By Marshall Hammond
On September 26 a crowd gathered for a ceremony celebrating the grand opening of Francis + Clare Place, a 61-residence facility offering permanent housing and on-site supportive services for people with physical and behavioral challenges who have experienced long-term homelessness.
“For those of you who are more specifically Catholic,” Bishop Peter Smith of the Archdiocese of Portland told the crowd, “you’ll remember the old Corporal Works of Mercy, one of which is to shelter the homeless. So this is fulfilling part of our mission, part of our calling, part of our life as Catholics.”
Among those speaking at the opening ceremony were representatives of the Catholic Archdiocese of Portland, Catholic Charities of Oregon, the Portland Housing Bureau, the Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS), Metro Councilor Duncan Hwang and City Commissioner and mayoral candidate Carmen Rubio and others.
The sleek, modern looking four-story building stands at the intersection of SE 11th Ave. and SE Oak St., sharing the block with St. Francis Place Apartments, an affordable housing complex, the St. Francis of Assisi Church building itself, which has occupied that space for nearly 150 years and looks humble in comparison, and the St. Francis Dining Hall, which offers free meals six days a week to those without access to meal services.
Francis + Clare Place contains 61 fully-furnished studio and one-bedroom apartments as well as a communal dining area, a game and entertainment room, laundry and offices for on-site health and behavioral support services.
The speeches and ribbon cutting ceremony were held just outside on the neighboring Francis + Clare commons, a public green space and pedestrian thoroughfare.
“This place is a haven where residents will be met with comprehensive support; from access to nutritious food, employment opportunities and healthcare to addiction recovery, mental health services and daily life assistance,” said Kaleen Deatherage, Interim Director of Catholic Charities.
“As you look around, you’ll see more than just bricks and mortar. You are seeing a vibrant community taking shape. Here residents will experience the profound benefits of communal life, offering and receiving support in a nurturing environment,” said Deatherage.
The speakers all noted that the project could not have succeeded without the cooperation and collaboration of an impressive number of public, private and charitable institutions.
“It puts me in mind of an old African proverb a lot of us have heard: If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together,” said Dan Field, Director of the JOHS. “That’s how complex projects like this get built. The capital to build this building has to come from one source, the affordable housing bond. The rent to subsidize people that live here has to come from another source. The dollars to pay the staff who will support people here and provide services that allow them to remain here, comes from yet another source.”
Francis + Clare Place is owned and operated by Catholic Charities of Oregon, on land donated by the St. Francis Catholic Parish. Much of the funding for the project, approximately $1.1 million annually, or $17,500 per room, will come from the Metro supportive housing measure which voters passed in 2020. $9.4 million in funding came from the Portland Housing Bond, which was passed in 2016.
On-site health, behavioral and peer support services are provided by Catholic Charities, Cascadia Behavioral Health and the Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest (NARA NW).
“It is a complicated undertaking to pull those resources together in a time and place that allows a building like this not only to be stood up, to be successful for its residents for many years,“ said Field.
Some of the speakers, such as Helmi Hisserich, Director of the Portland Housing Bureau, called for Portlanders to continue taking action to fund affordable housing initiatives.
“You’ve heard the thanking of the bureaus and a little bit of a mention of the housing bond. And I want to say… the housing bonds are spent,” said Hisserich. “They’re gone, we’ve done it. It’s wonderful, incredible work that has been done, but we need to continue.”
“Funding the construction of affordable housing, especially permanent supportive housing, like the 61 homes here at Francis + Clare Place, is one of the most critical investments we can make in the future of our city,” said Commissioner Rubio.
“Thanks to the voters of this city and this region, the city has been able to invest $470 million of housing bonds into affordable housing in recent years leveraging substantial outside funding to develop nearly 4,000 new affordable homes, far more than we planned,” the mayoral candidate continued.
“With the Portland housing fund fully spent, and with the metro housing bond winding down, we will still face a massive housing shortage. Today, however, I am filled with hope because I know that Portlanders are eager to support real housing solutions at the ballot box.”
For more information about Francis + Clare Place and to sign up for updates, visit stfrancispdx.org/ministries.
Inaugural opening ribbon cutting at Francis + Clare Place with Kaileen Deatherage, Catholic Charities, and Father George Juforiji, St. Francis Parish. Photo by Catholic Charities of Oregon.
Potentially life changing for at least 61 human beings. Thank you for your excellent reporting.