Here’s the field at 4400 Spicer Drive, where “Colonia Solidaridad” is proposed to be built. (Photo taken on Oct. 19, 2023)
The city of Albany is preparing to pave the way for construction of about 160 “affordable” housing units on undeveloped farmland off Spicer Drive.
This is a project called Colonia Solidaridad and sponsored by the Farmworker Housing Development Corporation, based in Woodburn.
The nonprofit corporation bought the 8.6-acre field at 4400 Spicer Drive this past January for $2,178,000, according to the Linn County assessor. The organization has housing projects in several other Oregon communities including one in Lebanon called Colonia Paz.
Building on the Spicer Drive property, though, apparently requires the extension of Goldfish Farm Road and a sewer main through the site to Spicer. And to help pay for building the road and sewer, Albany plans to seek a grant of about $1.8 million from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The road and sewer extension are estimated to cost more than $2.7 million. The grant would pay for part, and the rest would be covered by other grants and city systems development charges for streets.
On Wednesday (Oct. 25), the city council will consider a staff request to have Albany apply for the HUD grant.
A memo to the council describes Colonia Solidaridad this way:
“The community will provide 150 affordable rental units, 10 to 12 townhomes for affordable home ownership, and a childcare and education center in four phases over the next several years.”
Just what “affordable” means in this context, the memo doesn’t say. (hh)
Wouldn’t it be nice if they could get the homeless to do the work and use the facilities
I doubt you can find many sales of farmland for more than $15,000 per acre so how does this parcel cost $253,000 per acre? And then Albany is going to spend $2.7 million on road and sewer costs for a total cost of $4.88 million for land and improvements plus the cost to build the units. One thing about Albany-they never think small.
“The road and sewer extension are estimated to cost more than $2.7 million. The grant would pay for part, and the rest would be covered by other grants and city systems development charges for streets.”
Albany will not be paying that!
Why is it that people say we won’t be paying for it if the money comes from the state or the feds? You people who think that way are living in a dream world. There are thousands of municipalities getting the same kind of grants all over the US but we’re not paying for them.
Will not cost anythinthat’s because it lots of trees. Somebody needs to tell these dreamers that the only way this money appears is by taxation. Yet they are willing to cry and wine about pay my schooling cost pay my housing cost pay my toilet paper cost. As if everything was just growing on trees. Yet they wonder why I can’t afford to buy a home work for it Get A second job give up your free time do it like your parents tattoo if they did.
We probably need 2 or 3 more of these. I do question what happens when the non- profit “cashes out”. These are smart folks providing a genuine need for the community. Maybe I’m just a cynic, but most of the people that I have seen that can operate at this level have long term goals that usually align with there personal financial well being.
My question is how can any non-profit or a corporation afford to pay $200K+ per acre? I am sure there is a lot of land much cheaper than that – on the other hand we have some great land we would sell tomorrow for that price!
Why would you think a non profit doesn’t have money or in this case GOVERNMENT MONEY? How much do the “officers” get paid?
The president & CEO of OREGON PUBLIC BROADCASTING, (a PRIVATE non profit btw) received a bit over $495k for 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/930814638
Affordable housing refers to housing that is affordable to households earning less than 80 percent of the area median income (AMI) based on household size. Many of the units will be affordable to households earning far less than 80% of AMI.
The construction budget is a lot, but includes engineering and design, contractor fees, insurance, project management, contingencies to construct the arterial road with bike lanes, public sewer main, storm drainage, and landscaping all at federal wage rates.
The property purchase was made possible by grants secured by FHDC – they received a grant of $1,507,000 from Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) through the Land Acquisition Program and $585,000 in grants from Oregon Community Foundation, Meyer Memorial Trust, and the Collins Foundation, for a total of $2,093,000 in outside sources.
“The property purchase was made possible by grants secured by FHDC – they received a grant of $1,507,000 from Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) through the Land Acquisition Program and $585,000 in grants from Oregon Community Foundation, Meyer Memorial Trust, and the Collins Foundation, for a total of $2,093,000 in outside sources.”
Since $2, 092,000 is from grants, which I presume to all come from TAXPAYERS, that leaves $1,000 from the Meyer Memorial Trust & Collins Foundation. I don’t know how they could ever afford it!
Will this housing project EQUALLY serve people of ALL ethnicities, culture, religions…..? It doesn’t sound like it.
My concern is whether taxpayers are funding a project that will serve as just one more enticement for illegal workers to migrate to Oregon. This process destroyed the local reforestation industry 40 years ago and appears to be having a serious impact on other local industries as well.
Illegal immigrants have become the modern-day slave class, whether picking fruit, mowing lawns, roofing houses, cooking your food, or changing your car’s oil. I honestly believe that if people have come here to work, they should readily be finger printed and given photo id so long as they have a permanent address and aren’t being paid substandard wages or under the table. Seasonal slave camps need to go, but they shouldn’t be replaced by cheap apartment complexes, trailer courts, or taxpayer subsidized housing, either, in my opinion.
Pelosi’s claim that Florida would “welcome illegal migrants” when their fruit ripened was disgusting. The way these people are treated and housed and transported when they get here is also disgusting — just like slaves. And to a large degree, actively funded and tolerated by taxpayers. And even encouraged to sell drugs or stolen goods, prostitute their wives and daughters, cook your food for cheap, and/or work sporadically for cash.
I was a labor contractor for nearly 30 years last century and we didn’t have people camping on the streets, openly using drugs, or acting drunk or crazy in public. They would have been arrested or put in a mental hospital. Now, how many of these tent people are US citizens that have been displaced by illegal workers in housing, medical care, or the job market? When people worked instead of camped they were paid good wages, paid — rather than required — taxes, and we had good schools, clean streets, and nice parks. All well documented.
Now this. We can do better, and we were shown how to do it. No idea why we don’t, and it would be easy to fix.
Which ethnicities do you think will be excluded and what in this story leads you to believe that? Sounds like you made some assumptions and your racism got triggered, lol. Calm down, boomer.
Your bigotry & racism shows through . You point your finger and you have 4 more pointing back at you-
How about “This is a project called Colonia Solidaridad and sponsored by the Farmworker Housing Development Corporation, based in Woodburn.”.
What is “Colonia Solidaridad”?
Thanks Bill: These racists need to be called out for their off-topic name-calling. “Illegal worker” isn’t a race, and neither is “farm worker,” “Mexican,” or “Guatemalan.” Most of the Karens making these dumb charges are older white women that should know better. Also, it’s three fingers they’re pointing at the actual racists.
The scary part is that it’s a “colony.” That’s the derogatory word the academics are now using to describe Oregon Trail pioneers! It’s supposed to be aimed at men, mostly, but that would be sexist in addition to racist. The Aurora Colony is part of Oregon history, too, and same with the Baltimore Colony in Coos County and the original 13 colonies — it would seem that the current generation of educators would know the difference.
Thanks for asking that Bill. When it was first brought up when I was still on Council, I asked that same question. I was told it was stated wrong and that it would be open to all. We’ll see.
I’m not sure what the difference is between “stated wrong” and outright lying. IF “THEY” don’t know proper procedure, I’d simply deny them like anybody else would be denied for doing the same.
Bob and Bessie are right about how the bill was written. The city of Albany, due to funding, have focused their attention away from the needs of the general population. Homelessness of drug addicts and the unemployable plus nonresidents are are the bulk of funding for the needy. Then the people with money are paid to build here by government funds (tax relief etc.) The lower earning working class are ignored and struggle until they may end up homeless or forced to move to somewhere more affordable. The working class are the backbone of our culture and leaving them to fend for themselves will lead to economic instability. Giving someone a hand up is less costly than giving them handouts but it needs to be available to everyone who really needs it, not just a select few.