Solar-Powered Apartments Empower Residents of All Abilities

Wynne Watts Commons opened in 2022 in the Wilkes East neighborhood of Gresham, Oregon, a city of 111,643 in the Portland metropolitan region. With 150 units of affordable housing, 30 of which are reserved for people with disabilities, Wynne Watts combines sustainable architecture and universal design to create a welcoming and inclusive environment in the largest net-zero affordable housing development in the Pacific Northwest.

Development Process

In 2018, Albertina Kerr, a nonprofit that provides services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, began turning a 2.5-acre portion of its Gresham campus into affordable housing. Partnering with developer Edlen & Co. and architect Ankrom Moisan, Albertina Kerr's original goal was to turn the land into affordable housing for direct support professionals who assist people with disabilities. These workers are disproportionately women and people of color and more likely to earn very low wages.

As the project evolved, its focus expanded. Project leadership eventually decided to apply for HUD's Section 811 program, and they were able to use the vouchers to develop 30 universally accessible units for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The Apartments

Wynne Watts is a roughly 97,000-square-foot, 4-story development consisting of 150 units, of which 117 are available to households earning no more than 60 percent of the area median income (AMI). Although these units are open to all applicants with qualifying incomes, Albertina Kerr's chief executive officer, Allison Stark, noted that even in the absence of any workforce restriction, approximately 40 percent of those moving into these affordable units work in health care.

Another 30 units are reserved for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who earn no more than 30 percent of AMI. Created through HUD's Section 811 program, these units consist of 22 one-bedroom and 8 two-bedroom apartments.

Sustainable and Accessible

The building features high-performance details including triple-pane operable windows, sunshades, continuous exterior insulation, and roof overhangs to optimize daylighting and air handling systems. The units offer other energy-efficient features, including LED lighting, ENERGY STAR® appliances, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and ceiling fans.

"This site was so perfect because it was [2.5] acres," says Carly Harrison, senior development manager at Edlen & Co., "[and] we were able to put solar on nearly every roof and all the carports that we added," allowing enough space for a 660 kilowatt photovoltaic solar array. The system produces 727 megawatt hours of electricity annually, saving an estimated 559,200 kilowatt hours each year.

Numerous design features ensure that Wynne Watts is fully accessible, including automatic entry doors, roll-up controls in elevators, and color-coded floors for simpler navigation. In addition, the 30 accessible units feature smart-home integrations, pullout cooktops, mechanized upper cabinets, and roll-in sinks and showers for full mobility. The accessible units also have features to help residents manage sensory input. In addition to acoustically enhanced wall, floor, and ceiling construction, all residents have access to a smart home app that controls their unit's room-darkening shades and colorful lighting.

Amenities in Wynne Watts include free Wi-Fi for all residents, 31,000 square feet of outdoor community space, secured bike storage, an accessible outdoor play area, and integrated paths connecting to the broader campus and neighborhood. In addition, Wynne Watts is located within a mile of a Metropolitan Area Express light rail station and within 2 miles of a grocery store, a public library, a childcare center, and a TriMet bus stop. The project also included sidewalk improvements and the addition of a bike lane on the portion of 162nd Avenue that fronts the building.

Funding

Funding for the $45.9 million Wynne Watts development included 4 percent low-income housing tax credits, HUD Section 811 program assistance, and private fundraising. Wynne Watts also received funding through Metro Housing Bonds, a local bond measure passed in 2018 to create affordable housing in Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas counties. Wynne Watts received $11.2 million, or $83,673 per unit, from the city of Gresham's $27.1 million share of this bond.

The project's sustainability measures earned it funding from several sources, including $400,000 from the Portland General Electric Renewable Development Fund and $200,000 from the Oregon Housing and Community Services' Oregon Multifamily Energy Program. In addition, benefits from the federal Solar Investment Tax Credit program covered approximately 9 percent of the overall project cost.

Impact

Wynne Watts began leasing in spring 2022 and filled all 147 leasing units by November 2022, with more than 600 applicants on the initial waitlist. The remaining three units are being set up to serve as temporary emergency housing units. The development received a Terwilliger Center Award for Innovation in Attainable Housing from the Urban Land Institute in 2023.