Redwood Crossings offers permanent supportive housing and transitional rooms for individuals experiencing homelessness and those in need of stable housing after being discharged from the hospital. Credit: Brian Stone Photography
Redwood Crossings is the first development in Salem, Oregon, to offer permanent supportive housing to individuals experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. Redwood Crossings was developed as a long-term solution to the homelessness crisis in Salem, a situation that grew even more dire as overcrowded emergency rooms could no longer allow patients experiencing homelessness to stay for extended periods. Located in the North Gateway Urban Renewal Area, a formerly blighted 900-acre section of northern Salem, Redwood Crossings is part of a larger revitalization effort by the city to increase affordable housing, education, transportation, and employment opportunities. The Salem Urban Renewal Agency purchased the site, which was previously an unfinished assisted living facility, and sold it to the Salem Housing Authority (SHA) in 2018 at a reduced price so that SHA could renovate the building and bring it up to code. Residents began moving in after a ribbon-cutting ceremony in late August 2020.
To reduce existing barriers to stable housing, Redwood Crossings has adopted a Housing First approach, setting few preconditions for entry. In addition to wraparound services, the development offers a mix of permanent and short-term units for individuals experiencing homelessness and those who were recently discharged from the hospital. Redwood Crossings provides relief for those dealing with barriers to housing and services as well as those in need of a safe, stable environment to recover from recent illness.
Addressing Community Needs
SHA owns and manages Redwood Crossings and contracts with local service providers to offer onsite support to residents. A leading nonprofit service provider for Polk and Marion counties in northwestern Oregon, the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency (MWVCAA) strives to address the root causes of poverty through several programs. In particular, the ARCHES Project ― the housing and street outreach division of the MWVCAA ― conducts resource referrals and housing assessments and placements, and it provides basic services to area residents who are experiencing homelessness and housing instability. Grants from Kaiser Permanente and PacificSource, a health insurance provider in the greater Northwest region, fund five full-time, onsite ARCHES case managers. SHA also provides an onsite case manager funded through SHA’s Homeless Rental Assistance Program (HRAP), which reduces barriers to housing and builds self-sufficiency through its Housing First approach. The case managers help residents address medical problems as well as behavioral health and substance abuse challenges by arranging medical appointments, deescalating mental health crises, mediating conflicts between residents, and educating residents on keeping their units in good condition. Case managers also provide resource referrals and help residents complete disability program applications. Although residents are encouraged to take advantage of the services offered, they are not required to do so.
The 36 private rooms and 1-bedroom apartment at Redwood Crossings come furnished with a bed, kitchen area, cooking utensils, and other basic supplies. Credit: Brian Stone Photography
Within the nearly 20,000-square-foot, 3-story building are 37 total units, 36 of which are private rooms that include a living, sleeping, and kitchenette space as well as a bathroom and foyer that are shared between 2 rooms, forming a pod. The top 2 floors provide 30 permanent rooms for one-person households as well as a self-contained one-bedroom apartment. Six transitional rooms are available on the ground floor for individuals experiencing homelessness who have recently been discharged from the hospital. Rather than discharging these individuals to hotels or encampments, Salem Health ― the premier healthcare provider for Oregon’s Mid-Willamette Valley ― can now coordinate with SHA to check patients into the transitional rooms at Redwood Crossings. Under a 5-year master lease program, Salem Health rents these rooms from SHA; this rent helps cover the building’s operating costs. Healthcare teams determine how long each patient remains in the transitional rooms — the typical stay is 2 to 3 weeks. Upon arrival, ARCHES staff members check in discharged patients, orient them to the onsite services, coordinate referrals, and add them to the wait list for Redwood Crossings or other SHA properties, said Jessica Blakely, asset manager at SHA.
The building has an exterior keypad and keycard entry to individual rooms and pods, ensuring a secure environment. Residents’ keycards also grant them access to covered bike storage. The building has an elevator, and all rooms are fully visitable and adaptable to accommodate wheelchairs. The one-bedroom apartment is also fully compliant with Americans with Disability Act requirements and has a private bathroom. Every unit is furnished with a bed, and ARCHES and Salem Health give residents a welcome kit that includes cooking utensils, bedding, dishes, towels, and personal hygiene items. The upper floors include a hall bathroom and communal laundry machines that are operated using a prepaid card that residents can reload at a station on the first floor or with their service provider using their allocated “barrier funds” in the HRAP program.
When the COVID-19 pandemic eases, the community room on the first floor will serve as the hub for resident gatherings, meetings, and skill-building workshops. Credit: Brian Stone Photography
Reducing Barriers to Housing
Facilitating Residents’ Long-Term Success
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Interview with Jessica Blakely, asset manager, Salem Housing Authority, 13 January 2021; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 2014. “Housing First in Permanent Supportive Housing.” ×
Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action. n.d. “About Us.” Accessed 7 January 2021; Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action. n.d. “Our Programs.” Accessed 7 January 2021; Whitney Woodworth. 2020. “New ‘first of its kind’ housing project in Salem opening to help homeless,” Salem Statesman Journal, 10 August. Accessed 22 December 2020; Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action. n.d. “The ARCHES Project.” Accessed 28 December 2020; Salem Housing Authority. n.d. “Redwood Crossings Waiting List Open Now.” Accessed 22 December 2020; Interview with Jessica Blakely, asset manager, Salem Housing Authority, 13 January 2021; Correspondence with Jessica Blakely, 19 January 2021; PacificSource. n.d. “Our History.” Accessed 15 January 2021; Salem Housing Authority. n.d. “Homeless Rental Assistance Program (HRAP).” Accessed 15 January 2020; Saphara Harrell. 2020. “Salem Housing Authority to welcome people who have been chronically homeless to first of its kind project locally,” Salem Reporter, 16 July. Accessed 22 December 2020.
Salem Housing Authority. n.d. “Redwood Crossings Waiting List Open Now.” Accessed 22 December 2020; Troy Brynelson. 2019. “Salem Housing Authority to open 35-unit, ‘housing first’ complex by fall,” Salem Reporter, 12 April. Accessed 22 December 2020; Salem Health Hospitals & Clinics. n.d. “Salem Health fast facts.” Accessed 30 December 2020; The Lund Report. 2018. “Salem Health Foundation Invests $270,000 in Medical Respite Facility,” 2 April. Accessed 7 January 2021; Interview with Jessica Blakely, 13 January 2021; Correspondence with Jessica Blakely, 19 January 2021. ×
Whitney Woodworth. 2020. “New ‘first of its kind’ housing project in Salem opening to help homeless,” Salem Statesman Journal, 10 August. Accessed 22 December 2020; Salem Housing Authority. 2020. “Tenant Selection Plan and Screening Criteria – Redwood Crossings;” Interview with Jessica Blakely, 13 January 2021; City of Salem. 2020. “Welcome to Redwood Crossings — Take our Virtual Tour of Salem’s Newest Supportive Permanent Housing.” Accessed 31 December 2020.
City of Salem. 2020. “Welcome to Redwood Crossings — Take our Virtual Tour of Salem’s Newest Supportive Permanent Housing.” Accessed 31 December 2020; Interview with Jessica Blakely, 13 January 2021; Correspondence with Jessica Blakely, 19 January 2021; Whitney Woodworth. 2020. “New ‘first of its kind’ housing project in Salem opening to help homeless,” Salem Statesman Journal, 10 August. Accessed 22 December 2020; Marion Polk Food Share. n.d. “About.” Accessed 15 January 2021.
Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action. n.d. “The ARCHES Project.” Accessed 28 December 2020; Salem Housing Authority. n.d. “Redwood Crossings Waiting List Open Now.” Accessed 22 December 2020; Salem Housing Authority. 2020. “Tenant Selection Plan and Screening Criteria – Redwood Crossings;” Whitney Woodworth. 2020. “New ‘first of its kind’ housing project in Salem opening to help homeless,” Salem Statesman Journal, 10 August. Accessed 22 December 2020; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 2020. “FY 2020 Income Limits Summary, Salem, OR MSA.” Accessed 28 December 2020; Interview with Jessica Blakely, 13 January 2021; Correspondence with Jessica Blakely, 19 January 2021.
Saphara Harrell. 2020. “Salem Housing Authority to welcome people who have been chronically homeless to first of its kind project locally,” Salem Reporter, 16 July. Accessed 22 December 2020; Interview with Jessica Blakely, 13 January 2021; Correspondence with Jessica Blakely, 19 January 2021; Oregon Housing and Community Services. 2020. “$75 Million in State Funding Awarded to Increase Affordable Housing,” press release,14 July. Accessed 8 January 2021; City of Salem. n.d. “North Gateway Grant Program.” Accessed 22 December 2020.
Whitney Woodworth. 2020. “New ‘first of its kind’ housing project in Salem opening to help homeless,” Salem Statesman Journal, 10 August. Accessed 22 December 2020; The Lund Report. 2018. “Salem Health Foundation Invests $270,000 in Medical Respite Facility,” 2 April. Accessed 7 January 2021; Interview with Jessica Blakely, 13 January 2021; Correspondence with Jessica Blakely, 19 January 2021.
