The Salem Housing Authority is planning a new affordable apartment building, with the goal of occupancy in 2029. The complex will have 153 units and in-house family support services. SHA began the project a year ago and is moving more quickly than other affordable housing projects due to collabor ation with private developers, SHA spokesperson Sarah Murray told Salem Reporter in a statement. The anticipated support services include parenting education, foster care prevention programming and a partnership with Marion Polk Food Share.  A portion of the units are designated for families engaged or at risk of engaging with the Oregon Department of Human Services and the foster care system. Residents of these units will have access to family unification program vouchers, which works to prevent children entering foster care due to unstable housing. SIGN UP: “I love and respect what Salem Reporter does for our community.” Salem Reporter covers the people, issues, and stories shaping our city. Stay connected to Salem. Subscribe today. The Salem City Planning Commission rezoned the property at 3333 Market Street N.E. during its July 14 meeting so SHA has more flexibility for development of these on-site services. The services provide support while promoting family stability and self-sufficiency, according to SHA Deputy Director Jessica Blakely’s letter of support for the rezoning. The property was rezoned from a Mixed Use III designation to a Mixed Use II, which will offer better flexibility for development of the on-site services, according to the resolution. This designation allows for thoughtful placement and integration into the landscape, Blakely wrote. The complex would work to address rising rates of youth homelessness that are frequently linked to family instability and a lack of accessible support systems, Blakely wrote. She called the project a first-of-its-kind effort to bring family-centered services directly to where families live. Blakely wrote that the rezoned designation is essential as it allows for the integrated land uses necessary to construct both the housing and on-site services in a highly accessible location. She also identified the property’s location as ideal for residential development because of its proximity to grocery stores, public transportation and employment opportunities. The housing authority has partnered with Community Development Partners for the project. CDP also partnered with the housing authority to develop Mahonia Crossing, Salem’s largest affordable housing complex to date. Once the purchase of the property, which is currently owned by Oregon Department of Transportation, is settled, SHA will pass the development process over to their partner and primarily focus on services provided on-site, Murray said Currently, land use work is still in progress. Once it is complete, SHA can negotiate a purchase and sale agreement, which Murray estimates will happen near the end of summer or early fall. SHA’s most recently completed affordable apartment complex, Gussie Belle Commons, featured over 100 units and was funded through a blend of federal grants and private investors. It opened in March of this year and is expected to add more units in 2027.  Officials at SHA aim to apply for funding in 2027. If applications are successful, Murray said, construction could start in 2028 and occupancy in 2029. EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to clarify that the project is in the planning and development stages, and is not yet under construction. Contact reporter Reilly Norgren: [email protected] The post Salem Housing Authority prepares first-of-its-kind apartment building with on-site support services appeared first on Salem Reporter. ...read more read less