OPB, January 30, 2020: A 1st-of-its-kind affordable housing community for Native Americans opens in Portland
If you drive down Northeast 42nd Street in Portland’s Cully Neighborhood, you may come across a sight that has become very familiar: a shiny new apartment building in a changing neighborhood. But this building is special. It’s a 59-unit affordable housing complex developed to address the disproportionate rate of homelessness among Native Americans in Portland.
“We have a lot of tribal members that live here in Portland, that have lived here for generations and we are able to provide housing for some of them,” Delores Pigsley, chair of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians said during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The name of the community is Nesika Illahee, which translates to “Our Place” in the Chinook language. The 53,000 square foot building includes a mix of units featuring studio, one, two- and three-bedroom apartments. There are laundry facilities on each floor and spaces for residents to gather and host events. Throughout, walls are adorned with murals and artwork by Native artists.
