Housing Development

NAYA’s Housing Journey

NAYA stepped into the affordable housing field in 2008 as it took ownership of the Sawash portfolio (44 units) from an organization formerly known as the Low-Income Housing for Native Americans in Portland Oregon, which closed due to lack financial support.

Between 2010 and 2012, NAYA developed its first affordable housing project, Kah San Chako Haws, a 9-unit, modular housing development in Portland’s Lents neighborhood. Immediately afterwards, NAYA took a big leap and co-developed Generations (2012-2016), a 40-unit affordable housing development in Lents, offering townhome-style, intergenerational housing options. We learned many lessons from our first projects that have allowed us to refine and improve our efforts.

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Tribal Preference

NAYA co-developed three projects between 2017 and 2022 located in the Cully neighborhood and close to NAYA’s campus. Nesika Illahee was developed in partnership with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and Community Development Partners between 2016 and 2020. By contributing a portion of their Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) funds, the Siletz tribe established a legal preference to their members and members of any federally recognized tribe, as authorized by the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA). IHBG-funded projects can legally extend preference to tribal members outside a reservation because it is considered a political, not a racial, preference.

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The lease up and housing results at Nesika Illahee were such a celebrated success that it led to replication of the model. Mamook Tokatee is a tribal and artist preference project, located one mile away from Nesika Illahee, developed between 2019 and 2022. Our third Cully project, Hayu Tilixam (Many Nations in Chinook), was developed between 2020 and 2022. While Hayu Tilixam does not have tribal preference, it provides valuable permanent supportive housing with on-site case management and wraparound services to nine households in this 50-unit project. These three properties added 165 affordable housing units, primarily serving Native and tribal communities and all located within .5 – 1.5 miles of NAYA’s campus where residents can access dozens of wraparound services and celebrated programs.

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