Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), in partnership with BuildUp Oregon (BUO), has committed $7.4 million in grants and loans to nine innovative projects that co-locate early care and education (ECE) with affordable housing developments across the state. These projects, which leverage an additional $20 million of public and private investment, will strengthen communities by simultaneously increasing access to affordable housing and opportunities for quality early care and education, serving families where they live and dream.
“As the state housing agency, we have a role in building a better and more affordable life for Oregon families,” said OHCS Executive Director Andrea Bell. “Available and affordable housing and childcare are constrained by supply—these are things we can do something about through locally driven approaches. Through this partnership we are taking action to boost incomes and improve family outcomes.”
The OHCS Co-Location Fund was established by the Oregon Legislature through House Bill 5011 in the 2021-2023 biennium. It is the first funding of its kind dedicated exclusively to integrating early care and education into affordable housing developments in our state. By simultaneously addressing two of Oregon’s most pressing needs, this approach realizes cost savings that maximize public investment while also reimagining how we effectively build thriving communities.
“These affordable housing communities are beautiful, intentional spaces designed to support children during the most consequential stages of their development,” BuildUp Oregon ECE Program Manager Rachel Langford notes. “Each project represents a thoughtful reflection of the needs and strengths of the communities they are located in.”
This year’s awardees represent projects in seven counties and respond to Oregon’s urgent child care shortage, where 72% of counties are considered child care “deserts.” Together, these nine projects will create or preserve 542 child care seats statewide, offering lasting benefits to children, caregivers, and the communities they call home.
“The early years of a child’s life lay the foundation for lifelong learning and well-being. By bringing early learning and care directly into affordable housing communities, we’re not just investing in our children—we’re investing in Oregon’s future,” said DELC Director Alyssa Chatterjee; “Quality child care is a cornerstone of a thriving economy, enabling parents to work and communities to prosper. I am thrilled to see these investments moving forward with OHCS and BuildUp Oregon.”
Projects with funding commitments:
Community Partners for Affordable Housing
Meadowlark Place Head Start
$750,000 in Beaverton, OR (Washington County)
Community Partners for Affordable Housing and DCM Communities are partnering with Community Action to co-locate a new Head Start facility with 104 units of senior housing. The center will offer three classrooms serving preschool-aged children and include ample indoor and outdoor play areas.
Home Forward
Immigrant and Refugees Community Organization (IRCO)
$850,000 in Gresham, OR (Multnomah County)
Home Forward and IRCO are co-developing a new early care and education center within a 60+ unit affordable housing project. Integrated into the ground floor of the building, the center will support four classrooms with culturally specific programming, as well as education and workforce development for immigrant and refugee families.
Housing Works
Antler Head Start
$750,000 in Redmond, OR (Deschutes County)
Housing Works will construct a Head Start facility in Redmond with three classrooms operated by NeighborImpact. The project will be part of a larger neighborhood development that includes 18 affordable for-sale homes by Rooted Homes and 60 affordable rental housing units from Housing Works.
Lighthouse Development
Willamette Education Service District
$850,000 in Salem, OR (Marion County)
Lighthouse Development will build an early care and education center on a site with 180 affordable housing units. The center will be operated by the Willamette Education Services District (WESD). They will have a total of four classrooms that serve infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, as well as plans to tailor their classrooms to serve children with disabilities.
Home Forward / Killingsworth Housing
Native American Youth And Family Center (NAYA)
$207,000 in Portland, OR (Multnomah County)
NAYA is co-developing and will operate a new early care and education center within Killingsworth Housing, an affordable housing development in partnership with Home Forward and Portland Community College. The development will have 74 affordable housing units, and the center will include three classrooms serving infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. This program offers culturally specific programming in partnership with Early Head Start and Preschool for All.
Habitat for Humanity of Newberg
Head Start of Yamhill County
$700,000 – Dundee, OR (Yamhill County)
Newberg Area Habitat for Humanity, Head Start of Yamhill County, and Newberg First United Methodist Church are partnering to develop a three-story building in downtown Dundee. The housing development will include four 2-story condominium homes. On the ground floor, the project will house two Head Start classrooms serving infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
Our Coastal Village with Affiliate Chestnut Management LLC
Elm Park Learning Center
$1,430,000 in Florence, OR (Lane County)
Our Coastal Village, Inc. will co-locate an early care and education facility in an affordable housing development that includes a mix of 32 two- and three-bedroom units. The facility will partner with two child care operators, Stepping Stones and Head Start of Lane County, and will have a total of four classrooms.
Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives (PCRI)
Learning Train Academy
$950,000 in Portland, OR (Multnomah County)
PCRI will include an early care and education center in the historic Williams & Russell Affordable Rental Housing project. The facility will be integrated into this dynamic community development with 85 affordable apartments units and offer culturally specific programming through its operator, Learning Train Academy.
Edlen + Co
Oregon Child Development Coalition (OCDC)
$850,000 in Ashland, OR (Jackson County)
OCDC will operate a new child care center as part of a mixed-income 100-unit housing development led by Sunstone Housing Collaborative. The center will have two classrooms, one for preschoolers and one for infants and toddlers. The co-located site will support working families — including housing for teachers in the Ashland School District — and offer integrated services in a growing community hub.
About Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS)
OHCS is Oregon’s housing finance agency. The state agency provides financial and program support to create and preserve opportunities for quality, affordable housing for Oregonians of low and moderate income. OHCS administers programs that provide housing stabilization. OHCS delivers these programs primarily through grants, contracts, and loan agreements with local partners and community-based providers. For more information, please visit: oregon.gov/ohcs.
About BuildUp Oregon
BuildUp Oregon is composed of four Community Development Financial Institutions. Its members are Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon (MESO), Craft3, Network for Oregon Affordable Housing (NOAH), and Low-Income Investment Fund (LIIF). Together, these organizations are dedicated to ensuring equitable access to high-quality childcare and supporting the growth and development of early care and education providers.
