Attendees check out a unit during the dedication for the Alongside Senior Apartments in Tigard.

The Tigard community celebrated the grand opening of a first-of-its-kind senior living complex on Thursday morning, Nov. 9.

Local dignitaries and housing advocates marked the milestone for Alongside Senior Apartments, located next to the Tigard Senior Center on Southwest Omara Street, with enthusiasm and fanfare.

The 57-unit complex will serve older adults with limited incomes. Renters will also have access to all the services the Tigard Senior Center offers, including the Meals on Wheels People, which delivers meals to housebound seniors out of the center.

The apartment homes are also located close by Tigard City Hall, the Tigard Police Department and the Tigard Public Library.

The project was made possible through cooperation and partnerships between the Tigard city government, project developer Northwest Housing Alternatives, the Housing Authority of Washington County, and other agencies.

Funding came through a variety of sources, including rental assistance from Washington County and Metro housing bond funds.

Tigard officials previously estimated the $25.5 million project would include $6.27 million in Metro housing bonds.

“This has been a long time in the making,” Steven Phan, board chair for Northwest Housing Alternatives, told a room filled with about 60 people at the Nov. 9 grand opening.

Phan said 40% of the units at the new apartment complex will serve extremely low-income residents — those who have an income 30% or less of the area median income — with the remaining 60% of those apartments reserved for very low-income seniors.

Each apartment contains fully equipped kitchens, walk-in closets and air conditioning. There’s also a community room, outdoor space and a lounge with a fireplace.

Phan praised Tigard for being an “outstanding partner” in championing affordable housing, noting that the city offered exemptions to property taxes and system development charges — money developers usually have to kick in to pay for roads, sewer and other infrastructure — as well as a lower-than-low lease of the city-owned property.

“The cool thing is, they provided the land here with a leasing of 99 years for a sweet deal of $1 a year,” said Phan.

While U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas had hoped to speak in person, duties in Washington, D.C., prevented her from doing so, but she sent a representative who told those gathered that the congresswoman is proud of the new apartments.

“It is through your incredible partnership and perseverance that this project was made possible. Alongside Senior Housing, and other similar projects, helps us take a vital step towards addressing Oregon’s housing affordability crisis,” Salinas field representative Erin Chen read from a statement on the congresswoman’s behalf.

Washington County Commission Chair Kathryn Harrington said affordable housing is critical for the betterment of the community.

“It’s unacceptable that our residents struggle to find safe and decent affordable housing,” Harrington said. “My heart is with everyone impacted by rising rents. We need more quality housing at an affordable price, especially for our seniors and our more vulnerable people.”

She said Northwest Housing Alternatives also will be providing comprehensive mental health services for the new apartment residents, along with the county offering residents access to services provided by Washington County Disability, Aging and Veteran Services.

Harrington said over the past two years, 427 quality affordable housing units have opened in Washington County, with 970 more planned over the next two years.

Metro Councilor Gerritt Rosenthal, whose District 3 includes residents of Beaverton, Durham, King City, Sherwood, Tigard, Tualatin and Wilsonville, praised the previous and current Tigard administration for developing housing for “all sorts of people.”

Rosenthal noted that Metro recently opened its 1,000th affordable housing unit region-wide.

“We have kept 20,000 people off the streets, some of them — a lot of them — through temporary rental subsidies; some of them through long-term rental subsidies; and so forth,” said Rosenthal. “We’re on track to have 4,700 units built from the housing bond when we originally projected only 3,900 units.”

Tigard City Council President Yi-Kang Hu said Alongside Senior Apartments is a much-needed senior housing addition to the city.

“This project demonstrates our city’s dedication to creating an inclusive, compassionate and vibrant community where everyone, regardless of age or income, can thrive,” he said, adding that it allows seniors a location to “age in place.”

Kang continued, “As we cut the ribbon on this beautiful new housing complex, I’m mindful of the fact that 28 percent of Tigard’s households are severely rent burdened, meaning that they pay more than 50 percent of their monthly income on rent. A lot of work still needs to be done to address this shortage of affordable housing in Tigard and our region.”

Following the grand opening celebration, Phan presented a plaque honoring those council members who were onboard when the project was approved, including now-Mayor Heidi Lueb, former mayor Jason Snider, and former city councilors Tom Anderson, John Goodhouse and Liz Newton.

Snider said the day was a long time coming for a project that was challenging for both the previous council and the city.

“To be here today and seeing it happen and open is so gratifying,” said Snider, who is running for an open seat on the Washington County commission next year.

Trell Anderson, executive director of Northwest Housing Alternatives, said it is unusual to have a senior center located next to a senior living residence.

“When we saw the opportunity, we jumped on it because when you create a proximity of housing and services, that’s one of the ultimate goals,” Trell Anderson said about his company’s first project in Tigard.

He said Northwest Housing Alternatives’ only other similar project occurred a decade or so ago, when the agency co-located a senior living facility next to the Wilsonville Senior Center.

Trell Anderson said Tigard’s Alongside Senior Apartments are already 70% leased, with the first residents having moved in within the last month or so.

However, plans are to accept applications until all the apartments are rented out, he added.