Cornell Street social housing project
Summary
The city's long-vacant Cornell Street brownfield is the leading candidate for Portland's first social housing project — about 40 units the city would own outright, funded by a revenue bond the project pays back itself. Whether it happens depends on the cost of cleaning up arsenic- and lead-contaminated soil.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 1
- Last 30 days
- 0
Last discussed May 13, 2026.
Impact analysis
Roughly $14 million construction plus a $15 million bond, with cleanup estimates ranging from $2 million to $9 million — but the model shows the project paying its own debt.
Renters earning around 80% of area median income — especially families needing two- and three-bedroom units — plus taxpayers if the bond truly pays for itself.
Nobody directly, though nearby residents could face construction disruption, and the site has sat contaminated for decades.
Mentions & discussions (1)
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