FHDC’s latest development project, Colonia Unidad (CU), is designed to meet the affordable housing needs for farmworkers, their families and other low-income communities in Woodburn. A project with many moving parts and a big mission, the purpose is to create more affordable housing and empower farmworkers and their families to explore career options and integrate into the local community. On Wednesday August 29th, partners and supporters came together to celebrate the groundbreaking of this much needed housing project in Woodburn.

Colonia Unidad is set to complete in 2019, putting a dent in the rural affordable housing crisis. CU began demolition and deconstruction of existing infrastructure last week to make way for 44 units of mixed workforce housing in a central location, close to schools, parks and opportunity. Currently FHDC’s housing waitlist tops 150 families, and this project is the beginning of developing a more aggressive plan to create more affordable housing. FHDC recently hired respected Housing Developer, Claudia Cantu, to oversee the mission and vision of our housing development campaigns, including the completion of Colonia Unidad and the management of the rehabilitation of Esperanza Court.

FHDC was joined by partners from LMC Construction, Housing Development Corporation, Umpqua Bank, Network for Oregon Affordable Housing, Enterprise Community Partners, Evolve Workforce Development and Property Management, Carleton Hart Architecture, and Kantor Taylor Nelson Evatt & Decina PC.

A special thank you to our speakers Ramon Ramirez, FHDC Board President, Margaret Salazar from Oregon Housing and Community Services; Riad Sahli from Enterprise; Gina Leon from Umpqua Bank; and Rachel Bidou from NOAH.

Thanks to all for joining! Si se puede!