A Place for You (APFY)

How might we reduce the cost and shorten the timeline for affordable housing options while achieving similar or better outcomes? 

Project

2015 - 2018

A Place for You (APFY) was a test to determine the viability and scalability of using accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in homeowners’ backyards as an alternative to mass shelter and as a bridge to affordable housing for people living at 60% Median Family Income. The project was a collaboration between the Multnomah Idea Lab (MIL), the City of Portland and Multnomah County’s Joint Office of Homeless Services, the Meyer Memorial Trust, Enhabit, Portland State University and A Home for Everyone.

The MIL performed extensive research to create a financially and legally viable pilot project. Once the APFY proposal was approved, the MIL led project implementation. 

The MIL explored various iterations of the program before landing on the final version of APFY. Through the program, County homeowners were recruited to host an ADU on their property that would be leased for five years to a family experiencing homelessness. The ADU was provided by the project. At the end of the lease period, the homeowners are given the option to purchase the unit at market price. While in the ADU home, families and the homeowner have access to support services through the Mobile Housing Team (MHT) to ensure a safe and successful tenancy.

The team interviewed both people experiencing homelessness and homeowners and established a partnership with Enhabit to contract out and oversee the construction of the ADUs.

Through collaboration with Enhabit, Portland State University and others, more than 1,000 homeowners registered their interest in participation for four test slots. The four homeowners were determined using a number of site-related criteria that established a ranked order. The first four families placed in the homes were identified through the Homeless Family system of care.

Four families experiencing homelessness identified by the Joint Office of Homeless Services’ Mobile Housing Team were housed in four ADUs located in the backyards of four Multnomah County homeowners. 

As a pilot, one of APFY’s primary goals was to use the experience to find lessons that could help inform and improve the future scalability and design for similar projects. Those learnings included (but were not limited to):

• Many potential providers available 
• Cost breakthrough is possible 
• Site considerations make ‘fixed design’ difficult 
• Siting and permitting are complex 
• Homeowner hosting interest appears strong 
• Homeowner customization is desired 
• Solutions exist for ownership & transfer

Multnomah County was the first jurisdiction in the country to successfully test this model. Jurisdictions up and down the coast, across the country, and internationally are modeling their ADU tests on APFY. To date, similar projects have begun or are in planning phases in Los Angeles, California; Austin, Texas; Seattle, Washington; Denver, Colorado and Vancouver, British Columbia. 

A Place for You briefing one-pager