BuildUp Oregon 

BuildUp Oregon is composed of four Community Development Financial Institutions. Its members are Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon (MESO), Craft3, Network for Oregon Affordable Housing (NOAH), and Low-Income Investment Fund (LIIF). Together, these organizations are dedicated to ensuring equitable access to high-quality childcare and supporting the growth and development of early care and education providers.

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