HILLSBORO, Ore. — Elected officials and nonprofit leaders gathered on Friday to celebrate the official opening of Nueva Esperanza, a 150-unit affordable housing development near Hidden Creek Park in east Hillsboro. The complex is intended to provide housing for farmworkers, Latino families and Somali immigrant families, among others.
The apartments will be available to households making 30-60% of the area median income, which is $33,840 to $67,680 for a family of four, according to a news release from the city, Metro and the nonprofit Bienestar.
"Esperanza, 'hope,' is more than just a name on these buildings," Metro Councilor Juan Carlos González said in a statement. "Hope is foundational to this apartment community. The connection and the safe and affordable housing that Nueva Esperanza provides will embolden the families who live here to dream — and it will create the space to act on those dreams — for many years to come."
The community includes boot washing stations, Spanish-speaking staff, kitchens built for Somali food preparation practices, a playground, barbecues and a fenced dog park. The buildings are organized into neighborhoods with distinct identities, referred to as "colonias," meaning colonies. More than 100 of the apartments are 2- to 4-bedroom units, in keeping with the project's goal of housing families.
"Bienestar is grateful to the many partners who have made Nueva Esperanza possible," the nonprofit's executive director, Nathan Teske, said in a statement. "These homes provide an enormous benefit to our community by ensuring families have a safe, stable place to thrive and reach their full potential. We are proud to provide this hope to hundreds of people, many of whom are immigrants who fled violence or persecution in their homelands."
The $54 million project was built by Bienestar and fellow nonprofit Housing Development Center, using 6 acres of land donated by the city. Funding came from a variety of sources including the Meyer Memorial Trust, Community Housing Fund, Oregon Housing and Community Services, low-income tax credits and $16.9 million from the Metro Affordable Housing Bond.
"Nueva Esperanza is meeting a critical need for families in Hillsboro by building units with up to three and four bedrooms," Hillsboro Mayor Steve Callaway said in a statement. "I’m proud of its intentional design that also incorporates cultural elements that meet workforce, family and resident needs. It is truly a place designed for — and by — the community. Thanks to the incredible people and partners who worked so hard behind the scenes for years to bring this community vision to life."
