Warm Springs Housing Authority (WSHA) recently closed with equity investor Raymond James Affordable Housing Investments to begin construction on its $7.8 million affordable housing development, Warm Springs LIHTC #2. The development will rehabilitate 18 affordable housing units on the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation in Warm Springs, OR.
Travois Design is the project architect.
“With the abundant need for homes on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, Warm Springs Housing Authority has been working hard to fill in that gap,” said the WSHA. “One path to help us achieve that goal is an approach that has been proven successful through our LIHTC #1 project, which provided 35 new homes in our Greeley Heights area. Although our need for new homes is essential, LIHTC #2 will focus on the major rehabilitation of 18 existing units in the West Hills area. We will be updating both the building envelope as well as the infrastructure to provide safe, decent and sanitary housing our residents would be proud to live in. With the completion of this project, we will not only bring our community closer together, but provide families a solid foundation to build on.”
Warm Springs LIHTC #2 received a 2022 Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) award from Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) that generated $4.6 million in investor equity from Raymond James Affordable Housing Investments for the development. In addition, OHCS contributed nearly $2.1 million of additional subsidy to make the project viable through its General Housing Account Program (GHAP) and OR Multi-Family Energy Program (OR MEP). Without collaboration between WSHA, Raymond James and OHCS, the project would not have been possible.
“Raymond James Affordable Housing Investments is proud to partner with the Warm Springs Housing Authority on this exciting project,” said Ben Shockey, RJAHI associate director of acquisitions. “This project has been a long time in the making, and we appreciate the dedication and hard work of everyone involved, especially WSHA, OHCS, and Travois to get this project ready for construction. We look forward to seeing the meaningful impact of this project once complete and over the life of the project.”
The development will rehabilitate 18 housing units between two sites including four single-family homes and seven duplex buildings and restore uninhabitable units to new condition. The housing units are two and three-bedroom floor plans. An additional bedroom will be added to six duplex units to accommodate larger families. Updates to the homes include interior finishes, layouts and energy efficiency improvements to the building envelope and systems. The development also includes the construction of a new laundry and storage building, enhanced security improvements and infrastructure upgrades. Wolf Construction & Development will serve as general contractor for the project.
“Wolf Construction & Development is proud to be a partner in this important development,” said Scott Wolf, principal at Wolf Construction & Development. “When the rehabilitation is complete, the homes will be like new! All will receive energy efficient upgrades and durable, attractive finishes including vinyl plank flooring, Wilsonart laminate countertops, plywood and hardwood construction on cabinets, efficient wood burning stoves and forced air HVAC, designer paint colors and more.”
Many amenities are located a short distance from both project sites: a community center, grocery store, bus station, K-8 school, a park, and a hospital and emergency medical services. Residents also have access to adult and family services provided by the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation.
WSHA partnered with Travois for consulting, architectural and asset management and compliance services. Travois is a Certified B Corporation focused exclusively on promoting affordable housing and economic development for American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities.
“We congratulate WSHA on its second successful LIHTC development,” said Adam Rose, director of partnerships and growth at Travois. “The rehabilitation will provide families with safe, affordable housing where families can enhance cultural ties and continue to advance the sovereignty of the Confederated Tribes. We are proud to partner with WSHA on this development.”