Sabin CDC Honoring Harvey Rice and Bringing Affordable Housing to Portland

Photography by Multnomah County Library Via Flickr (CC)

The Harvey Rice Heritage Project is bringing major affordable housing developments to Portland! In the Winter of 2022, two new developments are going up on NE 14th and NE 72nd, totaling 41 apartments for community members in need of rent assistance. The two buildings will carry the namesake of Isaka Shamsud-Din and Charlotte Lewis, honoring two of Portland’s Black artists and recognizing their impact on the community.

Who is spearheading these new developments? Sabin CDC — a local organization working towards improving the livability of Portland for all members of the community. The average rent in Portland continues to climb, and as joblessness struck the state during the height of lockdown, more community members struggled to afford basic living costs beyond their monthly rent. Sabin is tirelessly working to assure long-term affordable housing for low-to-moderate-income residents of Portland. With these new developments, Sabin is taking a major step towards financial security and increased quality of life throughout the Portland community. 

The Sabin CDC team describes the project thus:

“Because stable housing is the first step to economic and social stability, [our] role as a provider of affordable housing is one way to dismantle barriers and improve community conditions overall by consistently pursuing an agenda that places people first.”

Check out photos from this project here!

This development has been named the Harvey Rice Heritage, after Sabin’s Board President and Community Elder, Harvey Rice. For 20+ years, Mr. Rice has dedicated himself to the health and wellbeing of Oregon communities. Rice spoke about the project with Street Roots:

“You have to have a roof over your head and be stable in order to get the education and in order to be neighborly…My project will give a lot of those people the chance to come back to the neighborhood.”

I’m genuinely looking forward to watching the development come to life. Year after year, Mr. Rice continues to touch the lives of Portland community members. As a Portlander, I am ecstatic to see him receive the recognition he deserves. If you would like to get involved with Sabin CDC’s efforts, you can sign up to volunteer and donate HERE! Development updates to come!