Marla Manor’s 25 apartments were restored
ROSE History and Accomplishments
At the end of the 1980s, outer southeast Portland suffered from economic shocks spurred by high unemployment in the timber and construction trades, the OPEC energy crunch, and the savings and loan crisis. For our neighborhoods, the result was more than 300 vacant and abandoned houses, pernicious crime, and high unemployment.
ROSE began in 1992 as a grassroots initiative driven by neighborhood residents, including Nick Sauvie, ROSE’s founder and current executive director, business leaders, and social service providers.
In the early days, volunteers walked every street in four neighborhoods noting housing conditions, vacant lots, unpaved streets, schools, and parks. For our first project, we painted two homes for seniors living across the street from Lents School.
Since then, we have developed more than 500 affordable homes for families, and served thousands of people through our community development programs.
We believe good homes give people the opportunity to build better lives. More than one hundred of our homes were designed for people with special needs: seniors, child care providers, the disabled, recovering addicts and parents transitioning out of the corrections system and reuniting with their families.
ROSE Milestones
1996
1997
Constructed 4 single family homes and restored 2 homes.
Lents Village was built, providing 63 affordable apartments for seniors with a Meals on Wheels partnership to serve lunches on-site.
Johnson Creek Commons was restored, providing 16 apartments on SE 72nd Avenue. It was the first “green” affordable housing community in Oregon. The only materials that were not able to be re-used were the kitchen cabinets.
1997
1998
Beyer Court was remodeled. Fourteen apartments with a large greenspace courtyard.
2000
Country Squire Apartments were restored, adding 25 affordable apartments and large community garden.
2000
2002
Johnson Creek Commons expanded with the addition of a brand new duplex in the front of the property.
2003
Lents Town Center (multiple developments: 24, 5, 4, 3 units) including Reedway Place. We developed the Lents 2000 project which included Reedway Place, Marysville, Woodmere Commons, and 93rd Avenue townhomes. We constructed 36 affordable homes with multi-family apartments, townhomes, and duplexes.
We co-developed Clinton Ridge with Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare to provide drug and alcohol free homes for people with mental illness. Clinton Ridge has 29 apartments.
2003
2007
Leander Court. This complex included 37 apartments constructed with 2 childcare units and 2 playgrounds. Leander Court was named “Oregon’s Best New Affordable Housing of 2008” by Oregon Housing and Community Services. Eleven families transitioned to Leander Court through the Community Justice Program with support from Bridges to Housing and Impact NW.
2009
Jim and Salle’s Place. This 17 apartment restoration was developed close to parks, public transportation and included a community garden. In 2020 ROSE added a solar array as part of a community solar project.
2009
2010
Bellrose Station restored 40 homes with a community room, playground, and garden. Mobile playgrounds come to Bellrose Station in the summer.
2011
Firland Apartments were remodeled to provide 19 affordable apartments.
2011
2013
Greenview Terrace Apartments restored 31 apartments with a garden and courtyard.
2015
Lents Youth Initiative debuts. This paid summer internship program for teens connects allied community partners working in sustainability, environmental justice, and community development work. The program began with 12 youth and has now grown to 30 interns.
2015
2017
Baby Booster debuts. ROSE began work to develop strategies to address disparities for families who are pregnant or have children under 2. The Baby Booster Initiative employs a Collective Impact model to help place women with infants and young children in brand-new permanently affordable homes with supportive services.
2019
Orchards of 82nd was constructed. Orchards of 82nd shares space with APANO, and has 48 permanently affordable homes, playground, resident lounge, and community room. Nearly half of the families were placed through the Baby Booster Initiative.
Woody Guthrie Place was constructed, adding 64 homes with mixed-incomes. The community is close to the Lents Town Center, Lents Park, and public transportation.
Woody Guthrie Place and Orchards of 82nd had solar arrays installed on the rooftop, and electric car chargers for residents. Both properties received LEED Platinum certification.
2019